Literacy Pilot Program

Financial support for the new Literacy Initiative Pilot Program was approved at the Spring Town Meeting and will provide more resources to improve reading proficiency among our elementary students.

The pilot program has taken shape after two years of gathering feedback from parents and community members and partnering with the Collaborative for Educational Services (CES). Among the resources the program will provide are professional development opportunities for teachers in various literacy areas, including language comprehension and word recognition, among others.

A year-end report from the Elementary Literacy Team (ELT), in collaboration with the Collaborative for Educational Services (CES), will be presented to the school committee at its June 12th meeting. 

You can find more information about our elementary literacy efforts and the important work of the ELT on our website.

Literacy Coordinator

We are excited to announce that Melissa Newell will lead the program as Literacy Coordinator. Her wealth of experience, knowledge, and passion for education are just some of the exceptional qualities she brings to WPS. Ms. Newell’s leadership and collaboration with staff will be key as we look to boost literacy outcomes for our youngest learners.

The project is on track for substantial completion by Friday, June 27. Installation of fixtures, equipment, and furniture will be ongoing throughout the summer. Staff at Lynch Elementary are packing their classrooms and we expect them to move later this summer.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lynch Elementary will be Monday, August 25, at 10:30 a.m.

FY26 Budget

The WPS budget for the 2025-26 school year was also approved at the Spring Town Meeting on May 5. The School Committee and district leadership diligently worked since last fall to craft a budget that ensures our mission to provide all students with an outstanding education is fulfilled. 

A key part of this year’s process was a focus on community engagement through surveys of parents, caregivers, staff, students, and community members. Their thoughtful feedback and suggestions helped shape the focus of this year’s approved budget and have been incorporated into our five-year strategic plan.

Our approved budget for Fiscal Year 2026 includes spending of $70.41 million, an increase of 6.46% from the previous fiscal year. Most of the approximately $4.27 million year-to-year increase is attributed to rising costs associated solely with maintaining our current services.

About $62 million of the budget’s total is allocated for personnel in FY 2026. Among the expected additions in this area are two special education teachers, additional multilingual learner support, math interventionists at each elementary school, and AP Mandarin at Winchester High School.

The approved FY26 budget is also notable as it’s the first in our five-year strategic plan known as WPS 2030. The vision for our ambitious plan is to build on the district’s mission and prior successes while striving to evolve and meet the ever-changing needs of students, staff, and our community. We believe this financial plan will allow WPS to responsibly address some immediate financial needs, provide students and staff with more resources, and help foster an exceptional learning environment where students can thrive.

For those who were unable to attend a Town Meeting, our budget presentation is available for review. Past meetings can be viewed online through WinCAM. 

I want to sincerely thank everyone for their engagement throughout the budget planning process. We received valuable feedback from our survey, and we fielded a variety of questions and input from people who attended meetings or reached out directly. We were pleased to also garner national recognition through an award from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), which named our  FY26 Budget Book among the best digital media finance publications for 2025! 

As always, thank you for your continued support of WPS and the students we serve! 

Sincerely, 

Frank Hackett, Ed.D

Superintendent