School Committee Votes to Opt Out of Choice
Newton's School Committee voted to opt out of school choice for 2026-2027 and separately approved a $2 million K-8 math curriculum overhaul.
School Committee · Meeting of May 18, 2026
Newton's School Committee voted to opt out of school choice for 2026-2027 and separately approved a $2 million K-8 math curriculum overhaul. The school choice vote passed 9-0 after members cited long-term cost risk; member Ben said the financial upside "starts at $350,000" and declines to $46,000 by the final year. Mayor Laredo said "the math just doesn't work," noting committees have rejected the idea for over 20 years.
A Newton Teachers Association survey of 312 educators found 63 percent opposed. The math curriculum vote passed 8-0, with Mayor Laredo absent, following debate over a 36-student accelerated math cohort that member Ben said risked shortchanging roughly 230 to 250 students performing below benchmark.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 850 words
Source: the School Committee meeting of May 18, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.
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