Winthrop School Committee Approves $42.5 Million FY27 Budget Request

WINTHROP -- April 27, 2026, Winthrop School Committee approves a $42.5 million FY27 budget request while union members demand a return to the bargaining table. The committee voted 5-1 on April 27 to approve the $42,518,153 net budget request, up from the current year's $40,150,842 town allocation, and authorized Superintendent Lisa Howard to present the plan to the Finance Commission on May 18. Dozens of Winthrop Teachers Association members and supporters filled public comment, with union member Jenna Shanahan telling the committee that the four outstanding contracts could be resolved "for less than $50,000 in a budget two years from now." Former Revere Teachers Association vice president and Winthrop resident Andrea Eshelman warned that pushing the dispute to mediation would "drive away good talent" and cost more in legal fees than the settlement gap itself. The committee voted unanimously to adjourn into executive session on collective bargaining strategy without announcing a date to resume negotiations.