Weymouth School Committee Approves Superintendent's Five Annual Goals

WEYMOUTH -- February 15, 2024, Weymouth School Committee approves superintendent's five goals and hears of a looming $2.5 million budget gap. The committee, chaired by Vice Chair Rebecca Haugh in the absence of Chair Tracy Nardone, unanimously accepted Superintendent Robert Wargo's goals package, which now includes a fifth goal on safe and healthy school climates added after earlier committee discussion. On safety, administrators reported that a bathroom gate trial at Chapman Middle School is being abandoned after finding it funneled students to other parts of the building rather than reducing incidents; paid volunteer staff stationed outside bathrooms and relationship-building by Acting Principal Jenny Dolan are proving more effective. Budget Subcommittee member Kathy Bates outlined a fiscal picture in which level-service costs are projected to rise roughly 5 percent while town revenues grow only about 2.1 percent, compounded by a $2.5 million ESSER cliff and charter school reimbursements cut in half. A vote on the 2024-2025 school calendar was deferred to the March 7 meeting, where the committee will also hold its public hearing on the fiscal year 2025 budget.