Weston Schools Project $383,000 Surplus, Approve Immigration Enforcement Response Policy

WESTON — May 18, 2026 — Weston School Committee approved a new immigration enforcement response policy and projects a $383,000 year-end budget surplus. The five-member committee voted unanimously Monday to ratify a consent agenda that also included an extension of the Weston School Bus Drivers Association collective bargaining agreement through 2029. Director of Finance Dave Coelho, recently elected president of the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials, told the board the third-quarter projection is "probably a little bit on the conservative side," noting $800,000 in unapplied revenue offsets remain. The committee heard that out-of-district special education tuition increases have reached as high as 23 percent at some placements since the pandemic. A social-emotional behavioral health screening pilot covering 337 students in grades 4 through 6 identified 58 students as having some level of risk, including students not previously flagged for support, and administrators confirmed the screener will expand K-12 in 2026-27. METCO Director Theresa Dryden, who is retiring after nearly 60 years of program history in Weston, said the METCO parent community was disappointed a planned Boston presentation was canceled and thanked the committee for rescheduling it to the fall.