Rep. David Linsky (D-Natick) announced that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded the Town of Wayland $25,000 under the FY2026 Hate Crimes Prevention initiative. There were a total of 38 competitive one-year grants equaling $1.01 million awarded across the Commonwealth.
The FY2026 Hate Crimes Prevention initiative allocates state funding to applicants who have demonstrated quality planning and approaches for implementing identified hate crime and anti-bias strategies that call on evidence-based practices for direct student support. This funding will be used to expand programs in schools to prevent incidences of bias and hate crimes in schools by promoting the collaboration between selected schools and local anti-bias organizations with expertise in building positive school climates, promoting equity, preventing hate crimes and addressing bias motivated incidents.
“Hate and bias of any kind have no place in our schools, and I am glad that Wayland will see funding allocated to its schools to promote the elimination of such incidences,” said Linsky. “I look forward to seeing the impact of these awards in Wayland and across our Commonwealth.”