School panel recommends room rental rates, FY28 calendar

School Committee · Meeting of September 30, 2026

Watertown's School Committee Budget and Finance Subcommittee recommended updated room rental terms and a fiscal 2028 budget calendar. Members Lisa Kaposha and Kendra Foley voted 2-0 on both items at the September 30 meeting. The revised rental policy adds a $15,000 annual cap on rental fees for outside groups, though custodial fees still apply on weekends and holidays.

Staff told members superintendent search firm quotes range from $9,500 to $29,000, while a separate search for a director of student services could cost $10,000 to $30,000, both to be funded from a roughly $200,000 "set-aside" budget line. "So this is the $15,000 a year cap," a staff presenter said of the new rental fee limit. The subcommittee tentatively set March 8, 15 and 22 as budget deliberation dates, overlapping with planned superintendent finalist interviews.

In the full story:

• Room Rental and QTAP Policy Update
• Superintendent and Student Services Director Search Costs
• FY28 Budget Calendar
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 1,657 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of September 30, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.