Westport Schools Request $24.96 Million for FY27, Rely on $480,000 in Free Cash

Finance Committee · Meeting of February 3, 2026

Westport's Finance Committee scrutinized a $24,960,332 school budget request for FY27 that leans on $480,000 in free cash to close a funding gap. New Superintendent Dr. Fran Roy and Business Manager Michelle presented the proposal — a $1.2 million, or 5.2 percent, increase over the prior year — at a joint session with the School Committee on February 3, with $762,173 of that increase driven purely by contractual raises for teachers and support staff.

The budget adds a career pathways coordinator, expands student support services, and increases HVAC maintenance and technology spending, with Business Manager Michelle noting that supply costs alone have risen 12 to 25 percent. Finance Committee member Nancy Stanton Cross pushed for a broader conversation about the percentage of anticipated revenues the town appropriates, while member Hugh Morton warned that any split change would pull directly from police, fire, and highway. Town Administrator Chris told the committee that revenue growth — state aid, local receipts, and new growth — is at a five-year low, making aggressive receipt budgeting especially risky this cycle.

School Committee member Evan Gendro noted the district has already reduced its free-cash draw by nearly $200,000 in recent fiscal years, but acknowledged no structural solution is achievable in a single budget cycle.

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Source: the Finance Committee meeting of February 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.