CNS News | June 2025

As the 2024-25 school year draws to a close, we have a number of updates and information to share with the community. The 2025 Annual and Special Town Meetings concluded on May 12 and funding for Needham Public Schools continues to be a priority for the town. A number of school-related articles were approved. The April town election brought a new face, Sri Baqri, to the School Committee. The most recent CNS Spotlight provides an update to the Pollard renovation project. Finally, we include the 2025-26 NPS school calendar.

As we attempt to reach a wider audience with our newsletters, please forward this on to neighbors and friends who might be interested, particularly those with young children who may not yet be in the NPS system, so that they can join our mailing list.

On behalf of the entire CNS board, we thank the Needham School Committee and the entire NPS staff for another fantastic year of learning. We wish you all a relaxing and happy summer!

Joanie Daly, Co-Chair

Abigail Hays, Co-Chair

Rebecca Bembery-Rainey

Elizabeth Bresnahan

April Crawford

Stefanie Forman

Karen Hodys

Keith LaFace

Jennifer Leonard-Schaffstein

Jennifer Santos

Kara Williams

Sasha Yampolsky

Annual and Special Town Meetings

The May 2025 Annual & Special Town Meetings concluded on Monday, May 12. Among the over 50 articles voted on by Town Meeting Members were several that impact Needham Schools. Other articles concerned recreation options in Needham which may be of particular interest to children and families. A full list of warrant articles can be found on the Needham town website.

• FY '26 Operating Budget
• Action Park and Pickleball Courts Design
• Eliot School Grounds Renovation Design
• General Fund Cash Capital
• Eliot School Boiler Replacement
• Needham High School Stair Repair
• Newman School Theatrical Lighting, Sound, and Rigging Design
• Athletic Facility Improvement Fund

Other articles that may be of particular interest to children and families:

• Library Renovation (Young Adult area)

A summary of the approved articles can be found on our website, along with links to more detailed information.

School Committee Updates

In the most recent town election, incumbents Andrea Longo Carter and Alisa Skatrud were reelected to their seats and newcomer Sri Baqri was elected to the third open seat.

Michael O'Brien took over as School Committee Chair in April, and Alisa Skatrud is the new Vice Chair.

CNS Spotlight: Pollard Renovation Update

The future of Pollard Middle School and Mitchell Elementary School have been the subject of years of planning and discussion among town and school staff. The Pollard Middle School project has been accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Process and is currently in the feasibility study phase. To help keep the community up to date, CNS has pulled together the latest updates for reference. There will be opportunities over the summer to learn more about the project and weigh in with ideas. The entire Spotlight can be found on our website.

2025-2026 Needham Public Schools Calendar

As we look ahead to the next school year, we encourage our readers to make note of the Wednesday, August 27 start date for the 2025-26 school year and to peruse other important dates on the school calendar.