Waltham School Committee Votes to Hire Assistant Superintendent, Demands ESL Budget Clarity

WALTHAM — April 15, 2026 — Waltham School Committee hires new assistant superintendent and faces ESL staffing revolt at April 15 meeting. The committee voted 6-1 to approve a three-year contract for Dr. Lisa Kingsley as Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Student Services at a starting salary of $188,000, with 2.8 percent annual raises — Mayor McCarthy cast the lone dissenting vote, objecting that a multi-year administrative commitment was premature before the FY27 budget is adopted. More than a dozen teachers, parents, and community members filled the public hearing to oppose a budget proposal to eliminate sheltered English immersion classes at Waltham High School and cut four ESL teachers and a 0.5 ESL coach, representing one-third of the building's multilingual department. ESL teacher Lindsay Marinaccio told the board the ACCESS test is "the only DESE accountability indicator that the school met at all in 2025" and that the district exceeded its target, calling a simultaneous staffing cut "illogical." The committee added an agenda item directing the superintendent to present enrollment data and rationale for the cuts at the next meeting, where the full FY27 budget vote is expected; statutory non-renewal notices are due by June 15.