Winthrop Schools Present $42.5 Million Budget, $1.26 Million Above Town Manager's Figure

WINTHROP — May 14, 2026 — Winthrop schools request $42.5 million for FY27, roughly $1.26 million above the town manager's projected allocation. Superintendent Lisa Dyer presented the Finance Committee with its first full look at the school department's budget Wednesday, detailing $25.4 million in gross salary costs and $2.5 million in out-of-district special education tuitions — the two largest drivers of a budget she described as level-service with no new hires and no layoffs. A $600,000 contingency is built in to cover contracts for four unsettled bargaining units, including teachers, at an assumed 3 percent increase. Dyer said if the town holds to the lower figure, cuts would fall on supplies and materials, with any staffing reductions requiring school committee approval. The committee voted 5-0, with one abstention, to approve minutes from its May 7 meeting, then adjourned to await a follow-up session after members review the distributed materials.