Wayland school budget draft shows 5.8 percent increase before new asks

WAYLAND — December 12, 2022 — Wayland school officials sketch a 5.8 percent fiscal 2024 budget increase before adding new asks. The School Committee's Finance Subcommittee reviewed a draft from Business Administrator Tom and Superintendent Dr. Uzi that runs roughly $2.73 million above the $47.16 million approved last year, driven by a state-set 14 percent inflator on out-of-district special education tuition and a 48 percent overall jump in the special education department. Athletics shifts coaching stipends into the operating budget, offset by about $275,000 in user fees, for a net increase near $100,000. Full-day kindergarten is embedded at roughly $447,000, paired with the town's takeover of school utilities. Members flagged School Committee legal spending tracking to $60,000, calling for "bridge" explanations on every double-digit line. The committee is scheduled to vote Jan. 25.