children best. I do understand that we are one part of a larger Newton ecosystem of needs across the city and this budget is historic in its allocation to the students of Newton. Despite these challenges, this budget achieves the following for our students: • Adds time to the elementary Wednesday school day schedule to ensure a full- seated lunch period of 20 minutes on half days • Places the Calculus project funding partially within the district operating budget (previously grant funded) • Adds math summer school programming for students below grade-level • adds team and special education program teachers to the F.A. Day and Bigelow Middle schools and • Preserves the tools and staffing needed to run our Yondr cell phone pouch program at our middle schools (to comply with Newton and likely state policy on bell-to-bell bans on student personal devices in schools). • Preserves class sizes all K-8 schools at the level of the FY 26 budget. While reductions had to be made to fit into this budget allocation, we prioritized not cutting or impacting the direct student experience, and we have been able to achieve that. This proposal balances the reality of City finances with the non-negotiable mission of providing a rigorous learning environment where every student is known, challenged, and supported.
Dr. Anna Nolin Superintendent and Head Teacher
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