City Council FY26 Budget Presentation — File 25-1037

FY 2026 Superintendent’s Budget City Council - May 29, 2025 1

Ilana Krepchin, Chair, Ward II Dr. Sarah Phillips, Vice-Chair, Ward III Dr. Emily Ackman, Ward I Andre L. Green, Ward IV Laura Pitone, Ward V Ellenor Barish, Ward VI Leiran Biton, Ward VII Katjana Ballantyne, Mayor Judy Pineda Neufeld, President, Somerville City Council Dr. Rubén Carmona, Superintendent, Secretary to the School Committee 2 Somerville School Committee

3 Vision Statement We envision a student-centered learning community where every student – honoring their unique strengths and background – is empowered to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally through tailored supports and equitable access to opportunity.

4 Current Fiscal Context Despite external factors ❖ Budget deficits ❖ Underfunding in PK-12 education ❖ Uncertainty around federal funding ❖ Rising costs and inflation ❖ Mayor has requested a 5% budget ❖ City is projecting a $4M gap We remain committed to: Valuing our educators, students, and families Advocating for additional funding on all levels of government Maintaining current staff levels Advocating to protect the Department of Education

5 Alignment With Strategic Plan 5 Somerville Public Schools commits to the following goals, knowing that these can only be achieved through ensuring meaningful partnerships with Somerville students, families, staff, city government, and community partners. 1) Academic Excellence 2) Equity & Access 3) Wellness & Joy 4) Family & Community Engagement

6 Our Why: Celebrating Students & Graduates

Plans of SPS Graduates Class of 2024 7 You can explore data more here. Unknown 7% Other 4% Military 1% Work 11% Postsecondary 77% 4-Year Public 22% Private 25% 2-Year Public 19% Other 8% [ [ 83.6% 2024 Graduation Rate

2025 Post-Graduate Plans & Merit Scholarship Awards 8 13 Tufts University Admits Selective College Acceptances Boston Univ Boston College Brown Univ Cornell Univ Dartmouth College Harvard University Northeastern University University of Chicago UPenn UMass Amherst Honors College UCLA USC Yale Wesleyan College 150+ Universities and Colleges accepted SPS Students Workforce Commitments Several students submitted applications and are waiting to hear from the JATC electrical union, carpenter’s union, and plumbers union. Scholarships and Financial Aid One Posse Scholarship at Bryn Mawr. One Fidelity Scholarship. 137 students receiving $350,000 in scholarships from the Somerville Community. At least 180 FAFSAs completed and filed for the Class of 2025 as of April 2025.

Enrollment Snapshot 9 204 2024-2025 Total Sections K-8 CURRENT 203.6 2025-2026 Total Sections K-8 PROJECTED SY 22 (as of 10.1) SY23 (as of 10.1) SY24 (as of 10.1) SY25 (as of 10.1) Class Size Average SY26 Total SPS Enrollment (not including walk in and outplaced students) 4,673 4,815 4,927 4,952 18.1 Total newcomers 438 356 296 168 (as of 5.23.25) PK and K enrollment info session for families in Nov 2024 District Enrollment is expected to continue rising over the summer. Last year, 138 students registered between June 1 and August 30 in 2024. ● New classroom being constructed from an atrium area space at Argenziano for incoming 5th grade ● Additional 6th grade section at Kennedy due to limited openings for the Class of 2032 throughout the district ● Reducing K section at Healey to be moved to Grade 4 to accommodate students transitioning out of Sheltered English Immersion-1 into General Education

10 Budget Summary Proposed Budget, Funding and Estimated Revenue

Budget Development Process 11 Winter Meet with Principals to review needs at our school sites, including Facilities Spring Superintendent/CFO Finance Committee Meetings of the Whole review and prioritize budget Fall Confirm current staffing plan Review grants/revolving accounts and fixed accounts Meet with departments and school leaders Hold budget collaborative meetings Review data, align with School Improvement plans Finalize staffing and requests SPS Public Budget Hearing, School Committee and City Council vote on budget plan Begin to develop FY26-27 budget

2025-2026 Anticipated Grant Funding 12 Contingent on continued Federal support: ❖ Title I, II, III, IV anticipated total of $1,418,000 ❖ IDEA level allocation expected: $1,806,000 ❖ Perkins (CTE): $87,945 Areas of State support include: ❖ SCALE, Vocational, Health, Early Education

FY26 Non-Salary Budget Proposal 13 Supports Operations, Contracts, Transportation, Out-of-District Tuition Current Proposed $18.6Mil 2024-2025 2025-2026 $18.9Mil Proposed Change in 2025-2026 School Year +344K or +1.9% ❖ Increased funding for transportation, curriculum and anticipated service contract increases

FY26 Salary Budget Proposal 14 Funding our Educators, Support, and Leadership Teams Current Proposed $88Mil 2024-2025 2025-2026 $93Mil +5.3Mil or +5.9% ❖ Increased funding will support compensation resulting from SEU negotiations and compliance-driven new positions Proposed Change in 2025-2026 School Year

2025-2026 Salary Budget Proposal 15 Staffing Additions ❖ Resource Room Teachers (3 positions) ❖ Board Certified Behavior Specialist DW ❖ SEEK Director ❖ ESL Specialist - East ❖ Elementary Teachers (3.0 FTE) ❖ CTE Teacher ❖ Special Educator - AFAS ❖ Special Ed Paras - Kennedy (Staffing Additions continued) ❖ Additional Coaching staff ❖ SLP - DW Early Childhood ❖ Certified DLCS teacher - DW ❖ Data Analyst (.5 FTE) ❖ Facilities, Safety, Transportation Coor ❖ Bilingual Health Coor (.5 FTE) - DW ❖ Community Engagement Specialist - WH ❖ College and Career Stipends

Funding and Estimated Revenue 16 Revenue Source FY2025 FY2026 Local appropriations budget $106,747,015 $112,323,838 Private, State and Federal Grants $4,500,000 $4,325,000 Special Education Circuit Breaker $3,363,014 $3,477,096 Food Service Revenue $3,500,000 $3,500,000 Other Revolving Account Revenue $2,500,000 $2,500,000 Total School Committee funds $120,524,029 $126,125,934 $126Mil 2025-2026 School Committee Funds TOTAL FUNDS Local External & Revolving $112Mil 2025-2026 2025-2026 $14Mil

17 City & Community Partnerships Mayor’s Office Somerville Children’s Cabinet Somerville Communications & Community Engagement Dept. Somerville Grants Dept. Somerville Dept. of Racial & Social Justice Somerville LGBTQ Commission Somerville Dept. of Public Works Somerville Health & Human Services, including Office of Food Access & Healthy Communities, Prevention Services, and SomerPromise Somerville Parks & Recreation Somerville Public Libraries Somerville Police Department Somerville Fire Department Somerville Office of Sustainability Somerville Arts Council Somerville Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development Somerville Capital Projects Somerville Technology Dept. Somerville Traffic and Parking Somerville Council on Aging Somerville Commission on Human Rights MA Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) MA Dept. of Early Education & Care (EEC) ABT Global Bay State Community College Benjamin Franklin Institute of Tech. Berklee College of Music Boston College Boston University Bunker Hill CC Cambridge College Fisher College Harvard University Lesley University Longy School of Music Mass. Institute of Technology (MIT) Mass Bay Community College Middlesex Community College North Shore Community College Roxbury Community College Tufts University UMass Boston Universal Technical Institute University of Michigan Wyoming Technical Institute Boston Carpenters Apprenticeship Training Center Construction Craft Laborers Apprenticeship Program Eastern MA Carpenters Apprenticeship I.B. Electrical Workers Local 63 - Laborers Union Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 Somerville PTAs Padres Latinos The Beautiful Stuff Project Groundwork Somerville Middlesex Partnerships for Youth Mystic Learning Center Parts & Crafts Rotary Club Somerville Community Corp. Somerville Media Center Somerville YMCA Somernova Teen Empowerment The Welcome Project The Children’s Room Home for Little Wanderers Neighborhood Counseling & Community Services Riverside Mental Health Youth Harbors Bigelow Cooperative Daycare CAAS Head Start Dandelion Montessori Elizabeth Peabody House Open Center for Children Treehouse Academy Child Care Pooh and Friends Learning Center Kingdom Rock Children’s Center Boston Children’s Hospital Cambridge Health Alliance Barr Foundation Biogen Biogen Foundation Boston Chamber Music Society Boston Area Kodaly Educators Boston Debate League The Boston Foundation Brian Higgins Foundation C.A.S.IT The Cummings Foundation Grooversity HONK Festival Foundation Lab Central Ignite Mass Advocates for Children Mass Cultural Council Nellie Mae Education Foundation The Rennie Center Root Cause Ryan Harrington Foundation Somerville Education Foundation Somerville Mathematics Fund Becoming a Man (BAM) Breakthrough Greater Boston The Calculus Project Enroot Working on Womanhood (WOW)

18 Thank you for your consideration and support. Comments and suggestions For more information on the budget, go to: www.somerville.k12.ma.us/finance