2025 is the Year of the Snake, according to the Chinese Zodiac.
It’s a fitting animal for the year, especially in Newton, as the snake, which sheds its skin every so often, represents change and the spirit of letting go of the old to make room for the new.
Newton will be losing its DPW commissioner this month, for example, as Jim McGonagle takes on a new job in Brookline and Deputy Commissioner Shawna Sullivan will take the director role.
From elections to climate change reforms and an election for a new mayor, Newton is on the cusp of a new era in 2025.
Here are some things to watch this year in Newton.
Elections
As mentioned, Newton will be getting a new mayor, as Ruthanne Fuller has announced she won’t seek reelection to a third term.
So far, the only person running for that job is City Council President Marc Laredo. But the year is young, and anyone could join the race at any time.
Ward 5 City Councilor Bill Humphrey also announced he won’t seek another term, so there will be a race for that seat as well. No one has announced candidacy for the Ward 5 seat yet.
And Ward 1 At-Large City Councilor Alison Leary has said this may be her last term, but she hasn’t yet announced that she’s not running again.
Local dad and tech executive Jason Bhardwaj is running to fill the Ward 3 seat on the School Committee, with current seat occupant Anping Shen unable to run due to term limits.
And Alicia Piedalue is running in the special election to fill the Ward 7 School Committee seat vacated by Amy Davenport, who moved out of Newton. That special election is set for March 18.
That’s a lot of political excitement, and the year is only a few days old.
Buildings
Newton has been in a bit of a “building boom” lately, with several public and private construction projects in the works that will transform the city landscape.
The Cooper Center for Active Living is expected to be finished later this year.
The 33,000-square-foot building will be a place focused on aging residents but available for use by the whole community. It will have a full-sized gym, a walking track, a dining hall with a stage that doubles as a performing arts space, art and yoga spaces and a lot more.
The Lincoln-Eliot School project is also expected to wrap up later this year.
That school was built in the 1930s, expanded in the 1970s, and was in such bad shape that the city opted to construct a new building.
The city is building the new school on the site of the former Aquinas Junior College in Newton Corner, which the city purchased in 2015.
The new facility will have a large auditorium that can be available for community use during the evenings. There will also be a gym and library where the former convent once was.
There are also a bunch of housing complexes permitted that are in the works. While many have seen delays, a few of the smaller ones could be completed this year.
Climate policy
Newton has been working on major climate action initiatives for many years now. And lately, the city has amped up its efforts.
Newton’s new electrification ordinance took effect Jan. 1 for new permit requests. It requires complete electrification of newly constructed buildings and those undergoing extensive renovations.
The ordinance, approved by the City Council last year, comes with exemptions for hospitals and research labs, outdoor gas appliances that aren’t connected to gas lines (propane grills, space heaters, etc.). And renovations where there are existing gas lines are exempt until next year.
Last month, the City Council approved a Building Emissions Reductions and Disclosures Ordinance (BERDO).
Under the Newton BERDO, commercial buildings with more than 20,000 square feet of floor space must record and report energy use as well as take measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Large residential building owners are required to report energy use but don’t have to reduce emissions like the commercial properties do.
Schools
After 16 months of an escalating contract dispute and a subsequent two-week strike around this time last year, 2025 is already starting out better for the Newton Public Schools than 2024 did.
The transformation of NPS has been in the works for a while. Superintendent Anna Nolin started in 2023 with a bold vision for Newton schools that included an overhaul and restructuring of school leadership to help students thrive at every turn.
This year, with a budget that supports more social workers and paraprofessionals, Nolin and the School Committee are set to build on progress made since the strike ended.
And in addition to the Lincoln-Eliot School building project set to be completed this year, a bunch of other projects are set to move along in various stages as well, including construction of the new Countryside Elementary School and the Franklin Elementary School, both of which are expected to be finished in the next couple of years.
Whether or not to join the state’s School Choice program will definitely be discussed, because that has to be voted on each year.
Newton has never opted into School Choice. The School Committee voted against joining the program last year. Will the committee do so again, or have things changed?
Newton Community Education is going through a bit of a metamorphosis this year, too. After nearly having to shutter its doors after more than 30 years due to a rise in costs and a fall in revenues during the COVID-19 pandemic, NCE is reporting progress in its turnaround plan since the School Committee voted to support the organization financially through the end of this school year.
And three elementary school principals are set to retire in June, meaning even more new faces in NPS leadership roles as the district continues its journey into a new era.
