Waltham School Committee approves $126.5M budget, funding new staff and student services

The Waltham School Committee approved a $126,509,916 school budget Wednesday night, a revision down by nearly $200,000 from the original April proposal but still $3.2 million more in spending than the current fiscal year. 

The proposed funding boost will allow the district to maintain core services and add staff to support English learners, mental health, and career and technical education.

The new funding will support hiring additional English as a second language teachers, a life skills teacher, a special education reading teacher and a school adjustment counselor. It also adds new roles including a restorative practices coordinator, an athletic trainer, a medical assistant at Kennedy Middle School, and a chief officer for career and technical education.

The increases are partially offset by position cuts. The revised budget eliminates several roles, including English language arts and math interventionists, special education coaches, deans of students, and pre-K through grade 5 curriculum directors in math and science.

All new roles are supported by the general fund, and some are repurposed from existing positions. The district also faces rising costs for out-of-district tuition and transportation, further stretching the budget.

After a brief discussion, the committee voted to send the revised budget to the mayor’s office for further review. A final vote is expected in June following City Council hearings.

The budget decision follows a $700,000 grant award from Mass General Brigham’s Community Impact Funds. The grant will help fund community health initiatives within the school system, addressing needs related to mental health, access and social determinants of health.

With the budget process moving forward, the committee also set several action items for upcoming meetings, including reviewing a scholarship trust, considering a new school dodgeball program, and inviting a representative from the Waltham Police Department to participate in future discussions.