Wayland School Committee approves $48.8 million FY24 budget

WAYLAND — March 15, 2023 — Wayland School Committee approves $48.8 million FY24 budget, drops full-day kindergarten. The committee voted 4-0 with one recusal Wednesday to send a $48,803,195 operating plan to Town Meeting, about $1.6 million over the current year before cost-of-living adjustments. Acting Superintendent Perry Graham said special education tuition and transportation are driving a 48 percent, $1.7 million spike, with no prepay or circuit-breaker cushion left to absorb it; the Finance Committee seeded a new special education reserve fund with $150,000 to backstop a $450,000 transportation cut the state may only partially reimburse. A $400,000 elementary math curriculum adoption anchors the $688,000 capital request. Resident George Harris used public comment to press for answers on Superintendent Dr. Omar Easy's leave and "four open meeting law complaints," filing a public records request for legal billing at the microphone.