Tewksbury School Committee approves $82 million FY27 budget, opts out of School Choice

TEWKSBURY — April 15, 2026 — Tewksbury School Committee unanimously approved an $82,051,493 fiscal year 2027 budget and voted 4-0 to opt out of the state School Choice program at its April 15 meeting. The budget, which will go before voters at the Annual Town Meeting on May 4, represents a $2.2 million, or 3.72 percent, increase on salary and operating costs over the prior year, according to Business Manager David Libby. The committee also reorganized its leadership, reelecting Bridget Garabedian as chair and Kayla Biagioni-Smith as vice chair, and seating newly elected Ryan Lloyd as clerk — all by 4-0 votes. Superintendent Brenda Theriault-Regan announced the hiring of Stephen Sierpina as the next Wynn Middle School principal and confirmed she is on track to submit a Statement of Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority by an April 17 deadline for potential renovation or replacement of the Dewing and Heath Brook elementary schools. The committee also accepted $12,150 in donations to the district's Robotics Club and heard that Verizon will install 15 cell service extenders across district buildings at a final cost to the district of approximately $3,700.