Wellesley Public Schools: Fiscal Year 2026 Budget
Calculating the Salary and Other Compensation Budget
Salary projections are one of the most important aspects of the budget development process. Salary and other compensation account for 87.07% of the total Wellesley Public Schools Budget in FY’26. To calculate the salary and other compensation budget requests, staffing needs must first be calculated. Professional staffing need is determined based on enrollment projections and established professional staffing guidelines. Staff is assumed to be returning to work for the next school year, unless otherwise known. Using the current year’s staffing as a base, the salary and other compensation is generated as follows: 1. Employees on a partial or full leave of absence for the school year 2024-2025 are expected to return to their prior or equivalent position unless written notice is received. 2. All employees not at the maximum step are advanced one step on their respective salary schedule. 3. Collective bargaining increases are applied to the salary table. Four collective bargaining agreements expire in June 2026. All known collective bargaining impacts for Units A through D are included in the FY’26 Budget. Unit E is currently being negotiated and a salary reserve is included in the budget for the expected salary increases. Salary schedule adjustments are also made for staff not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, such as van drivers, bus monitors, substitutes, administrators and other. 4. Anticipated lane changes for professional staff are included in the salary reserve. By contract, teachers and other professional staff covered by the Wellesley Educator’s Association Unit A contract must notify the Superintendent’s Office in writing of their intent to advance to a higher educational level by November 1 st of the current year to take effect the following year. Historically, not all individuals complete the requirements to advance to a new salary lane. The district budgets a reserve to cover approximately 55 professional staff at an estimated cost of $5,500 per employee. 5. Professional staff changes based on enrollment are included. For teachers and professional support staff, these positions are budgeted at a master’s step 8 at an average salary of $84,994 based on the fiscal year 2026 salary schedule. 6. Salaries for staff known to be retiring, resigning, or taking a leave of absence are removed and replaced with the average salary noted above. 7. Salaries for substitute teachers, coaches, professional development workshops, stipends, etc. are determined. 8. A turnover assumption is determined. The turnover assumption is the estimated savings that the district will realize due to unanticipated retirements, resignations, and/or leaves of absence that occur after the budget is approved. The budget turnover savings of $700,000 in included in the budget. Health Benefits: As a municipal school district, the Town carries employee benefit costs (health insurance, retirement, etc.) for benefit-eligible school employees in their budget. Health benefits are budgeted for by the Town of Wellesley Human Resources Department. In fiscal year 2024, the Town’s contribution to active school employee’s health coverage was $10.2M and for retired school employee’s health coverage the amount totaled $1.8M. To assist the Town with budgeting for an expected health benefit increase, the Town requires all departments to include
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