Instructional Budget for 2026-27 school year presented at Board of Education meeting

Details from the preliminary Instructional Budget for the 2026-27 school year were presented at the White Plains City School District’s Board of Education meeting on Monday, February 9, 2026. Dr. Debbie Hand, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, discussed how the district plans to invest in curriculum in the upcoming budget, highlighting new programs and expansions of offerings that would be introduced. Click here to view the full presentation or click here to watch the livestream from the meeting. Click here to view the Spanish version of the presentation.

“All of our instructional priorities align to the district's strategic plan to educate, support and partner,” said Dr. Hand. “The strategic plan is driven by our vision and our mission, and our instructional goals across departments and our buildings are all in support of the strategic plan.” 

Dr. Hand highlighted each level of education – prekindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, and special education – and discussed the areas of investment for each. Many of the initiatives that were presented are budget neutral, meaning they would be funded with existing money in the budget. There are also several grant-funded items and one-time expenses aimed at reducing the impact on the annual budget and taxpayers.  

In Special Education and Pupil Services, the budget will include an expansion of the continuum of service to meet the needs of middle and high school students. This includes the addition of two special education classes, one at Highlands and one at White Plains High School. Staff would be reallocated to teach the classes, making them budget neutral.  

Dr. Hand also explained how the district will be using Portrait of a Graduate, New York State's standards for graduates, to guide instructional planning. According to Portrait of a Graduate, a student should be academically prepared, an effective communicator and creative innovator, a critical thinker and effective communicator, a global citizen, and reflective and future-focused. Investments in the 2026-27 budget will be shaped to meet these standards. 

“It is wonderful to continue to see every year the refinement, adjustments, and new opportunities that are brought to our students that truly do reflect contemporary need as well as what they are going to be interested in,” said Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca at the close of the presentation. 

Full breakdown of the instructional budget: 

Pre-K   

• Purchase materials and supplies to enhance the learning experience and ensure consistency across 21 classrooms (grant funded)  

• Continue to work with site directors to create learning centers that are aligned with the content and concepts presented in the thematic curriculum units (grant funded)  

• Continue to provide professional learning focusing on PreK On My Way (Scholastic), Heggerty Phonemic Awareness, and Wilson Fundations (grant funded)  

• Expand the program as needed to include all eligible 4-year olds for full day PreK (grant funded) 

Elementary  

• Support for implementation of Arts and Letters (Great Minds) in English Language Arts Classrooms, including the use of student materials that support writing, vocabulary and comprehension (budget neutral) 

• Provide professional learning for Arts and Letters to enhance the use of data to drive instruction in ELA classrooms (budget neutral) 

• Focus on vertical articulation of Next Generation ELA Standards within Arts and Letters with a focus on student work to demonstrate the K-5 continuum (budget neutral) 

• Purchase print and digital resources to ensure fidelity of implementation of Phonics and Phonological Awareness instruction in K-3 (budget neutral) 

• Purchase of materials, such as Geodes, that connect knowledge building to early literacy practices so that all learners can simultaneously learn new content while practicing their word reading (budget neutral) 

• Continued professional learning in The Writing Revolution so that systematic and direct instruction is embedded throughout the day across subject areas (Title II grant funded) 

• Provide resources for Reading Specialists to improve the efficacy of comprehension interventions by connecting interventions to concepts taught in Social Studies, Science and ELA (budget neutral) 

• Provide professional learning for Reading Specialists on the research behind writing at the word, sentence and paragraph level and how to intervene when students need support (budget neutral) 

• Continued professional learning support of the American Reading Company (ARC) Core Units in Dual Language for grades K-5 and purchase additional books to support units of study in grades 4 and 5 (budget neutral) 

• Continued use of PNWBOCES Integrated ELA/SS as a resource that aligns to the Social Studies Framework (budget neutral) 

• Provide support to ENL teachers in transitioning to the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) and purchase any accessories needed for NYS standardized testing (budget neutral) 

• Continued implementation of the Standards-based Measurement of Proficiency (STAMP) Assessment in grades 3-5 to progress monitor the Spanish language proficiency and academic vocabulary development of English dominant students in the Dual Language Program (budget neutral)  

• Provide enVision Mathematics professional learning for teachers (new and new to grade level) on the Math Workshop components, unpacking topics, aligning to NYS Next Generation Standards, and leveraging instructional resources (budget neutral) 

• Engage in evidence-based professional learning with consultant, Dr. Paul Riccomini, centered on high-impact strategies for fluency and retention in mathematics (budget neutral) 

• Continued support of PNWBOCES Science 21 training and implementation of the four required NYS Science Investigations (Grades 3-5), including professional learning for new teachers and teachers new to a grade level (budget neutral) 

• Support teachers in implementing the Science Investigations in preparation of the NYS Science Assessment taken in grade 5 (budget neutral) 

• Ongoing vertical collaboration among STEM Enrichment, Computer Science, and Engineering teachers in alignment to the NYS Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards K-12 (budget neutral) 

• Continue the implementation and refinement of a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) in grades K-5 in support of student academic achievement and social emotional growth with an intentional focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions and supports (budget neutral) 

• Explore potential MTSS digital platforms / data dashboards and select one for adoption (approximately $90,000; one-time only; District-wide expense) 

• Analyze and track student growth and achievement using the NWEA MAP assessment (budget neutral) 

• Continue to support teachers in designing and delivering lessons that reflect the three Universal Design of Learning (UDL) principles of action and expression, engagement, and representation (budget neutral) 

Middle School 

• Purchase of an evidence-based, core curricular resource and aligned books that address comprehension, vocabulary, fluency and writing through systematic and explicit instruction for grade 6 (approximately $50,000; one time only) 

• Provide professional learning for the new ELA resource in grade 6 (approximately $20,000; budget neutral) 

• Purchase texts to enhance literacy-rich environment for all students (budget neutral) 

• Continue the implementation of Learning Ally, a digital tool with thousands of complex and high-level books available in audio and matching print format. This resource provides access to engaging content and high-level vocabulary words for eligible students (grant funded) 

• Provide ongoing support to teachers in the implementation of small group instruction and conferencing (budget neutral) 

• Continue to provide professional learning opportunities in The Writing Revolution to support development and refinement of expository writing skills for all students (2026-2030: Title II grant funded) 

• Engage in evidence-based professional learning with consultant, Dr. Paul Riccomini, centered on high impact strategies for fluency and retention in mathematics (budget neutral) 

• Conduct a program evaluation of mathematics at the middle school level in grades 6-8 to include a curriculum resource review (including curriculum maps and instructional artifacts) with recommendations for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning (budget neutral) 

• Review and adopt core curricular resources for middle school science courses in grades 6-8 in alignment with the New York State Science Learning Standards (budget neutral) 

• Provide professional learning opportunities for science and math teachers focusing on standards alignment and instructional coherence (budget neutral) 

• Support teachers in implementing the Science Investigations in preparation of the NYS Intermediate Level Science assessment taken in grade 8 (budget neutral) 

• Purchase renewal licenses for Cengage Social Studies, a digital resource that includes high quality complex texts as well as vocabulary rich content to support learning about World History in grade 6 (budget neutral) 

• Continued professional learning with Innovative Designs for Education (IDE) to support building initiatives (budget neutral) 

• Ongoing vertical alignment of Computer Science, Technology, and Engineering curriculum with the NYS Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards K-12 (budget neutral) 

• Continue the implementation and refinement of a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) in grades 6-8 in support of student academic achievement and social emotional growth (budget neutral) with an intentional focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions and supports 

• Explore potential MTSS digital platforms / data dashboards and select one for adoption (approximately $90,000; one-time only; Districtwide expense) 

• Analyze and track student growth and achievement using the NWEA MAP assessment (budget neutral) 

• Provide support to ENL teachers in transitioning to the WorldClass Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) and purchase any accessories needed for standardized testing (budget neutral) 

• Continue to support teachers in designing and delivering lessons using the three Universal Design of Learning (UDL) principles of action and expression, engagement, and representation (budget neutral) 

White Plains High School and Rochambeau Alternative School 

• Provide professional learning opportunities for science and math teachers focusing on standards alignment and instructional coherence (budget neutral) 

• Continue to shift content and instructional practices to meet the demands of the new Regents exams in Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Physics, and English Language Arts (budget neutral) 

• Engage in evidence-based professional learning with consultant, Dr. Paul Riccomini, centered on high impact strategies for fluency and retention in mathematics (budget neutral) 

• Support teachers in implementing the Science Investigations for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth and Space Science (budget neutral) 

• Expand Freshman course offerings in Physical Education to include Aquatics, Fitness, and Cooperative Games (budget neutral) 

• Introduce an intermediate level dance course (0.4 FTE to increase to 0.6 FTE; reallocation of funding/budget neutral) 

• Enhance social studies teaching and learning via real world connections and experiences, including guest speakers and field trips (budget neutral) 

• Purchase exam preparation books for US History, Global History and Advanced Placement classes (budget neutral) 

• Provide professional learning opportunities with Greg Ahlquist, a BOCES consultant, to enhance the use of primary and secondary sources (budget neutral) 

• Continue to support the implementation of the Harrow Investment Simulator for all Economics classes (budget neutral) 

• Increase the number of students earning the Seal of Civic Readiness upon graduation (budget neutral) 

• Partner with Vector Pathways, a new online tool, that will be utilized to track student progress toward achieving the Seal of Civic Readiness (budget neutral) 

• Leveraging AI as a tool to enhance and personalize learning (budget neutral) 

• Purchase of books and decodable texts for English Language Learners (budget neutral; grant funded) 

• Increase the number of students earning the Seal of Biliteracy (budget neutral) 

• Continue to collaborate with SWBOCES as a potential partner in designing proposed CTE programs for future implementation (budget neutral) 

• Ongoing vertical alignment of Computer Science, Technology, and Engineering curriculum with the NYS Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards K-12 (budget neutral) 

• Continue the implementation and refinement of a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) in grades 9-12 in support of student academic achievement and social emotional growth (budget neutral)  

• Explore potential MTSS digital platforms / data dashboards and select one for adoption (approximately $90,000; one-time only; District-wide expense) 

• Analyze and track student growth and achievement using the NWEA MAP assessment (budget neutral) 

• Provide support to ENL teachers in transitioning to the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) and purchase any accessories needed for testing (budget neutral) 

• Continue to support teachers in designing and delivering lessons using the three Universal Design of Learning (UDL) principles of action and expression, engagement, and representation (budget neutral) 

• Continued professional learning with Innovative Designs for Education (IDE) to support the advancement of Problem-Based Learning strategies and the development of student Executive Functioning Skills (budget neutral) 

• New Courses:  

• Dance 2 

• World History (SUPA) 

• AP Business and Personal Finance 

• AP Cybersecurity 

• Cooperative Games