By Andrew Steinberg, Progressive Newton
On February 14th and 15th, Progressive Newton co-organized standouts with the “Yes for Newton” campaign and Newton Teachers Association to support the three Override votes on Tuesday, March 14th. During the standouts, hundreds of volunteers at 21 schools showed solidarity with Newton educators and community members who recognized the importance of “Yes” votes for the special election.
The first “operating override” would raise $9.175 million, approximately half of which would go to the Newton Public Schools to help cover staffing and operating costs. The other half would go towards street and sidewalk improvements, park/playground maintenance, programming for senior residents, and climate resiliency projects such as electrifying school buildings and bolstering the city’s tree canopy. The second and third “debt exclusion overrides” would raise $3.5 million and $2.3 million to replace the Countryside Elementary School and the Franklin Elementary School respectively. Both of these schools are overdue for changes. For example, the Countryside School is infamously built so low on wetlands that a learning area in the basement chronically floods and smells like sewage. The state government has recognized the facility as one of the worst in the Commonwealth, and has promised to pay for 25-30% of the costs if Newton funds the rest.
The Override votes are happening during a special election because a Massachusetts law enacted in 1980 strictly limits the amount of property tax revenue a community can raise. Under state law, the maximum amount a community can levy in any given year is called the “levy limit.” Currently, a community’s levy limit increases automatically by an incremental amount of 2.5% of the prior year’s levy limit. However, by passing an Override, a community can assess taxes in excess of the automatic annual 2.5% increase. Voters must approve this increase above 2.5%.
Historically, cities like Newton have relied on Overrides to raise money for large capital projects. In 2013, the city passed its last Override to rebuild the Angier, Cabot, and Zervas Elementary Schools. Over the last decade, costs for the city have increased due to rising prices of construction materials, equipment, healthcare, transportation, and labor. These prices have shot up even more over the last two years due to inflation. Additionally, new municipal services such as full-day kindergarten, increased mental health supports in schools, and necessary technological infrastructure for students have increased costs. Given that these expenditures would be continuous and the city does not merely want to force the bill on future generations through taking on debt, an Override is the best way to ensure that the funding is both adequate and consistent.
While the benefits of the Override votes are clear (such as better educational facilities with robust services, and a more sustainable city with greater amenities), the costs of not supporting them are also. According to the Mayor, “without the override, [Newton Public Schools (NPS)] is looking at a potential shortfall of $6 to $8 million which will require extensive reductions to educational services and infrastructure” (“Mayor’s Update,” Jan. 24, 2023). NPS leadership asserts that if the three questions did not pass, the city would have to eliminate 40 to 50 educator positions, resulting in larger class sizes from kindergarten through 12th grade. Elective options would also decrease, and many academic/social/emotional support roles for students and athletic/music/theater programs would be cut.
Progressive Newton believes that now is not the time for holding back on education funding and reducing school services. The pandemic showed us that the previous system was not enough, and the disparities that the crisis exacerbated will have major consequences for years to come. For this reason, we are proud to support the Newton Teachers Association to advocate for the excellence that our students deserve. Until the 14th, we will be informing our neighbors about the importance of the Override votes and the opportunity to build a better Newton than the one we had before.
