Belmont School Committee Ratifies BEA Contracts After 19 Months of Talks
BELMONT — The Belmont School Committee has approved ratified contracts with the Belmont Education Association, putting a formal end to more than 19 months of negotiations, collaboration, compromise, and mediation between the district and its educators.
SCHOOLS
The School Committee ratification of BEA contracts caps a bargaining process that stretched across nearly a year and a half. The district described the outcome as a product of sustained collaboration and mediation, with full details posted at belmont.k12.ma.us/o/bps/page/collective-bargaining-2025.
Tied to that settlement, Belmont Public Schools announced earlier this month that students at all schools will see their school day extended by 15 minutes beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. A revised schedule was released alongside a May 29 collective bargaining update. Registration for the 2026-2027 school year is now open through the district website.
TOWN HALL
The town posted a Hazard Mitigation Draft Plan Update on June 12, opening the document for public review ahead of a second community input session scheduled for June 23. Residents interested in reviewing the draft or learning how to weigh in can find materials at belmont-ma.gov.
The Department of Public Works also issued its weekly construction notice for the week of June 11, reminding residents to check which active road and infrastructure projects may affect their neighborhoods. The full current project list is posted at belmont-ma.gov.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
"🌱 Patch AM: How a new Belmont community fridge could fight local food insecurity" — A new community fridge initiative in Belmont is drawing attention as a grassroots tool to help residents experiencing hunger access free food, per Belmont Patch. (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/belmont)
"🌱 Patch AM: What convinced Town Meeting to spend $500,000 on Belmont educator stipends?" — Belmont Patch reports on the Town Meeting vote that directed $500,000 toward educator stipends, a story that intersects with the collective bargaining settlement also covered in today's district News Flash. (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/belmont)
"🌱 Patch AM: What Belmont Town Meeting just decided on the Community Path and sewers" — Town Meeting weighed in on the Community Path project and sewer infrastructure in recent sessions, with Belmont Patch covering the outcomes. (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/belmont)
COMING UP
- **Saturday, June 13:** The Modernistics in Concert — Celebrating George and Ira Gershwin (per Belmont Patch calendar; confirm location before attending). - **Monday, June 15:** School Start/End Time Subcommittee meets; Board of Health meets (hybrid); Select Board meets jointly with the Municipal Light Board (hybrid); Zoning Board of Appeals meets (hybrid). Agendas and locations to be posted at belmont-ma.gov. - **Tuesday, June 23:** Hazard Mitigation Plan Public Input Session No. 2 — residents may review the draft plan and comment. Details at belmont-ma.gov.