Wilmington School Committee Approves Budget Transfers, Hears Special Education Program Report

WILMINGTON — March 25, 2026 — Wilmington School Committee confirms elementary school project on budget with $10 million contingency. At the March 25 meeting, Superintendent Dr. Thompson announced that the district has submitted its design development package to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, with an independent cost estimate reconciled to within 1.62 percent of project documents — described as exceptionally tight alignment for this design stage. School Building Committee member Mr. Reyeso noted the project still carries roughly $10 million in contingency funding, and construction manager Fontaine Brothers is set to mobilize in late June for early enabling work at the Fourth Intermediate School site. Director of Administration and Finance Brian Simmons reported a total district appropriation of $51,723,526 with a net balance of approximately $19,785 in the black as of February 28, with the committee unanimously approving two mid-year budget transfer motions to realign salary accounts and distribute circuit-breaker funds to special education tuition and transportation lines. Director of Student Support Services Christine Murray presented a comprehensive special education program overview, reporting that students with disabilities make up 19.7 percent of Wilmington's enrollment — below the state average — across nine specialized programs and 30 classrooms, with a 20-teacher, five-diagnostician staffing complement.