School Statistics & Other Information

Curious about how Framingham Public Schools allocates resources — especially funding that supports students with disabilities? The district maintains publicly accessible operating budgets dating back to 2018, which you can explore directly on the Framingham Public Schools Operating Budgets webpage. 

These documents offer a transparent look at how funds are distributed across departments, programs, and services each year. To help families better understand Special Education (SpEd) funding, here are a few simple, helpful tips: 

• Start with the Table of Contents – Look for sections labeled “Special Education,” “Student Services,” or “Pupil Personnel Services.” These sections outline program goals, staffing, and financial allocations that support students with disabilities. 

• Review the Budget Summary Pages – Pay attention to year-over-year changes in special education costs, in-district supports, out-of-district placements, and transportation. Sharp increases or decreases often reflect shifts in student needs or new program initiatives.

• Look for Grants and Reimbursements – Two major funding supports for Special Education appear in the Grants and Circuit Breaker sections. 

- IDEA Federal Grants: Support staffing, services, and related resources. 

- Massachusetts Circuit Breaker: Helps offset higher-cost Special Education services. (Key points: The state reimburses up to 75% of eligible costs. Only costs above the state’s annual threshold of $52,419 qualify for reimbursement.)

• Check for Staffing Additions or Reductions – Sections titled “New Positions,” “Compliance Positions,” or “Personnel” show where staffing is being added or adjusted to meet: Regulatory requirements, changing student needs, inclusion goals, program expansions, etc.

• Compare Across Years – Viewing multiple budget years can reveal patterns — for example, growth in in-district specialized programs, shifts in OOD placements, increasing investment in related services, progress toward inclusion, changes in staffing ratios

Exploring these public budget reports can help families gain insight into how the district prioritizes equitable access, staffing, and resources for all learners — and become stronger partners in conversations about student support and inclusion.

Why This Matters for Families 

Under the newly approved City Charter, the district’s budget process now begins even earlier than before. Each year, before the end of the calendar year, the Mayor with the School Committee, and Superintendent hold a public meeting to discuss potential priorities and gather community input for the upcoming budget cycle. Following this conversation, the School Committee must approve the school operating budget and submit it to the Mayor no later than February 4, making the winter months a critical time for families to tune in as staffing, programming, and funding decisions that directly impact special education take shape. After the budget is submitted on February 4, the remaining steps of the process — including the Mayor’s citywide budget submission by March 1 and the City Council’s 45-day review period — move outside the School Committee’s purview, but they remain important moments for the community to stay informed as the final appropriations are determined. 

Families don’t need to attend these meetings in person to stay involved! Meetings are streamed live on the Framingham Public Schools Facebook page, so you can easily watch from home and stay informed about the proposals shaping next year’s priorities. The district also has their website where you will not only find all the school committee meetings for the past several years. but you will also find the documents and presentations that are discussed in such meetings,  this is their link https://www.framingham.k12.ma.us/81787_3

F-SEPAC encourages families to listen, review, and speak up when possible. Whether it’s supporting additional staff, advocating for in-district programs, or simply learning how funds are allocated, your voice helps ensure that special education students remain at the heart of budget decisions.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Provides a variety of statistics for comparing school districts.

District Report Card - Comparative report card for the Framingham School District and for each of our 14 schools (type Framingham on the search bar to see them all).

District Profile Summary Comparisons - Provides links to various metrics such as finance, teacher salaries, MCAS, graduation rates etc. across school districts in the state. 

School Attending Children Report - This report includes the enrollment of all full-time students whose parents or legal guardians are residents of the city or town.

RADAR (Resource Allocation and District Action Reports) - Provides data tools and benchmarking dashboards on district spending, staffing, special education enrollment trends, placements, and resource allocation. It helps districts, policymakers, and the public understand how resources are distributed and how they align with district priorities 

District & School Profiles - District and individual school profiles for Framingham include a variety of information such as student achievement, finance, etc. The individual profiles comprise the data in the summary profile comparisons but include additional details not found at the summary level  

• Barbieri

• Brophy

• Cameron

• Dunning

• Framingham High School

• Fuller

• Harmony Grove

• Hemenway

• Juniper Hill (BLOCKS)

• King

• Stapleton

• McCarthy

• Potter

• Walsh

Every three years, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), through its Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM), reviews school districts and charter schools under the Tiered Focused Monitoring (TFM) system. The goal: ensure that state and federal laws governing special education and civil rights are being followed, and that students with disabilities are receiving services that truly support their success 

What Does TFM Review?

Universal Standards
Reviews alternate between two groups of standards:

• Group A Universal Standards – These address the core elements of special education, including:

  • Identification of students needing special education

  • Development of IEPs (Individualized Education Programs)

  • Implementation of services and supports

  • Ensuring equal opportunity in education
    
    

• Group B Universal Standards – These focus more on civil rights, systemic practices, and broader guarantees, including:

  • Nondiscrimination under Title VI, Title IX, ADA, Section 504

  • Physical restraint policies

  • Student learning time and access issues

  • Other state and federal regulatory requirements
    
    

Targeted Standards
If data suggest particular compliance or performance issues in a district or school (for instance, through complaints or safety and discipline reports), Targeted Standards are added to the review in those specific areas

You can read more about the process here and find Framingham's TFM here

Why SEPACs and Families Should Care

• Voice & Participation
  During the onsite phase, DESE may interview SEPAC representatives and parents, and send surveys to parents of students with disabilities. Your perspective is important.
  
  

• Transparency & Accountability
  TFM helps ensure that districts are held accountable for meeting legal requirements and providing quality services. As a SEPAC, we can use the findings to advocate for improvements.
  
  

• Improvement & Support
  The process identifies strengths and weaknesses. The improvement plans provide a roadmap for enhancing services, supports, and equity in the district.
  
  

• Access to Reports
  Final reports are publicly accessible on the DESE site. SEPACs can review them and use them to inform advocacy, meetings, and communication with district leadership

Each year, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) evaluates every district’s implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) through the LEA Annual Determination process. This statewide review examines a district’s compliance with federal requirements such as timely evaluations, accurate data reporting, IEP implementation, and procedural safeguards. Based on these measures, DESE assigns one of four ratings: Meets Requirements, Needs Assistance, Needs Intervention, or Needs Substantial Intervention.

Framingham’s most recent designation is Needs Intervention, a rating that points to specific compliance areas where the district must demonstrate improvement at a systems level. While this determination does not reflect the dedication of educators or the quality of services provided to individual students, it highlights district-level processes that require correction, monitoring, and increased transparency.

Families who would like to better understand how these determinations are made can explore DESE’s public resources, which include:

• Recorded webinars explaining the determination process

• Written guides summarizing each compliance indicator

• The IDEA Determinations Matrix Reference Guide, which outlines how districts are scored

These materials are available on DESE’s website under Special Education Determinations:
https://www.doe.mass.edu/specialeducation/reporting/determinations/

To support clarity and transparency for families, F-SEPAC will be requesting a copy of Framingham’s full Determinations Matrix from FPS and/or DESE. Once received, we will share this information to help the community better understand what the “Needs Intervention” rating means and how progress will be monitored going forward.

F-SEPAC is committed to assisting families in interpreting these reports and engaging constructively in conversations about accountability and continuous improvement.