Newton faces a crisis that is as much about political will as it is about dollars. We are caught between a real revenue problem—where municipal costs outpace Prop 2 1/2—and a “spending problem” manufactured by ideological critics.

For years, voices like Matt Hills and “Kids First PAC” have pushed a narrative of “waste” blending fiscal responsibility with their anti-union ideology. This rhetoric has led many to believe that we can simply cut staff and services expecting the same or better outcomes.

The cuts proposed for this year are painful, forcing a choice between core academics and our values. We cannot “redeploy” non-existent Math specialists nor “absorb” key roles in DEI, sustainability, and special education oversight. These cuts are nothing compared to what is coming if we continue to “hope for the best” without a long-term funding strategy.

Unlike fair-weather politicians at City Hall, leaders in Arlington and Brookline are having honest conversations about the necessity of overrides to maintain service levels. Meanwhile, NPS remains stuck in a cycle of doing less with less.

If the School Committee finds these decisions difficult, they must act. They will have to either challenge the neighborhood school model, class sizes and electives, or champion the Superintendent’s plan and explain why we must pay for the excellence we claim to demand. Platitudes will not fix a broken system. Only a multi-year funding commitment—not the mayor’s uncompromising allocation—will set a different path.

Enrique Rosero
Newton Centre