The NPS Reflections Program at Williams Elementary School in Auburndale is moving to what will be the newly reconstructed Franklin Elementary school beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year. The program is described as being for students requiring “extensive content modifications and instructional methodology that integrates functional skills and substantial related services to access general education content” on page 9 of the NPS Overview of Special Education Programs. According to discussions with parents at Williams, Reflections presently educates approximately 11 students, with more expected to be referred by the Newton Early Childhood Program (NECP) in the coming years.
This move was communicated to the Williams community in a meeting at the school on April 16 attended by Mayor Marc Laredo, City Chief Operating Officer Josh Morse, Superintendent Anna Nolin, and multiple School Committee members. The City, not Newton Public Schools, controls decisions regarding the school facility’s capital improvements and budgeting. The new Franklin building will be receiving change orders to its design to better accommodate the Reflections program, including receiving input from current Reflections educators. A current Reflections parent told Fig City News that such items included bigger bathrooms and washing stations. NPS Superintendent Anna Nolin stated, “We are grateful for the pivot by the City which could make the [facility improvement] proposals happen. It’s an exciting and long awaited development.”
Staff dedicated to the Reflections program will generally be asked to relocate to Franklin, although any individual employment decision will be determined by that person and NPS administrators. Reflections families expressed to Fig City News mixed reactions: The program was valued across the Williams community, but parents also noted that the facilities were outdated.
Limited Playground Accessibility
Since the program’s inception in 2020, families participating in Reflections have advocated for improved accessibility for the Williams playground. Based on public statements, the program meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements, but it still has limited use to the Reflections students due to older play structures and a wood-chip surface that cannot be crossed by wheelchairs. Parents have made strong comments at School Committee meetings for several years, citing frustration with elected officials expressing sympathy but not initiating improvements. The playground was not listed among the hundreds of possible items across Newton in the City’s most recent five-year Capital Improvement Plan — a 365-page document issued in October 2025 — although other accessibility improvements at Williams were included.
Notably, a Boston Globe editorial about the playground’s accessibility challenges was published on April 6, less than two weeks before the program’s move to Franklin was announced. Although the announcement followed ongoing advocacy for improved play areas, there is no direct statement by the City or NPS attributing the program’s relocation to the playground issue. Recent cost estimates to make the playground fully accessible have exceeded $1 million, with a large portion attributed to addressing challenging water drainage at the Williams site related to smoother resurfacing.
Newton State Rep. Amy Sangiolo, previously Newton City Councilor for Ward 4 (Auburndale and Lower Falls, including Williams) told Fig City News, “It’s unfortunate the students have not had a fully accessible playground at Williams, however, if there’s another location that the program can be housed in with a fully accessible playground to meet the students needs, I am supportive.”
$200,000 State earmark
Earlier this spring, prior to the announcement of the program’s move to Franklin, a $200,000 state funding allocation had been expected to be earmarked to Williams. This earmark, part of the state’s 2026 Supplemental Budget to spend additional revenues created by the Fair Share Act, was contained in the Senate’s April version of the Supplemental Budget and announced on the InstaGram page of Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem (who represents Newton). The Senate’s budget is presently being reconciled with the House’s Supplemental Budget. The House version typically does not disclose earmarks to that degree of specificity prior to the overall passage of the final budget.
If the earmark is included in the final state Supplemental Budget, it is still anticipated for making improvements to Williams playground, with NPS evaluating potential additions for the next school year. School Committee Chair Alicia Piedalue noted to Fig City News that the students in the Reflections program may have limited visibility to their future physical states as they age, therefore making the playground somewhat more accessible — even if only utilized for the 2026-2027 school year by Reflections prior to its move to Franklin — might “help make the upcoming school year a joyful one.”
