Winthrop School Committee approves FY27 budget with $1.22 million in cuts

WINTHROP -- June 15, 2026, Winthrop School Committee approves FY27 budget with $1.22 million in reductions, superintendent warns of potential fall shortfall. The committee voted unanimously Monday to adopt the fiscal year 2027 school budget of $42,558,153, cutting $1.22 million in line items to match the town appropriation set by the Town Council following Finance Commission review. The superintendent described the spending plan as "probably the tightest budget that we're going to work with in the nine years that I've been here," and cautioned that if reduced lines, including special education tuition, homeless transportation cut from $40,000 to $20,000, and a halved special education summer program line, trend higher than projected, the committee would convene a budget subcommittee as early as September to consider a supplemental appropriation or a draw on the stabilization fund. Major cuts included eliminating one of two computer technician positions for $45,084 in savings and reducing the special education summer program by $50,000, with Special Education Director Susan Gibbons credited for restructuring enrollment timelines that tightened summer staffing.