Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/tag/watertown-schools/)
(Updated on Feb. 23, 2026 at 6:11 p.m.)
The Watertown Public Schools will be closed on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2026 due to the snow storm that hit the area Sunday and Monday. The Library and Senior Center will be closed and the Food Pantry will operate at the Parker Building. Other buildings will have a delayed opening on Tuesday.
Increasing costs of special education tuition has contributed to the sharp increase in the school budget over the past few years, Superintendent Dede Galdston told the School Committee on Monday night, and for budget for the 2026-27 school year the district will have to find ways to close a multi-million dollar deficit. During the Preliminary Budget overview for the Fiscal Year 2027 School Budget Galdston said the shortfall facing the Watertown Public Schools is $2.5 million, which is based on what she called a level-services budget. The total budget would be $67 million, while the current revenues — including a 4 percent increase in funding from the City — is $64.5 million. School administrators and the School Committee will be working on the budget for the next several weeks, and the School Committee will hold a public hearing on March 23 and take a final vote on the recommended budget on March 26, Galdston said. “So what we need to do is think about our level-services budget, think about what we can do to bridge that deficit so that we are able to balance a budget moving forward,” Galdston said.
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll takes a look around the Watertown Public Schools’ Freight Farm. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
The white box container sitting in the parking lot of the Watertown Public Schools’ administration building has smooth metal walls on the outside, but inside the walls have a lush floor-to-ceiling covering of green plants. The freight container is not just a teaching tool but also provides fresh produce for students around the district. Known as a Freight Farm, the container is filled with walls outfitted with equipment to water and nourish hundreds of plants, and lights to help them grow. When up to full production it will produce all the greens used in salads and other dishes served in Watertown’s five public schools.
On Monday, the School Committee adopted a resolution which states that the Watertown Public Schools have a “strong commitment to protecting the rights of immigrant students and their families.” The resolution also ensures certain protections including that the Watertown Public Schools (WPS) will not ask about immigration status, will not coordinate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); will not allow ICE agents on to WPS property without a criminal warrant from a federal judge, and will not share student records with ICE without parent, a guardian or a court order. In addition, the resolution said, “WPS ensures that staff will only send students home with caregivers/family members or friends who have been approved by the child’s parent or guardian, and encourages parents and guardians to keep emergency contact information up-to-date by contacting their child’s school.” The School Committee unanimously approved the resolution at the Jan. 26 meeting.
The City of Watertown and the Watertown Public Schools announced closures on Monday due to the snow storm beginning Sunday and continuing into Monday, which could drop up to 2 feet of snow on the area. See details below. Watertown Schools
The Watertown Public Schools will have a snow day for Monday, Jan. 26, according to the following announcement from the WPS website:
“With the snow expected to begin today, with 18–24 inches forecast by Monday. All Watertown Public Schools and offices will be closed tomorrow, Monday, January 26, due to unsafe travel conditions.
The Watertown Public Schools may ask the City to tap the Special Education Stabilization Fund created several years ago for a rainy day. The 2026-27 School Budget may be stormy, as the district faces a shortfall of $2.5 million as of Monday’s School Committee meeting. Other ways to make up shortfalls may include reinstating athletics and extracurricular fees. Superintendent Dede Galdston provided the budget update on Jan. 12, before the School Committee’s budget hearings officially start.
Produce growing in the Watertown Public Schools’ Freight Farm. (Contributed Photo)
The state recently awarded the Watertown Schools a grant to run its farm-to-school program, including its Freight Farm. See details in the announcement from the Watertown Public Schools, below. Watertown Public Schools has received more than $80,000 in state grant funding to continue its farm-to-school efforts, expanding learning opportunities for Watertown’s students while also increasing local food production. Last week, Governor Maura Healey’s office announced $1.2 million in funding to expand educational food growth and farming efforts across Massachusetts.
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.