Wilmington School Committee Extends Bus Contract, Reviews $54.3 Million FY27 Budget

WILMINGTON — January 21, 2026 — Wilmington School Committee unanimously extended its transportation contract with NRT at $481 per bus per day and reviewed a $54.3 million fiscal year 2027 school budget. The committee voted without dissent to exercise the first of two one-year contract extension options with NRT, keeping the per-bus-per-day rate well below current market rates of $520 to $550, after Assistant Superintendent Jeffrey Simmons noted the only competing bidder in the last open procurement came in roughly $330,000 more over three years. Superintendent Dr. Glenn Thompson's recommended FY27 budget of $54,276,626 — a $2,553,100 increase, just under the town manager's 5 percent ceiling — adds positions including a behavior interventionist for preschool and kindergarten, an in-house athletic trainer, and occupational therapy staff to replace a vendor that closed after the school year began. Member Christopher Raisel flagged that the increase in out-of-district special education tuition alone exceeds every other non-salary increase in the budget combined. The committee also heard the first read of proposed Wilmington High School program of studies updates, including two career pathways with 100-hour internship requirements, an introduction to artificial intelligence course, and a clarified accelerated math sequence targeting AP Calculus BC.