Framingham School Committee Approves London Trip, Extends Bus Driver Commitment to Two Years

FRAMINGHAM — May 20, 2026 — Framingham School Committee approves London field trip and extends bus driver commitment amid a $5.3 million municipal budget gap. At the May 20 meeting, the nine-member board voted 9-0 to approve a Framingham High School drama company trip to London through tour operator World Strides and voted 9-0 to extend the training commitment period for newly certified bus drivers from one year to two years, citing a $3,400 per-trainee investment by the district. City CFO Brian Turbitt, one month into the role, told the committee that a revised municipal budget recommendation of $398,170,000 still leaves a $5.3 million deficit, with the school department facing a net reduction of $3,269,000 after the mayor committed an additional $2 million and pledged to apply any Chapter 70 state aid increase above the Senate baseline against the gap. Member Adam Freudberg warned that outside of Boston, Framingham is "about to cross Brockton into second place of the largest reported educator staffing reduction in Massachusetts." The committee also voted 9-0 to approve the updated pre-K-through-12 student handbook — which adds a prohibition on using artificial intelligence without educator permission — and deferred the athletics handbook pending legal review. A separate presentation showcased a grant-funded community school pilot at McCarthy Elementary, backed by a $273,000 NEA grant, which has already completed 104 parent home visits and collected survey responses from 71 percent of McCarthy families.