WORCESTER—The Worcester School Committee has a new budget and new administrative personnel in place after approving both a spending plan and contracts during their June 18 meeting.
The committee voted to approve a $586 million budget for Fiscal Year 2026 and promoted two existing employees, Marie Morse and Sara Consalvo, to fill the now separated positions of deputy superintendent and chief financial and operations officer respectively. All three motions put in place some of the final pieces of the new administration as Brian Allen prepares to take over as superintendent July 1.
Budget proposal approved, but questions remain
The committee solidified its new $586,302,044 budget in an 8-1 decision after hours of discussion spilt between two public hearings on June 5 and 18. The spending plan is an increase of $33.8 million, or 6.1%, over the current year, which school officials said is primarily driven by student enrollment growth and the fifth year phase-in of the states’ Student Opportunities Act funding.
The budget is primarily funded by $142.4 million in city contributions and $381.5 million in state funds with much of the rest covered by state and federal grants and other special revenue. Among the biggest increases in the budget include some of the more typical line items such as salaries, health insurance, and retirement, while the district is seeing substantial decreases in instructional material spending and special education tuition.
The new spending plan also serves as the debut of equity-based learning, an approach championed and developed by outgoing Superintendent Rachel Monárrez and new Superintendent Brian Allen to allocate financial resources among the schools and students with a better focus on those that have long been underserved.
While the district has its spending plan in place for the new fiscal year, several unknowns remain including state funding numbers and the potential impact of cuts in federal funding.
Charter school reimbursement remains a major question. According to a note from city officials, the governor’s budget proposal would fund 90% of what Worcester Public Schools is owed—about $8.8 million. The House version calls for full funding, while the Senate’s is lower at $8.2 million, covering just 78%. If the Senate number sticks, the district could face a $1.9 million shortfall. For now, school officials must wait for the House and Senate to reconcile their differences before a final budget goes to the governor.
New administration takes shape
With Allen officially beginning his first year as superintendent on July 1, the school committee sought to round out the leadership team by separating the deputy superintendent and chief financial officer positions after Allen had filled both roles prior to his promotion. The new hires are internal appointments and familiar names within the administrative offices.
Marie Morse was approved unanimously as the new deputy superintendent after serving as a district administrator for nearly a decade, most recently as assistant superintendent of Teaching and Learning. She negotiated a two-year contract that ends June 30, 2027, with a starting salary of $263,344.
The committee also unanimously approved the appointment of Sara Consalvo who moves from administrative director of finance for Worcester Public Schools to the position of CFO. Her contract runs through June of 2028 with a salary of $227,000.
A bittersweet farewell
With a new administration also comes the bittersweet goodbye of Rachel H. Monárrez who announced her resignation earlier this year after three years in the district. While Monárrez has received plenty of praise in the months leading up to her departure, June 18 was her last school committee meeting, where she received an emotional final farewell as she moves to lead Orange Unified School District in her native California.
Mayor Joseph Petty summed up Monárrez’s time with the Worcester Public Schools, reminding her of the impact she is leaving behind that will last for years after her final day in New England.
“You know when you make a difference and you make people happy that they’re heard and that’s what you did,” said Petty. “You let the students be heard too, which was very important for our scholars. You made a difference in the City of Worcester.”
In her farewell speech, Monárrez thanked the school committee, the teachers, the students, the parents, and the citizens for their support and left one final message for the community at large.
“As I leave here with a heart of gratitude, joy, and love I ask each of you to allow for the traditions and the progress to coexist,” Monárrez said, “because we can have curriculum that is relevant to our diverse youth and teach the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. We can have safe, orderly schools and practice restorative justice and support climate and culture. We can provide an administrative support system and be fiscally responsible and we can protect our neighbors from immigration fears and engage with public safety. We can do all of those things together.”
Jason Bleau, a seasoned reporter from Connecticut’s Quiet Corner, has over 11 years of news media experience. He has worked as a news anchor for WINY 1350 AM, contributed to Stonebridge Press publications, and covered racing as a Press Box coordinator at Thompson Speedway. Outside journalism, he is a movie enthusiast, freelance film reviewer, banker, and solo musician. He can be reached at bleau.jason@yahoo.com
