This morning, Superintendent Smith, School Committee members Emily Prenner and Kathy Shields, and Principal Morse met with parents to discuss the upcoming override and how it will impact our schools next year if it does NOT pass. A link to the minutes are provided below if you missed the meeting.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13mPTlSi6hBzdROOK7M40iwiuo_OqF_61/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117526696842170838617&rtpof=true&sd=true

There is a lot at stake in the upcoming Special Election on the Newton Override proposal.  Please get educated and make your voice heard by voting March 14.  More information on the 3 questions can be found at:     https://www.newtonma.gov/government/mayor-fuller/override

Information on voting can be found here:
https://www.newtonma.gov/government/elections

Coach Sammi will be hosting a free afternoon of tennis games and activities for Lincoln-Eliot students at Stearns Park tennis courts this Friday!

Hi LE Families,

On Tuesday, February 14th, our 5th graders will be traveling to Bigelow Middle School for the Bigelow Music Festival, along with 5th graders from Ward and Underwood. The PTO is happy to make this event happen by providing funds for transportation to this music festival. We hope our rising 6th graders have a great time at this event!

Important Dates

• February 20 – 24: February Break, No School
• February 28: Kindergarten Information Night
• March 28 and 30: Grade 3 ELA MCAS
• April 4 and April 6: Grade 4 ELA MCAS
• April 6: Hands on Nature Creative Arts & Sciences (in school) for Grade 1
• April 10: Potato Hill Poetry Creative Arts and Sciences (in school) for Grade 4.
• April 11 and April 13: Grade 5 ELA MCAS
• May 2 and May 4: Grade 3 Math MCAS
• May 9 and May 12: Grade 4 Math MCAS
• May 16 and May 18: Grade 5 Math MCAS
• May 22 and May 23: Grade 5 Science MCAS
• June 8: Wingmasters: World of Owl Creative Arts and Sciences (in school) for Grade 5

As a PTO, we seek to keep you informed on the school community in an unbiased manner.  Thus, we wanted to make you aware that Lincoln-Eliot teachers, staff, and supporters will be gathering outside the school on the morning of Wednesday, February 15th, to show their support for the upcoming budget override vote beginning at 7:30 am until school starts.  They welcome anyone who would also like to show their support of the override.

This week, the 4th grade welcomed their first CAS (Creative Arts & Sciences) presentation of the year with Sheryl Faye Presents Historical Women: Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Sheryl Faye is a one woman performance, highlighting the positive impacts women have made in history. The show utilizes props, costumes and various forms of media, to create a truly memorable historical performance.

CAS programs are organized and paid for by the LE PTO.

For those who missed the last PTO meeting, here is the slide deck. We discussed the upcoming override and what impacts it will have for LE if it does not pass. We also heard updates from CAS, FORJ, and upcoming events that need your help to happen (Science Fair).

Jan PTO Meeting Slide Deck

Keep sending us your students’ yard sign designs! This year’s topic is all about addressing speeding in school zones and onschool property. The contest guidelines are available on the Encouragement page of our website. This is open to grades 2 – 8 and multilingual signs are highly encouraged! All submissions are due by Friday, February 17, 2023.

Hi L-E Families,

Happy Lunar New Year to all of you who are celebrating! As you may have heard, there is an important vote coming up in Newton regarding the override. The PTO has included some information about what an override is, the 3 questions being voted upon, and additional resources about what will happen if the override passes or not. Although our school construction plan is not part of this override, this vote will still affect Lincoln-Eliot and every school in NPS due to the operating budget for next year.

Please note, our next general PTO meeting will be Tuesday, January 31st at 6pm via Zoom. We hope to “see” you there!

Important Dates

• • January 25: 4th Grade (5:45pm) and 5th Grade Concert (7:00pm) – LE Gym
  • January 31: 6:30-7:30pm: PTO Meeting
  • February 2: Early Release, 12:10 Dismissal
  • February 20 – 24: February Break, No School

The PTO encourages you to learn more about the City Override Vote scheduled for March 14. We are sharing resources and information to keep our community informed about what the override vote is, what it means if it passes, and if it doesn’t. 

The School Committee meeting on January 23rd (6pm via Zoom) will outline two NPS budgets for next year: One that includes the $4.5M (if the override passes) and one without that $4.5M of funding.

What is an Override?  Massachusetts has a limit on the revenue a municipality can raise from property taxes.  Towns can only exceed this limit if a majority of the voters agree to “override” the limit.

Question 1 is an operating override. The money goes into the City’s operating budget. The tax increase would start on July 1, 2023. Funds will go to:

• • • Newton Public School student needs ($4.5M)
    • Street and sidewalk paving ($1.4M)
    • Tree planting and care ($500K)
    • Parks, fields, and playgrounds ($1M)
    • Improvements to Horace Mann ($775K)
    • Sustainability and climate resiliency ($500K)
    • Senior Services and Programming ($500K).

Funds are only required to be put into the named categories for the first year. However, the City Council will hold current administration and future Mayors accountable to allocate money as presented through the annual budget approval process.

Questions 2 and 3 are debt exclusion overrides. The tax increase would pay for the debt on the bonds for the school construction for Countryside and Franklin Elementary Schools. The increase would last until the bonds are paid off (30 years). If question 2 does not pass, Countryside also loses the $20MM granted by the state from being deemed one of the 15 worst in Massachusetts.

The full override proposal is on the City’s website. See how much your taxes would increase here (if the override passes). Newton’s last override was in 2013 and paid for the Newton Centre fire station, as well as Cabot, Zervas, and Angier Elementary Schools. Nearby towns have had many more overrides (since 2000: Newton: 1; Brookline: 5; Lexington: 9; Needham: 11; Wellesley: 14).

Find more information about the override from these sources:

•  The City of Newton website, meetings and presentations
•  Vote Yes for Newton (Instagram or Facebook)
•  Newton Beacon (“an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan digital news organization reporting exclusively on Newton, Massachusetts”)
•   League of Women Voters

At the School Committee meeting tomorrow, Monday, January 23rd, the district will provide information on the 2023-24 school year budget. The presentation will include specific information on the proposed override and its impact on the district budget. The superintendent will describe how override funding will be utilized if approved, as well as the impact to students if the override is not approved and funding is not available. The meeting begins at 6:30pm, and the budget presentation will occur closer to 7pm.

I encourage you to consider attending this important meeting tomorrow to learn more. The meeting begins at 6:30pm, and login information is below:

• Zoom meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/390017072

• Call-in information:  1-646-558-8656

• Call-in meeting ID: 390 017 072