For the third time in four years, the Newton Public Schools (NPS) spring budgeting process has brought up the possibility of cuts across several departments, sparking concern and advocacy from educators and community members. These challenges come after COVID-19 relief funds have been exhausted and the March 2023 operating override failed to pass.
(See presentations: FY27 Budget Re-Cap and Requested Revisions to Fund Middle School Math and MTSS and FY27 Newton Public Schools Public Budget Hearing.)
In response, approximately 30 people spoke in public comments at the School Committee budget meeting on Monday, March 30.
- Half of those speakers, a mix of parents and staff, appealed to the Committee to retain the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director; Applied Behavioral Analysis Coordinator; and other social-emotional learning/mental health staff.
- Seven speakers asked to keep the Environmental Sustainability position, one noting the futility of compostable lunch utensils without a compost program (the utensils end up in the regular trash).
- Twelve parents and students asked the Committee to fund the redesign of the math program. They spoke of bored students languishing in class and how Newton ranked low in math compared with neighboring districts.
- A few parents called on the Mayor to fully fund the Superintendent’s budget using rainy day funds, stabilization funds, or free cash.
Mayor Laredo pointed out that his budget gave Newton Public Schools a 7.38% increase over last year’s base allocation – the largest year-to-year increase since the early 1970s. The City also provided additional funds for the new science curriculum through one-time free cash. “We don’t have unlimited funds,” he added and stated that going into the rainy day or stabilization fund is not fiscally prudent.
There was some hope among the School Committee for additional funding from the State, based on a meeting with Newton’s statehouse representatives just prior to this School Committee budgetary meeting, but the Mayor quashed that as unlikely for the upcoming budget year.
The Superintendent then described three alternative funding options for the NPS $314.5 million budget allocation from the City:
- Path A with 11 central staff cuts, plus health care costs and summer program reductions
- Path B adding the reduction of 3 Newton North High School teachers, 2 English Language Learner teachers, and long-term substitutes
- Path C requires the creation of an entirely new budget.
Several School Committee members and the Mayor advocated for Path B, which retains the math program redesign. They noted that weaknesses in Newton’s math program were frequently raised by voters during the campaign season, and that the redesign would be 0.3% of the entire NPS budget.
Former Committee Chair Tamika Olszewski strongly advocated for retaining the DEI Director, noting that the math program redesign alone would not reduce the achievement gap. Newton’s achievement gap, as denoted by its 10th-grade math MCAS results, has changed little over the past 25 years. In both 2001 and 2025, 80% of all 10th graders met or exceeded expectations, while only 50% of low-income 10th graders did. In 2001, 60% of African American students met or exceeded expectations; in 2025, 40% did.
Ms. Olszewski suggested that the school district reconsider the state’s School Choice program to quickly raise additional revenue. School Choice would allow students from outside the district to fill empty seats in NPS schools. Newton is reimbursed $5,000 per student. The Mayor and several other School Committee members noted that $5,000 was much less than the $23,000 per pupil that NPS spends, and that open enrollment could attract even more costly students because of Newton’s strong reputation for special education services.
Superintendent Nolin said that during the last difficult budget year (before her tenure), the high schools took the brunt of those cuts, through reduced electives and larger class sizes. She stated that any proposed budget approved by the School Committee would still need to be negotiated with the school staff unions before it was finalized.
At the end of the March 30 meeting, Committee Chair Alicia Piedalue said the Committee may hold an official vote on its proposed budget at its April 6 meeting.
