Superintendent presents $95.9M FY 26 budget focused on staff salary increases in Winchester

The Winchester Public School Board has proposed a robust budget for the fiscal year 2026, aiming to enhance staff compensation and address ongoing staffing challenges, particularly among bus drivers. During the recent business meeting, Dr. Van Heukelen presented a budget totaling $95.9 million, which reflects a slight decrease from the previous year due to the expiration of federal COVID-19 funding.

Key highlights of the budget include a significant payroll increase of over $2 million, primarily aimed at improving salaries for non-exempt staff, including bus drivers, teacher assistants, and cafeteria workers. The proposed raises will elevate the minimum wage for these positions to $15 per hour, with many employees seeing increases up to $23 per hour for bus drivers. This move is expected to alleviate long-standing staffing shortages and improve service reliability for students.

Dr. Van Heukelen emphasized the importance of community support, noting that achieving full funding from the city council would mark only the second time in nine years that the school system has been fully funded. The budget proposal seeks a $1.2 million contribution from the city, which is crucial for maintaining educational standards and supporting the 4,300 students enrolled in Winchester Public Schools.

The meeting also highlighted the shifting financial landscape for public education in Winchester, with state contributions to education significantly outpacing local funding increases over the past decade. While local funding has risen by 31% since 2010, state funding has more than doubled, underscoring a growing reliance on state support for public education.

As the school board prepares to present the budget to the city council, the focus remains on ensuring that the needs of both staff and students are met, fostering a more stable and effective educational environment in Winchester.