Winchester School Committee Unanimously Adopts Arts & Letters as K-5 Literacy Curriculum

WINCHESTER — March 26, 2026 — Winchester School Committee unanimously adopts Arts & Letters as its K-5 literacy curriculum and commits to a 5 percent FY27 budget increase in the wake of a failed operating override. The committee, newly reorganized with Dr. Tim Matthews as chair, Stephanie Mignarji as vice chair, and Karen Bolognese as recording secretary, voted 4-0 to accept the Elementary Literacy Team 2.0 report and approve Arts & Letters after a yearlong pilot in which 100 percent of piloting teachers recommended the program, 96 percent without reservation, compared with 74 percent of EL Education piloteers who did not recommend its adoption. The board also voted 4-0 to pursue a 5 percent year-over-year budget, which requires cutting roughly $2.3 million in override priorities after Winchester voters rejected a proposed operating override by fewer than 300 votes out of nearly 5,000 cast on March 22. Superintendent Dr. Hackett warned the committee that even at 5 percent "it's not going to be possible to manage all of it through attrition," signaling likely position eliminations ahead of Springtown Meeting, which opens April 27. The committee also approved a consent agenda including WIPI grant submissions totaling $53,875.