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.