Saugus School Committee Approves Tutoring Grant
School Committee · Meeting of September 24, 2026
Saugus School Committee accepts $80,500 tutoring grant as union flags Belmonte class sizes near 30. The committee, chaired by Tom Whittredge, voted 4-0 to approve a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education grant funding in-person Catapult Learning tutors for 46 Veterans Elementary first-graders, plus three school improvement plans and $307,530.11 in bills. ELL Coordinator Gosia Knapp reported 378 active English learners, 14 percent of enrollment, with 19 percent reaching proficiency on the 2026 ACCESS test.
Kevin Fontanella, president of the Saugus Educators Association, told the board Belmonte classrooms are running 26 to 30 students against a contract-recommended max of 18, saying "the ideal class size should be a max of 18, you know, recommended." He urged members to lobby state legislators to fund Governor Healey's larger proposed Chapter 70 increase, which the Legislature did not fully adopt.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,709 words
Source: the School Committee meeting of September 24, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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