FY26 Proposed Budget
Superintendent's Transmittal Letter
Dear Malden School Committee,
I am pleased to present the Malden Public Schools’ proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026. The following FY26 budget recommendations align spending with our district’s core values and strategic areas for collective action. In consultation with school and district leaders, this budget was developed to ensure that we meet the needs of all our students in the upcoming school year while maintaining fiscal responsibility and sustainability.
A lengthy, collaborative analysis of class sizes, enrollment numbers, schedule requirements, collective bargaining obligations, out-of-district tuition increases, transportation costs, contracted services pricing, and more were taken into consideration in developing the proposed balanced budget.
In this budget cycle we, the district, placed a specific emphasis on meeting the diverse needs of our students with disabilities and multilingual learners while ensuring equitable access to resources and educational opportunities across all schools and grade levels. Reflecting these priorities, this book highlights shifts in staffing driven by programmatic changes for multilingual learners and students with disabilities, as well as by changes in enrollment and class sizes.
An additional consideration in this budget cycle was staffing at Malden High School. In the spirit of high expectations for all, starting with the next graduating class, all students will be required to complete two years of world language and a full year of fine art to graduate and meet the Mass Core requirements. In planning for this change, the proposed budget adds additional staff to these departments at the high school to ensure students will have access to the classes they need.
Overall, the $98,697,688 Malden Public Schools proposed budget is strategically allocated across schools and between salaries and operational costs to strengthen district programming for our students. In a time when many school districts are reducing costs from salaries and operations, the proposed FY26 budget uses local, state, and federal grant funding to preserve current levels of staffing. In fact, with $76,407,556.06 proposed for salaries in FY26, the budget allows for an overall change in full-time equivalent (FTE) positions at the school level of +4.
With this proposed budget, Malden is poised to enter the 2025-2026 school year with appropriately staffed schools and equitably allocated resources, allowing our district to continue to include and collaborate, embrace growth, and do right by all kids.
Thank you for your continued support and go Malden!
Sincerely,
Timothy Sippel, E.d.L.D.
Superintendent of Schools