Wellesley Public Schools: Fiscal Year 2026 Budget
The deficit shown in the table above for FY’26 represents the difference between the district’s budget submission and the Select Board guideline of 3.25%. The main driver for this difference is two-fold. The fiscal year 2026 negotiated salary increase is 3.00% for all units. This, along with the other salary-related financial impacts (turnover savings, lane changes, etc.) resulted in an increase of 3.86% - far above the guideline. In addition, mandated service increases account for an additional 0.94%. Enrollment calibration and other administrative decisions has allowed the district to present a level service budget at 3.30%. When strategic priorities and other critical needs are included, the FY’26 Budget increase is 3.50% or $224,566 above the Select Board guideline. Student Enrollment and Projection Wellesley Public Schools reports student enrollment and demographic data to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MA DESE) three times a year: October 1, March 1, and Year End. The October 1 numbers are used to determine staffing for the budget on an annual basis. Wellesley utilizes the cohort survival method, a commonly used projection methodology among school districts throughout the country. The table below reflects Kindergarten through Grade 12 enrollments.
The historical grade-to-grade transition data, as well as the projected enrollment by grade through school year 2028-2029 is included in Appendix B: Enrollment section of the budget.
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