Weymouth School Committee unanimously approves revised $87.5 million FY25 budget

WEYMOUTH -- June 20, 2024, Weymouth School Committee adopts an $87.5 million school budget and confronts a growing athletic fee debt crisis. The board voted unanimously Thursday to formally approve the revised fiscal year 2025 school department budget of $87,472,240, matching the figure passed by Town Council on June 17. Athletic Director Rob O'Leary reported that outstanding user-fee obligations reached $42,550 for the current year alone, with an additional $38,415 unresolved from 2022-23, drawing sharp criticism from committee member Kathy Sherlock, who called the situation "unacceptable." The committee asked O'Leary to return with a detailed breakdown of payment-plan participants versus non-respondents before the fall sports season. The board also approved handbook revisions eliminating the Capstone graduation requirement, adding the freed credit to electives while keeping the total at 22. CPAC co-chairs Kimberly Ferreira and Christine O'Hara reported the council's first annual resource fair drew close to 20 organizations, and the Unified Arts after-school inclusion program served at least 60 students across three elementary schools in 2023-24.