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Belmont Public Schools

Teaching and Learning in 2025-2026

PTO / PTA Meetings - Fall 2025

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STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1: Academic Excellence and Equity for All Students

2024-2025

  • Outline Instructional Programming Supporting Multiple Pathways - In progress
  • Identify Kinds of Pathways - In Progres

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2024-2025

  • Publish MTSS Manual - In Final Stages
  • Develop Curriculum Review Cycle - Completed

2025-2026

  • Professional learning for educators on data use and culture, Universal design for Learning and DCAP.
  • Evaluate effectiveness of Curriculum Review Cycle and state of curriculum used relative to the instructional vision and district goals.

2024-2025

  • Create Vision of a Graduate / Learner - Completed
  • Create Rubrics Measuring VOG Competencies - In Final Stages

2025-2026

  • Identify the assessments needed to measure competencies and skills in the Vision of a Graduate in grades 9-12.
  • Create rubrics that measure the competencies and skills students in grades PreK-8 need to make progress towards meeting the outcomes of the Create a Vision of a Learner / Graduate for BPS.

2025-2026

  • Identify the kinds of pathways to build for students towards graduation, including opportunities for vocational technical programming, and a plan for implementation.
  • Identify action plans, resources and/or partnerships needed for different types of pathways.

Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Vision of a Graduate

Multiple Pathways to Graduation

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STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2: Social-Emotional Well-Being, Belonging, and Engagement

2024-2025

  • Review Current MTSS for Mental Health Supports - In progress; started through MTSS
  • Identify SEL / Mental Health Resources - In progress; started through MTSS

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2024-2025

  • Review Tier 1 SEL Professional Development - In progress; started through MTSS
  • Identify School Climate Measures - In progress; started through MTSS

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2025-2026

  • Identify gaps in SEL/Mental Health programming through a full review.
  • Adopt a tool to be used to measure school climate and a plan for implementation.

2025-2026

  • Identify gaps in SEL/Mental Health programming through a full review to identify gaps for coherence in tiers 2 and 3 programming.
  • Build SEL/Mental Health programming based on year 1 recommendations to include mental health screenings and evidence based interventions.

Tier 1 SEL

Tiers 2 and 3 SEL

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STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3: Family and Community Communication to Support Student Learning

2024-2025

  • Review Family Communication Practices - In progress; Data collection started
  • Identify Professional Development Needs for Family Communication - In progress; Data collection started

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2024-2025

  • Establish Understanding of Information Provided to Families - Completed
  • Review Family Communication Structures - In progress; Data collection started
  • Identify needs of Different Populations’ Families - In progress; Data collection started

2025-2026

  • Develop a plan for district practice where communication with families and school-based processes are refined. The plan includes making communication accessible by different populations of families (Boston-resident, BIPOC, English learners, LGBTQIA+, Students with Disabilities, and low-income families).

2025-2026

  • Identify strategies that improve the family experience and participation in back to school nights, conferences, PTO and parent/student activities, and after school events to enhance communication.
  • Outline professional development needs around family communication including the use of communication platforms (eg TalkingPoints).

Family Communication Structures

Family Communication Practices

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FY27 Budget Objectives

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FY27 Budget Objectives - This is what we are trying to accomplish with the budget

  • A well-rounded education of rigorous academics, strong performing arts, and high participation in athletics, extra-curricular experiences, and community services, ensuring access for all students, especially our most vulnerable students.
  • Long term investments in instructional programming and operations that are informed by the strategic plan.
  • Supporting contractual obligations that reflect high quality teaching and authentic learning and are sustainable and financially manageable.
  • Continuous learning of our staff through professional development and team collaboration.
  • Efficiencies and cost-saving measures without compromising educational programming of the district.
  • Sufficient operating funds to be responsive to enrollment shifts across grade levels and change in student needs, particularly with special education and social emotional learning, and to ensure equitable access to educational opportunities and high-quality programming for all students.

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FY27 Budget Assumptions

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FY27 Budget Assumptions - This is what we know about the budget so far and what we think will be the case

Level Service

  • The starting point for the budget process is the school general fund budget for FY26, which is $70,618,619. The FY26 budget reflects the shared services number that was migrated to the Town ($70,629,379 - $10,760 shared services).
  • A level services budget for FY27 will include a certain percentage increase from FY26 after accounting for contractual increases.
  • The FY27 level services budget will need to reflect cost increases for vendor contracts and mandated services.
  • The general fund will be supplemented by grants and revolving accounts, which will be approximately the same in FY27 as they were in FY26.
  • The non-salary budget will be reviewed to optimize alignment with student needs and district priorities, to the extent permitted by funding.
  • User fees will continue to be reviewed and aligned with program costs, where applicable, while also considering the impact on families.
  • State Circuit Breaker and IDEA allocations will be used strategically, in accordance with the School Department's Multi-Year Out-of-District Tuition Funding Plan.

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Program Improvements

  • The district strategic plan suggests enhancements, which have budget implications, needed to strengthen how the district serves all students.
  • Any reductions or any needed resources not added to the budget in order to meet available revenue may impact programming and services for students.

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FY27 Budget Priorities

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FY27 Budget Priorities - These are considerations when making resource decisions

  • Meeting Diverse Learner Needs
    • Allocate resources to address academic, and social-emotional needs across all tiers of MTSS, ensuring support and access for vulnerable students.
  • Building Staff Capacity and Curricular Programming
    • Invest in professional learning and curriculum to strengthen educator practices.
  • Supporting Extracurricular Programming
    • Fund extracurriculars that broaden student opportunities.
  • Ensuring Sustainability and Efficiency
    • Make decisions that are financially manageable over time and reinvest savings from efficiencies.
  • Responding to Enrollment and Demographic Shifts
    • Reserve flexibility to adjust staffing and supports as student populations change across grade levels.
  • Balancing Fees and Budget Management
    • Weigh the financial burden of fees on families against the need to sustain the operating budget.

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Budget Structures, Activities and Dates

Town Budget Structures and Activities:

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Multi-Year Budget Advisory Committee - Representatives from Selectboard, School Committee, Warrant Committee, and Capital Planning Committee, Town and School Administration

  • Creates a model for revenue and expense forecasting to inform policy bodies
  • Meetings took place May - October

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4 Budget Summits with all four Committees and Town and School Administration (Oct 9, Nov 20, Mar 26)

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School Budget Structures and Activities:

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  • Initial Draft Budget Presented to SC - Early Dec

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  • SC Meetings for Budget Discussions - Dec - Jan

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  • Final Budget Due - Mar 20

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  • Town Meeting - Early May

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Thank You

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BELMONT PUBLIC SCHOOLS