After decades of sameness, the School Department has tweaked its budget timeline and while it has been a blessing to them, not everyone is on board. “I do think there’s merit to the sequence of the process,” said Town Meeting member Carol Savage, who spoke during the public comment
The cost of education is going up. The Winchester School Committee voted 4-1 last week to increase the district’s level service budget by 7.15% to bring the newly proposed fiscal year 2026 budget total to $70,870,718. School Committee member Michelle Bergstrom was the lone holdout, but
It has been more than a year since Winchester’s early literacy program came under fire in a big way, but Superintendent Dr. Frank Hackett said change is coming. Albeit maybe not as fast as some would like. An Early Literacy Team made up of educators is looking at seven
Call it serendipity that paved the way for the organ extravaganza coming to First Congregational Church on March 21. Rev. Jane Ring Frank said they chose the date for a concert some time ago when they were setting the Ripley Concert Series Calendar. Frank said because she works with the
Fiscal trade-offs, literacy, Special Education and “optimizing the relative roles among the Select Board, School Committee and Finance Committee in developing the annual school budget” were all on the table during the School Committee candidate’s debate March 6 at the Jenks Center. The event was sponsored by the League
Some 34 years ago, a very good looking man invited me out to dinner and we went to Lucia Ristorante on Hanover Street in Boston’s North End. I don’t remember a lot about the evening except everything was exceptional and being in the North End in evening light
A competency requirement plan is now in place for those few students caught between the end of MCAS era and a pending graduation. “It’s obviously a little bit of an odd situation, because we’re already in February, and graduation is coming up in June,” said School Committee member
The lights have been dimmed at Winchester High School in honor of the passing of its theater classes. Principal Dennis Mahoney said when it came time to solidify course selection for the 2025/26 school year, the decision was made to drop theater classes from the roster of offerings. “We’
There is going to be some serious pomp and a whole lot of circumstance when Winchester High School seniors cross the stage at Symphony Hall. “I think it’s a fantastic space,” said School Committee member Chris Nixon. “I’m sort of envious in that other classes maybe won’t
It was chilly outside with a 100% chance of chili inside at Crawford Memorial United Methodist Saturday, as nearly 100 people turned out to try and choose their favorite dish during the 10th annual Chili Cook-off. And it was all for a good cause. “I love coming here and seeing
Getting an A will be a bit more meaningful for Winchester High School students now that the School Committee approved the new grade point average scale recommended by the GPA Committee and WHS Principal Dennis Mahoney. “I just thought this was a very collaborative process that then came back to
Typically, the toughest decision Dennis Mahoney has to make in regards to Winchester High School’s annual graduation ceremony is weather related. But this year, it’s all about location, location, location. “It’s a big decision. It’s a heavy decision,” said Winchester’s High School principal. Graduation is
The School Committee has approved the $70 million fiscal year 2026 preliminary level services budget, but made clear there is still much work to be done. While the preliminary budget will be sent to the town ASAP, Superintendent Dr. Frank Hackett pointed out that a lot is likely to happen
When the School Committee meets on Jan. 30 it is expected to approve a preliminary level services budget of just over $70 million, up $4 million from last year. “We’ve made some adjustments around enrollment, but there are no new positions in this budget, a level services budget,” said
Now that MCAS is no longer a requirement for graduation, the question for school districts is how to determine student competency. More importantly, what happens to students on track to graduate in 2025 who have yet to pass the MCAS? It’s a question Winchester High School is grappling with
After nearly a year of delays, MBTA officials say the Winchester Center Commuter Rail Station is on track to fully open this spring. “We are 11 months over schedule right now. We were supposed to be done last February,” said Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Senior Project Manager Nathan Rae.
