Letters

LETTER: School Committee Candidate Lays Out Her Vision

By |

Dear Watertown

The ballot is set for School Committee elections and I am delighted to be a candidate. My husband and I chose to move to Watertown fifteen years ago and have enjoyed the happiest years of our lives here. Both our children were born and are being raised in Watertown. Since my daughter’s first day at the Lowell Elementary, I have been a ‘classroom mom’, supported PTO events, and have become an active member of the Lowell and Watertown Middle School Site Councils. Professionally, I work for Mathematica Policy Research where I am a Senior International Researcher.

Elections

Tons of Potential Candidates for Watertown’s Town Council, School Races

By |

This fall’s Watertown Town Election could feature contested race for almost every position on the Town Council and School Committee, and possibly a preliminary election in September. With several hot-button issues in town these days – development, the firefighters contract, and the schools (among others) – dozens of potential candidates have taken out papers to run for town office in the Nov. 3 election. Town Clerk John Flynn said this is the most people he has seen interested in running for office in Watertown for several years. “It’s been a while.

Schools

Recommended Watertown School Budget Includes 21 More Staff Members

By |

The School Committee’s Budget and Finance Subcommittee will submit a budget that would be $2.695 million more than the current school year and would include more than 20 additional teachers and other staff. 

The total budget for Fiscal 2016 (the 2015-16 school year) will be $41.9 million. The Public Hearing on the FY 16 budget will be held at the next School Committee meeting on April 6 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. Among the new staff requests are one teach each for Cunniff and Hosmer elementary schools. These teachers will help avoid large class sizes, said Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald.  

Librarians will also be added to Hosmer, Cunniff, and Watertown Middle School.

Schools

Watertown Football Team Honored by School Committee

By |

Celebration of Watertown High School’s football team’s successful season continued this week when the players and coaches were honored by the School Committee. The Raiders went 9-2, won the Middlesex League Freedom Division, made the MIAA Div. 4 football playoffs, and capped the season with a win over Belmont on Thanksgiving Day. Watertown Football Coach John Cacace said the success started well before the season. “It has not been just since Thanksgiving 2013, but when these guys were freshmen,” Cacace said.

Schools

Superintendent Receives New Contract and Big Raise

By |

Watertown Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald will be around for some time, and will receive a raised of more than $20,000 after the School Committee approved her new contract. At Wednesday night’s School Committee meeting the board approved a five-year contract with a salary of $180,000 in the first year, which starts on July 1, 2015. “I am honored to be superintendent in Watertown,” Fitzgerald said. “I promise to do my best for the students in the school district for the next five years.”
School Committee Chairwoman Eileen Hsu-Balzer said the contract is typical for school districts in the region. “The salary range in this general geographic area, according to figures we have from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, averages $187,568,” Hsu-Balzer said.

Schools

See How Much Athletic Fees Might Go Up Next Year

By |

Parents of Watertown middle and high school athletes may be shelling out more for their children to play sports in the fall. The increase has been proposed by Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald to cover a shortfall of $90,000 in the athletic budget. The Watertown School Committee will debate whether to increase the athletic fees and by how much at their meeting on Aug. 5. The recommended increase is $125 at the high school, which would make it $325.

Government

Watertown Class Sizes May Not Shrink Under Proposed Budget

By |

Keeping class sizes small is one of the School Committee’s goals each year, but Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald said the budget may prevent lowering class sizes. The School Committee requested a $42 million budget, which would be $6 million more than Fiscal 2014 and would pay for 22 new teachers. The budget proposed by Town Manager Michael Driscoll  last week gave the schools a $2.267 million, or 6.18 percent, increase. Fitzgerald said the first priority will be filling the positions that will keep Watertown in compliance with state and federal mandates, including special education and English as a second language. After that, class size and other needs “may go unresolved,” Fitzgerald said Monday night.

Government

School Committee Chair Hears Parents Loud and Clear

By |

The message at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting where the budget was revealed was clear from Watertown parents, said School Committee Chairwoman Eileen Hsu-Balzer. The budget presented by Town Manager Michael Driscoll which included $38.9 million for education is a $2.267 million or 6.18 percent increase over Fiscal 2014. But it came in below the $6 million, 16 percent increase requested from the School Committee. Parents were upset and let the Town Council know they wanted the full request from the School Committee. Hsu-Balzer said that the budget is not done yet, and will not be voted until June 10.