Westwood School Committee seeks $1.46 million in free cash at May Town Meeting

WESTWOOD — March 19, 2026 — Westwood School Committee votes to pursue MSBA middle school grant and previews $1.46 million in Town Meeting warrant articles. The committee on March 19 authorized submission of a statement of interest for Thurston Middle School to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, with submission planned for April 2026 and an acceptance decision expected by December 2026. Chair Maia Plotkin said the district will also bring three free cash transfer requests to the May 4 Annual Town Meeting: $345,000 to close a fiscal year 2026 deficit created when the district hired outside contractors to fill more than 20 vacant instructional aide and applied behavior analyst positions, $680,000 to replenish a special education reserve that will otherwise hold just $181,000 heading into fiscal year 2027, and $435,000 to cover financial obligations from litigation currently in arbitration. The district boosted its FY27 special education tuition and transportation budgets by a combined $1.017 million in anticipation of continued cost growth.