Superintendent presents equity audit findings and recommendations

Waltham Superintendent Marisa Mendonsa on Wednesday presented the district’s finalized equity audit findings to the School Committee.

The report was a school year in the making. Mendonsa partnered with The Leadership Academy, an organization that examines and transforms education systems, in the fall and recruited team members for the project. They collected data through community forums and equity surveys completed by students, teachers, parents and community partners. The team developed the report over the past months.

The findings from the forums and surveys along with data from additional sources show inconsistency and a lack of clarity regarding equity in Waltham Public Schools. When asked whether “students’ diverse needs, abilities, identities and backgrounds shape teacher practice,” responders noted that teachers learn and incorporate their students’ backgrounds into class but said there are also cultural barriers preventing a more comprehensive approach. 

The team also asked questions regarding the expectations of students from a variety of backgrounds, the hiring and promoting practices of educators and the efficacy of equity training.

“A lot of the outcomes that we saw, we were not surprised by,” Mendonsa said, adding that the team is eager to put together a plan to tackle issues identified by the responses.

Mendonsa listed nine recommendations. Those recommendations include centering equity in budgeting decisions, publicly displaying and tracking improvements, gathering regular feedback and fostering stronger relationships between students and their teachers through mentorship programs.

The team will distribute and post the full audit findings on Friday. They will also develop a three-year implementation plan to be completed by June 30, 2026.

In other action, the School Committee

• Tabled the National Honors Society open campus policy for the second meeting in a row. School Committee members expressed concern about the opt-out model, in which students are able to venture off campus unless their parents or caregivers say otherwise. Currently students need parent or guardian permission to take advantage of the policy. School Committee members Elizabeth AlJammal and John Frassica noted that they were concerned that they didn’t know about the policy before it was implemented this past school year.
• Approved an amendment to the district’s field trip protocol to enforce accessible field trips. Nadene Stein, assistant superintendent for pupil services, worked with other teachers and administrators to develop the new additions to the protocol. This summer they are compiling a list of recommended locations. “When students are not able to fully participate in a trip or have to be in a different room or a different area, I think [their] sense of belonging really diminishes,” Mendonsa said.
• Approved an amended contract for Stein, who retires at the beginning of 2026.
• Completed the necessary signatures on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Conditions of Assistance contract. The agreement allows the district to receive federal funds in support of the special education curriculum.
• Approved the fiscal 2026 final budget cost centers.

The $123,336,745 budget was approved at the May 7 School Committee meeting and will be split into four cost centers. The personnel budget is $100,591,539, the operating expense budget is $15,754,298, the equipment budget is $762,000 and the special items budget is $6,228,908.