Elections

View the School Committee Candidate Forum Video

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Monday night, the candidates for Watertown School Committee appeared at a live forum and answered questions about the future of the middle school, the school budget, vocational education, making students and family feel welcome in the Watertown Public Schools, and more. The candidate forum is the fourth hosted by WCA-TV and Watertown News. See how the candidates — David Stokes, Jessica Middlebrook, Joe Ganno, and Sheila Krisnan (Amy Donohue could not attend) — responded to the questions posed by host Maya Shwayder. Watch the video by clicking here: http://vodwcatv.org/internetchannel/show/4171?site=1

More Candidate Forums

On Oct. 6, the candidates running Councilor At-Large — Tom Tracy, Tony Palomba, Theo Offei, John Gannon, and Caroline Bays — appeared at the Middle School Auditorium.

Government

City Manager Outlines What it Would Take for Watertown to Afford to Rebuild the Middle School

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Watertown Middle School (Courtesy of Watertown Public Schools)

The City Council must soon decided on how to proceed with Watertown Middle School’s renovations: completely redo it or do basic repairs. The catch is a complete renovation (or rebuilt) would required cutting funds planned to go to other areas. City Manager George Proakis outlined what it would take for the City to afford to completely renovate or rebuild the Middle School during his Preliminary Budget Overview for the Fiscal Year 2027 City budget. A big caveat in this plan is the Legislature approving Watertown’s Home Rule Petition that would provide tax relief to residential property owners, and would prevent tax increases of 11 to 18 percent next year (see details here). A feasibility study on the building a new middle school found that the cost of the full project was $112 million, which was well above the $87 million that the City budgeted for the project.

Schools

Superintendent Reviewed Areas Where Watertown Fared Well in the State Accountability Results & Areas that Need More Focus

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Watertown had some highlights from the 2025 MCAS test and other accountability measures, including being recognized for the results in some areas, but school officials also identified areas that need more work. Superintendent Dede Galdston presented a report on the 2025 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) accountability results at the Oct. 6 School Committee meeting. The accountability presentation included results of the MCAS tests, as well as measures such as absenteeism and the results of the ACCESS for students who come into schools not speaking English as their primary language, called English Learners. Last week, the Watertown Public Schools announced that Watertown was one of 63 districts across the state that the state DESE recognized for returning to pre-pandemic achievement levels in grades 3-8, and one of 41 recognized for meeting or exceeding achievement levels in math.

Schools

Watertown Resident Named Head of Jackson Walnut Park School, Brings Nearly 30 Years of Corporate Experience

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Patricia Gray. The following announcement was provided by Jackson Walnut Park School:

Jackson Walnut Park School (JWPS), the only institution in the Boston area offering Montessori early childhood education and an elementary Catholic curriculum, is pleased to announce the appointment of Patricia Lynn Gray of Watertown as its next Head of School. Gray is an experienced administrator with a track record of success in Catholic education and a former Fortune 500 corporate executive. As head of the Newton school, Gray aims to foster community, faculty collaboration, and enhance the curriculum while upholding academic excellence as a faith-based institution. She will also seek to increase enrollment and bridge the Montessori and K–6 programs for a more cohesive educational experience for all students and families.

Schools

Watertown Schools Recognized by State for MCAS Test Results

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Watertown students at some grade levels excelled in the math section of the state’s standardized test in 2025. See more details in the announcement provided by the Watertown Public Schools. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has recognized Watertown Public Schools for its efforts in combating pandemic-era learning loss, as part of a larger release of 2025 MCAS data that shows many schools statewide are still struggling with the academic fallout from COVID-19. State education officials reported strong MCAS test scores for Watertown Public Schools, highlighted by Watertown’s performance in math achievement in grades 3-8. WPS is one of only 41 school systems in Massachusetts to meet or exceed its pre-pandemic math achievement in grades 3-8.

Schools

High School Project Featured in Boston News Channel Segment

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A screenshot from the NBC 10 Boston video. Watertown High School, the first Net Zero and LEED Platinum 4.0 high school in the nation, was showcased in a piece on a Boston news channel this week. NBC 10 Boston toured the construction site on Columbia Street for a tour, including the auditorium, gym, and other areas of the new WHS. Superintendent Galdston said Watertown officials wanted the new school to be the flagship, and a leader in climate resiliency and climate leadership. Architect Jim Jordan from Ai3 discussed the challenges of building a high school on a site of a little over 4 acres.

Schools

Watertown Students Earn Honors, Graduate & More

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Watertown students at MCPHS, Hamilton College, Holy Cross, SNHU, Rhode Island, and Muhlenberg College have received honors, graduated or had other achievements. Honors List

MCPHS University

Ayushi Saxena of Watertown, Massachusetts, was recently elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) University. Saxena is among approximately 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership.

Schools

School Building Committee Members Raise New Strategies to Keep Hopes of Middle School Renovation Alive

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Watertown Middle School (Courtesy of Watertown Public Schools)

While the possibility of totally renovating or rebuilding Watertown Middle School appeared to be over, some members of the School Building Committee brought up strategies that they said could still allow the project to happen. The Middle School was a major item on the School Building Committee’s agenda on Sept. 17. The meeting followed the Sept. 9 City Council meeting where City Manager George Proakis told the Council that he would not recommend that Watertown try to rebuild or fully renovate the Middle School.