WESTFORD — Westford Public Schools closed fiscal 2026 without a general fund deficit, but officials say rising special education, transportation and facility expenses continue to put significant pressure on the district’s budget.
Finance Director Jenny Lin presented the district’s fourth-quarter financial report to the School Committee during its Aug. 31 meeting, outlining several areas where spending exceeded budgeted amounts.
The district began fiscal 2026 with a general fund operating budget of approximately 69 million dollars.
An unusually cold winter contributed to higher snow and ice expenses, prompting the town to transfer approximately $70,400 from its reserve fund to the school department.
The entire adjusted budget was spent by the end of the fiscal year, leaving no remaining balance in the general fund, according to Lin.
Three areas accounted for some of the district’s most significant budget pressures.
Other school services exceeded the budget by approximately $380,000, mainly because of special education transportation and transportation required for students experiencing homelessness and students in foster care.
Operations and Maintenance exceeded its budget by approximately $332,000.
Lin attributed the additional expenses to inflation, contracted services, facility repairs and maintenance and other increased operating costs within the facilities department.
Special education tuition was approximately $264,000 over budget, with the increase primarily driven by tuition for students placed in programs outside the district.
Lin said those expenses are not new challenges for Westford.
Over the past three years, special education tuition, special education transportation and facility-related repair and maintenance expenses have consistently created budget pressure for the district.
Despite that, Lin said careful budget planning and close monitoring of expenditures, particularly during the fourth quarter, allowed the district to close the fiscal year without an operating deficit.
The district ended the year with approximately $515,000 remaining in its budget for teachers, teacher specialists and instructional coordinators.
Lin said the savings were largely generated by retirements, resignations and terminations, particularly when replacement employees were hired at lower salary steps. Unpaid leaves of absence also contributed to savings.
Education support professional salaries, meanwhile, finished approximately $162,000 over budget.
The financial report comes as town and school officials begin looking ahead to future spending plans.
