Delivering Education in Challenging Times

As Chairwoman of the Belmont School Committee, Anne Rittenburg was in the forefront of the Proposition 2 1/2 debate as she promoted the spending of an additional $1 million to education funding to narrow a growing structural deficit in the school budget.

After Monday's vote, Rittenburg issued a statement on what the greater school community - residents, students, teachers and administrators - can expect from the school committee in the coming year.

"I believe strongly in the democratic process and respect the outcome of the June 14 override vote as a function of that process.  The citizens have made a decision and we will move forward accordingly."

"We remain committed to providing the children of Belmont with an excellent and equitable public education and to doing so in as effective and efficient a manner as possible, with whatever resources the citizens provide to us.  We remain committed to the ongoing process of ensuring that limited taxpayer dollars are invested as prudently as possible for greatest return, in terms of positive student outcomes."

"We have already adopted a non-override budget, which is designed to allocate available resources in the most efficient way possible to meet the needs of the students served by the Belmont Public Schools in pursuit of the goals and priorities articulated by the community. That budget will now be implemented."

"While our ability to continue to deliver the types of positive student outcomes the community has come to know and expect will be greatly challenged, I have unwavering confidence that the superintendent we have hired, along with the new central office team he is putting in place and the rest of the leadership team he has been building over the course of this past year will face and meet the challenge head on. So too, will the staff, students, parents, and community members who comprise the Belmont Public Schools community."