Weston Town Crier, April 15, 2021
The following was submitted by John Sallay

Relative to comparable affluent Boston area school districts, Weston Public School academic performance is not exceptional, despite per pupil expenses that are 26% higher than these comparable districts. In a town so dedicated to academic excellence, these facts are doubly concerning since the School Committee – rather than urgently addressing these issues – is now proposing another budget increase, despite declining enrollment, and an $80,000 recreation planning study. This study will most likely result in plans for more school athletic facilities, on top of the $5 million we spent to renovate the football field and track a few years ago.

Weston voters elect the members of the School Committee who are responsible for overseeing our public schools, and at our Annual Town Meeting, we vote to approve the combined town and school budget. While these annual votes have traditionally been pro forma affairs with the budgets overwhelmingly approved, perhaps this should be the year for a reckoning – some new faces in leadership positions, and the budget sent back for a thorough revision before reconsideration.

Weston School Ratings Unexceptional
A few weeks ago, the Weston Public Schools sent out a note to all parents with links to the most recent district and school report cards published by the state. Their note explained that just as students receive report cards showing how they are doing in different subjects, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education evaluates all districts and schools in the state along several dimensions, and publicly reports these evaluations.

The DESE Accountability Reports provide several indicators of school performance and student opportunity, assesses each school’s progress toward improvement targets, and evaluates how it is doing compared to other schools across the state. These report cards provide information on student achievement and growth, teacher qualifications, student learning opportunities, and several other factors.

On the summary charts provided to the parents via web links, Weston scores favorably on all dimensions compared to state averages. These state averages, however, are not an especially useful or relevant comparison for Weston, as they include all school districts, from the large city school districts in Boston, Worcester, and Springfield, to the smallest districts like Avon, North Brookfield, and Rockport. Weston is demographically unlike most of these other towns, and spends over 50% more per pupil than the average Massachusetts town, $25,846 versus $17,150 in FY2019, the year of these charts.

Weston’s Accountability Report compares less favorably when viewed against the most comparable suburban Boston public school districts, as shown in the accompanying chart. In the non-high school grades, Weston scores slightly above the 80% average of these comparable communities, with 87% of the possible points awarded by grade level. (Note that Lincoln’s low scores at the elementary level reflect the inclusion of the elementary school run by the town for Hanscom Air Force Base. Without Lincoln, the comparable town average would be 84%.)

At our High School, however, our overall score is much less favorable. Weston High School was awarded 72% of the possible points as judged by the state, versus the 87% average across these six most comparable high school districts. The most significant difference was in science achievement, where Weston scored 1 of a possible 4 points for all high school students across all grades. And for the lowest performing high school students, Weston also scored 1 of 4 possible points in both mathematics achievement and English language arts growth.

Spending Misaligned with Priorities
In this context, it is worth reflecting on the Weston Public Schools’ priorities as expressed in recent spending initiatives and the FY2022 proposed school budget. The school budget represents over 60% of the town’s total budget. It is concerning to note that Weston’s per pupil expenditure of $25,846 is 26% higher than the $20,499 average of these comparable districts.

The School Committee is proposing another 2% budget increase despite enrollment declining 2-3% per year (9% over the last two years). Included in the proposed budget is the addition of full-time substitute teachers in each school, regardless of when or where substitutes may be needed. Although a Covid grant will cover the substitutes, the money could be used elsewhere. Moreover, the grant will not fund future years, and these new full-time employees will be eligible for Weston’s generous employee benefits, which per diem substitutes are not.

The Committee’s proposed warrant article to spend $80,000 for a High School/Middle School recreation planning study is primarily intended to start planning for new pool and other athletic facilities, on top of the recently completed $5 million renovation of the High School football field and track.

What You Can Do
It is important that each of us become informed about the School Committee candidates and spending proposals, and vote. On average, only about 12% of Weston registered voters participate in town elections and only a few hundred (3-4%) attend town meetings. Please show up on May 8th and cast your vote for our future leaders, or submit a mail-in ballot, which is available from the Town Clerk via the town website, Weston.org.

Consider candidates who will take ownership of these challenges and are inclusive, will listen and collaborate, and will welcome fact-based analysis. And participate in the League of Women Voters Candidates night at 7:30 p.m. on April 29 on Zoom, with questions submitted by email in advance. Ask the School Committee candidates specifically where they stand on these issues. We need leaders who are dedicated to understanding and addressing Weston’s current challenges, and committed to change as required.