The Arlington Public Schools superintendent updated the School Committee March 13 on the proposed fiscal 2026 budget, highlighting staffing changes, projected salary increases and new operational allocations while taking committee questions about social‑work coverage and facilities funding.

The superintendent told the committee the district’s budgeted total salaries for FY26 — after efficiencies and additions — are about $88.7 million, up from $83.4 million in FY25, an increase she said represents roughly $5.2 million that includes cost‑of‑living adjustments and staffing changes. Line items discussed included anticipated out‑of‑district tuition and transportation increases ($433,000), facility increases (presented as $311,000 in the packet), departmental budget adjustments (about $446,000) and other operational additions (approximately $634,200).

Among staffing proposals, the superintendent described additions and reallocations aimed at addressing uneven elementary enrollments and social‑work caseloads. Proposed changes include two specialized support paraprofessionals and a kindergarten teaching assistant at Hardy; 0.5 additional social‑worker positions at Bishop and at Stratton; and a reallocation of METCO social‑work staffing so METCO services would be concentrated primarily at Dallin and Pierce. The superintendent said the METCO social‑work reallocation is intended to tighten caseload ranges: under FY25 allocations social‑work caseloads ranged from about 197 to 419 students; the FY26 proposal would narrow that range to roughly 197 to 279 students per social‑worker.

The central office restructure includes a partial FTE to host a third‑year Harvard Ed.D. resident fellow, a position described as largely subsidized by Harvard and intended to provide project support to the superintendent’s office for a year. The superintendent said this would replace more costly consulting arrangements.

A new facilities maintenance and refresh allocation was added to allow quicker responses to emergent repairs or accessibility needs (for example, building ramps), and to support small‑scale furniture and fixture refreshes between capital cycles. The superintendent said some of the funds now proposed for operations came from smaller adjustments in staff budgeting and reclassification of certain positions.

Committee members asked for clarity about how concentrating METCO social‑work at two schools would affect students remaining at other sites; the superintendent said the METCO family liaison and school‑based social workers would continue to provide touchpoints and that details of job descriptions and logistics remain under development. Members also raised custodial staffing and the potential to add more custodians depending on the incoming facilities director’s recommendations.

The superintendent described enrollment trends affecting class‑size and section planning: the district is seeing enrollment growth at the secondary level and uneven elementary distributions. She said the district is keeping total elementary sections flat at 38 for next year to balance enrollment across schools and maintain average class sizes, while also planning to relieve overcrowding at Thompson if space permits.

No final budget vote took place; the presentation summarized FY26 assumptions and committee members indicated areas for additional review ahead of further budget deliberations.