Brookline School Committee News

School Committee News

Following most regular meetings, School Committee News will be sent to the PSB community to summarize some of the discussions and actions taken at the meeting, and provide a glimpse of what’s ahead. The newsletter is also posted on the School Committee's webpage. Translation and accessibility options are available at the top of the page. Please reach out to school_committee@psbma.org with any comments and suggestions.

Recent School Committee Meeting: February 6, 2025

Spotlight on Excellence

Visual Art students and educators from Brookline High School joined the School Committee meeting to be honored with the Superintendent’s Spotlight on Excellence Award. Working in partnership with the Goddard House Assisted Living Residence in Brookline, the students staged an exhibit of their drawing, painting, and photography work in the Goddard House Gallery. Residents of the Goddard House are amazed at the level of talent and artistry shown by our students, and they are hosting a reception for the student artists later this week. The students and teachers spoke about their work, and this exhibition, at the School Committee meeting, and shared a slideshow. Please take a moment to view the slideshow here - the artwork is exceptional. Congratulations to our student artists, and thank you to our educators for guiding them in this meaningful collaboration.

FY26 Budget Update

The FY2026 Initial Budget Request was presented to the School Committee at the February 6 meeting. As the Superintendent noted in his weekly newsletter, rising operational costs, minimum state aid, uncertain federal funding, and increasing demands on district resources require a disciplined approach to budgeting. The initial budget, as presented, exceeds the FY26 Town allocation by over $8 million. The budget request was created in alignment with the School Committee’s budget guidelines and the district Strategic Plan. It allows the district to maintain its current level of service and programs, establishes an 8.5 FTE reserve for unanticipated staffing or student service needs in FY26, and allows the district to meet its special education obligations. The School Committee engaged in a lengthy discussion with staff about the budget request, including questions about the salary and non-salary major cost drivers. The Superintendent will be working with his leadership team to make recommendations to the School Committee on lowering the delta between the allocation and the final budget in the coming weeks. You can read the FY26 Budget Request here, and review the presentation slides shared with the School Committee here.

Pierce School Building Project

Following affirmative votes by the Brookline Building Commission and the Select Board, the School Committee voted to approve Phase 2 of the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) contract for the Pierce School Building Project. Combined with the earlier Phase 1 approval, the total final GMP value is $165,193,282. The building project is proceeding on schedule, with above-ground demolition scheduled to be completed this week.

Upcoming School Committee Meetings

Public Hearing on the FY2026 Budget and School Choice

The School Committee will hold a Public Hearing on the FY2026 Budget and School Choice at the February 13 meeting; click here for the meeting agenda. School Committee regular meetings through March are scheduled for:

Thursday, February 13
Thursday, March 6
Thursday, March 20 (2-hour meeting, focused solely on the FY2026 Budget)
Thursday, March 27

The schedule of School Committee meetings is available on the Town's agenda center. As each meeting approaches, the agenda and supporting documents are uploaded. Members of the public are welcome to join any meeting in-person (on the 5th floor of Brookline Town Hall) or watch/listen remotely (through Brookline Interactive Group's broadcast or live stream).

Subcommittee Corner

The Brookline School Committee has six active subcommittees. Here is a snapshot of upcoming subcommittee meetings after the February school vacation:

Curriculum Subcommittee: Tuesday, February 25, 4:00pm, Town Hall and Zoom
Finance Subcommittee: Wednesday, February 26, 5:00pm, Zoom
Policy Subcommittee: Monday, March 3, 5:00pm, Town Hall and Zoom
Finance Subcommittee: Wednesday, March 5, 5:00pm, Zoom

Visit the School Committee's webpage to read more, including member biographies, list of subcommittees, and links to the PSB Policy Manual.

Share the School Committee News

This newsletter is sent to PSB families and staff. If you know of a non-PSB community member who would like to receive it, please direct them here to sign up.

Stay informed! Click here for meeting agendas, minutes and recordings.

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Recent School Committee Meeting: February 6, 2025 Recent School Committee Meeting: February 6, 2025