On May 19, the School Committee – after months of debate, meetings, public outcry, and negotiation with City Hall following the initial February 26th disclosure of a large forecasted NPS budget deficit – voted to implement a budget for Fiscal Year 2026 (Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 school year) that…
Posts published in “Budgets”
The May 8 joint meeting of the Newton City Council’s Programs & Services Committee and Finance Committee featured a debate and non-binding straw vote on approving the Mayor’s allocation to Newton Public Schools (NPS) for Fiscal Year 2026 (Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 school year). NPS Superintendent Anna Nolin and…
The May 5th School Committee meeting began with public comment, and then Dr. Nolin presented her regular Superintendent’s Update, which included mention of the restart of an educator exchange program with schools in China (following its pause during and after the Covid pandemic), as well an exhibit at the NPS…
On April 22, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and Chief Financial Officer Maureen Lemieux presented a $623 million City budget for FY2026 to the City Council. In her address, Mayor Fuller spoke about several hot-button issues related to the budgeting process, including funding for the Newton Public Schools (NPS) and government retiree…
On April 17, the City Council Programs and Services Committee held a joint budget meeting with the Finance Committee to discuss the Newton Public Schools (NPS) budget for the 2025-2026 school year. Superintendent Anna Nolin and School Committee Chair Chris Brezski presented their rationale behind Nolin’s proposed budget, which has…
On April 2nd, the School Committee correctly approved Superintendent Nolin’s recommended Level Service Plus budget proposal – a compromise plan to maintain our schools’ quality amid rising costs. Mayor Fuller’s current allocation of $293 million, however, falls up to $4.5 million short of this bare minimum budget. It is imperative that the…
Bringing to a head prior budget discussions, on April 2 the School Committee approved by a 6-3 vote the “Level Services Plus” version of the FY26 budget for Newton Public Schools (NPS), even though this budget exceeds the allocation from the City by $2-3 million. NPS leaders will present this…
The School Committee has statutory authority for determining the allocation of funds provided to it. Given the recent public consternation about the FY26 Newton Public Schools (“NPS“) budget (for year ended June 30, 2026), with a $3.4 million unfunded balance, you might have sighed relief at Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s announcement…
On Thursday, March 27, Newton Public Schools (NPS) Superintendent Anna Nolin and School Committee Chair Chris Brezski (Ward 2) held a Community Budget meeting to explain the district’s $3.7 million budget deficit for the 2025-2026 school year for a packed auditorium at Brown Middle School. The audience included community members,…
We are, yet again, at a crossroads regarding the funding of Newton’s schools. We can choose to take the path identified by Mayor Fuller and continue to sacrifice both academic excellence and equity on the altar of perceived fiscal prudence. Or we can take the path outlined by Superintendent Nolin…