Weymouth Schools Report Record 449 Kindergarteners, Strain Building Capacity

WEYMOUTH — September 14, 2023 — Weymouth schools enroll a record 449 kindergarteners, pushing aging buildings toward capacity limits. Superintendent Robert Wargo told the School Committee at its September 14 meeting that the district's eight elementary schools — seven of them built in the 1950s — are "bursting at the seams," with classroom sizes approaching the 25-student ceiling set by the district's Unit A collective bargaining agreement. Thirty-four students, about 7.5 percent of the kindergarten class, were assigned outside their neighborhood zone to balance enrollment, and Wargo said redistricting would be a "short-term solution" affecting far more families. Assistant Superintendent Smith reported that more than 3,000 of the district's 5,700 students ride buses, with late sign-ups — 638 families registered in August alone — complicating route planning this fall. Facility planning consultant Matt Meehan is conducting square-footage audits of all school buildings; on the Abigail Adams and Johnson schools project, rebidding proved financially favorable and construction is expected to begin in January.