Waltham School Committee Tables Three-Year Equity Plan Vote Until September

School Committee · Meeting of August 12, 2026

Waltham School Committee tables three-year equity plan vote, citing August timing and limited community awareness. Mayor McCarthy, who chairs the committee, moved to postpone adoption of the plan until the first September meeting, saying the work deserved wider public attention after summer vacations. The plan, developed over 2025-26 by an expanded equity committee following a 2024-25 district audit of 1,641 students and 235 staff, calls for six recommendations across two pillars covering instruction and workforce diversity, with 61.6 percent of WPS students identified as students of color against a 90.7 percent white teaching staff.

The committee unanimously adopted artificial intelligence guidelines developed from surveys of 1,400 students, 299 staff, and 169 caregivers, and heard curriculum highlights showing AP test results at five-year highs, with 917 exams administered and 353 qualifying scores, and 81 students earning the Seal of Biliteracy. Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Conley reported that for the first time since DIBELS tracking began, every elementary grade level posted fewer than 30 percent of students well below benchmark.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,299 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of August 12, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.