The yearly budget of the Worcester Public Schools is complicated, and necessarily so. With 23,735 students and 5,149 employees spread across 46 schools, there are many moving parts of which to take account. This report aims to demystify some of the budget of the next school year, Fiscal Year 2023, as it stands today. This report, and its accompanying dashboard, breaks down both the revenues and expenses–both $523,662,716, their highest ever–in the coming year. It answers in more depth questions such as:
- Where does the Worcester Public Schools get its money to operate every year? In short, it is a combination of state aid, City of Worcester contributions, and Federal and State grant programs.
- How does the Worcester Public Schools spend its funds? Largely on its employees, including over 3000 teachers and instructional assistants that interact with students every day.
- How is the Worcester Public Schools implementing Student Opportunity Act funds? A six-year phase in increase of state aid for education, the Worcester Public Schools has chosen to use these funds on four areas: early literacy, early college, diversifying staff through a homegrown teachers program, and improving social-emotional learning supports.
- How will Worcester spend its unprecedented amount of Federal grant funds? In part through a major school bus purchase, but also to forward fund Student Opportunity Act initiatives.
- Does the District have plans to improve its school buildings? It does. There is a Capital Improvement Plan, and line items from this plan are funded through the City Budget, rather than the School budget.
- Can the Community Engage in the Budget Process? Yes. WPS and the School Committee hold budget meetings throughout the spring.
