Somerville's Proposed FY27 Budget Includes Record Funding For Public Schools

SOMERVILLE, MA — Mayor Jake Wilson presented his proposed Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget to the City Council this week, outlining a $394.2 million spending plan that city officials say balances fiscal challenges with investments in schools, public services, and housing initiatives.

The proposed budget represents a 3.3 percent increase over the previous fiscal year and comes after city officials worked to close a projected $5.4 million budget shortfall caused by rising costs, economic pressures, and slowing revenue growth.

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“This budget was built for a difficult year and a strong future,” Wilson said. “We faced real constraints and made tough decisions, but we stayed focused on what residents need from us: strong schools, reliable city services, safer streets, and more affordable housing.”

To close the gap, the administration pursued new revenue sources, used stabilization funds to reduce long-term debt obligations, reduced non-personnel operating budgets by roughly 5 percent across city departments, and reorganized some operations. The city also eliminated a limited number of positions after exploring other cost-saving measures.

A major component of the proposal is a record investment in Somerville Public Schools. The budget allocates $122.5 million to the district, fully funding the school department’s request and marking the largest dollar increase in district history.

The school budget includes funding for five new special education teachers, additional instructional coaches and math interventionists, expanded substitute staffing, and increased equity funding for schools with greater needs. It also continues free year-round MBTA passes for students in grades seven through 12.

“At a time when school budgets are being slashed across this state and this country, Somerville is going in the other direction,” Wilson said. “These are commitments to families and youth who trust us to get this right.”

The budget also includes funding for a variety of municipal services and infrastructure projects. Planned investments include continued street and road maintenance, rodent control programs, expanded in-house public works operations, maintenance of more than 15,000 city trees, and new emergency response technology designed to improve fire and EMS response times through coordinated traffic signals.

Additional initiatives include upgrades to the city's permitting system, continued support for 311 constituent services, and website improvements aimed at improving access to city information and services.

Several community-focused priorities are also funded in the proposal. Those include continued investment in affordable housing development projects, tenant legal assistance, immigrant services, a mental health co-response pilot program pairing clinicians with first responders, and the creation of a civilian police oversight position.

The budget also reorganizes several city functions, including the creation of a Language and Communications Access Office and a new Engagement and Neighborhood Services division intended to expand outreach to residents and businesses.

Wilson said the spending plan is designed to preserve Somerville's long-term financial stability while continuing to invest in key priorities.

“This was not an easy budget, but it is a responsible one,” Wilson said. “We protected core services, invested in our schools, and kept Somerville moving forward, while planning thoughtfully for our future.”

The proposed budget will now move to the City Council for deliberation and public review. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10 at 6 p.m. during a virtual Finance Committee meeting.

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