Winchester school board rejects superintendent's FY27 appropriation, delays budget decision to March 3

The Winchester Public Schools Board of Education voted down the superintendent's proposed FY27 appropriated budget at a special budget workshop on Feb. 26, 2026, and agreed to suspend further discussion until a reconvened meeting on March 3.

Board Chair Kurt Werner called the meeting to order in the Hicks Room. The Superintendent opened with a presentation of Winchester Public Schools' performance index data comparing WPS with 11 similar towns; WPS staff also updated the board on efforts to increase ECS funding for the coming year. Giovanni Cutaia, the district's Board Certified Behavior Analyst, told the board that a typical BCBA caseload is 8–12 students and reported that his current caseload is 30 students, a detail discussed as part of staffing and resource considerations.

Board member Christine Rylander moved to approve the appropriated FY27 budget request at $26,509,482; board member Elinor Bishop seconded the main motion. Several members proposed amendments to lower the appropriation. Joseph Santoro moved (seconded by Frank Oliveri) to amend the figure to $25,990,452; that amendment failed on a 1-8 vote, with Santoro the lone yes. Nora Mocarski then moved an amendment to set the appropriation at $26,131,973 (a $418,589 reduction); that proposal failed 3-6, with Rylander, Mocarski and Bishop voting yes. Frank Oliveri moved an amendment to $25,868,482 (a $682,080 reduction), which failed 2-7 (yes votes: Santoro and Oliveri). Mocarski returned with a $26,098,482 amendment (a $452,080 reduction), which also failed 2-7 (yes votes: Rylander and Mocarski).

After a second recess, the main motion to adopt the superintendent's $26,509,482 appropriation was put to a vote and failed 2-7 (yes votes: Rylander and Bishop). Chair Kurt Werner then moved, and Jonathan Morhardt seconded, a motion to suspend further discussion on the FY27 appropriation and reconvene on Tuesday, March 3; that motion passed unanimously. A single public comment was offered later in the meeting (the speaker was not named in the minutes). The board adjourned after a unanimous motion to end the session.

Why it matters: The votes on Feb. 26 leave the district without a finalized appropriated budget for FY27; the reconvened session on March 3 will decide whether the board can agree on a spending level, affecting staffing, special education caseload management and the district's pursuit of additional ECS funding.

What's next: The board will reconvene on March 3 to continue the FY27 budget discussion and consider any further amendments or an adjusted appropriation.