Belmont Superintendent's Blog

Hello Belmont Community!

I recently had the opportunity to attend two important events in our community. The first was the Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast on January 15, hosted by Belmont Against Racism (BAR) and Belmont Human Rights Commission in support of the METCO Program and Support Fund. This was such an inspiring event that not only honored the memory of Dr. King and commemorated his leadership, but also served as a reminder of the values we hold for our school community around inclusivity, respect, and understanding. I was also honored to attend the Chinese Cultural Festival hosted by the Belmont Chinese American Association on February 11. This was a joyous occasion, celebrating Chinese New year with an array of activities and performances, allowing attendees to immerse themselves in the beauty of Chinese culture. I continue to be in awe of the rich diversity of our community - it is the strength of us.

Since my last blog post, we have been making progress with the budget process. We now have budgets developed for both an override and non-override scenario. The override budget scenario includes key investments in the areas of special education and curriculum. With these investments we will be able to create a stronger, better school system, one in which all students can grow and thrive.

Under the non-override budget scenario, we would be forced to make 2.7 million dollars of reductions. The reductions would impact transportation, athletics and after school programs, as well as many staff positions. The necessary reductions outlined under the non-override scenario would be extremely challenging for our schools and would constrain our ability to provide high-quality education for our students.

Here is a FY25 Budget Video with a condensed description of both budget scenarios.

I presented both budgets at the Budget Summit IV on February 8, where I provided a longer explanation of the specific elements of each budget.

You can also view the FY25 Budget slidedeck here.

I remain committed to ensuring that our schools provide safe, engaging, and enriching learning environments so that all of our students learn and thrive . This commitment involves dedicating myself to making informed budget decisions that reflect our community’s values, priorities, and aspirations for our children’s education. We must continue to leverage our budget in order to respond to the evolving needs of our students.

And, as we get ready for February recess and Springtime is approaching, I am looking forward to participating in many more school and cultural events when we can come together to celebrate our students and our entire community.

Please Note: Videos of meetings and summits can be viewed at BMC:

School Committee: https://www.belmontmedia.org/watch/school-committee-town-belmont

Select Board: https://www.belmontmedia.org/watch/belmont-select-board