Cambridge City Council Unanimously Passes* $280 Million Cambridge Public Schools Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2026
With a $12 million increase over FY25, CPS will continue to invest in high quality staff, educator effectiveness, family and caregiver engagement.
Following the approval of the Cambridge School Committee in April of the Cambridge Public Schools’ (CPS) proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, the Cambridge City Council voted unanimously (with 2 councilors absent) on May 13 in support of the district’s $280 million dollar General Fund budget. The CPS budget continues to be anchored by its strategic District Plan by prioritizing four key focus areas:
- Ensuring successful transitions from the Kennedy-Longfellow School
- Strengthening educator effectiveness and accountability
- Aligning expanded learning time with student needs
- Coordinating efforts toward parent and caregiver engagement
“It is with the utmost gratitude to the City Council and School Committee that we share our approved FY26 budget. Particularly at a time during which the fiscal forecast is evolving and the reality of needing to be more conservative and measured in our budget planning, this budget continues to align with and demonstrate commitment to our District Plan, and our overarching values of placing more students in better positions to succeed,” said Interim Superintendent David Murphy. “Moreover, this budget is the result of community process, investment, and partnership, and I extend my appreciation and thanks to the staff, caregivers, students, and community stakeholders who contributed greatly to this process. Our core objectives, as detailed in this budget, have great potential for a year of progress and achievement for CPS.”
“We are incredibly fortunate to have a community that is so deeply invested in our schools and our processes, and equally as fortunate to have elected representatives who join us at the table for constructive, and productive, dialogue at every step. My team and I are proud of this budget and of the community process surrounding its creation, and we are thankful to the School Committee and City Council for your resounding support,” said Chief Financial Officer, Ivy Washington.
Consistent with previous budgets, the largest expenditures in FY26 include salaries and benefits, and transportation and tuition costs. Changes to the district’s facilities composition, such as the closure of the Kennedy-Longfellow School and the opening of the new Tobin Montessori and Darby Vassall Upper School building in School Year 2025-26, combined with the creation of of Office of Accountability and the continuation of Expanded Learning Time at the Fletcher Maynard Academy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Schools account for much of the budgetary priorities for FY26.
Additional, largely cost-neutral priorities are set forth in this budget. By increasing professional learning opportunities for staff, strengthening practices around supportive collaboration with families, and the initiation of an Upper School Caregiver Academy, the district will also focus on strengthening family and community engagement over the next year.
Community members can view the CPS’ interactive online budget on our website.
About Cambridge Public Schools
Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) is deeply committed to delivering a world class and rigorous academic experience to every student. Our students reflect the rich racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic diversity of the City of Cambridge, elevating the critical importance of centering equity in education.
With over 1,600 faculty and staff serving approximately 7,000 students from preschool to grade 12 in 18 schools as of the 2024 - 2025 school year, CPS is a well-resourced, supported, and strongly positioned urban public school district from a financial, educational, community, and civic perspective.
*2 City Council members were absent during the budget vote on May 13, 2025.