This portal has been created to keep the Belmont community updated about the Belmont School Committee's (BSC) ongoing collective bargaining negotiations with the Belmont Education Association (BEA) for a 2025-2028 successor contract. We will update these pages regularly, and encourage you to check it often.

March 21, 2025

Dear Belmont Public Schools Community,

I hope this message finds you well! Since the last update, the Belmont School Committee (BSC) and the Belmont Education Association (BEA) have reached additional tentative agreements (TAs). You can find details about these agreements on the “TA Tracker”:  https://www.belmont.k12.ma.us/o/bps/page/ta-tracker-collective-bargaining.

This past Monday, March 17, we held the 8th collective bargaining session with the BEA. I appreciate the BEA’s ongoing collaboration and dedication to this process. One of the biggest challenges in this process is the sheer volume of proposals, with 233 from the BEA and 81 from the BSC across all units. At that session, both parties agreed to add 5 more bargaining sessions beyond the original schedule. Even with extra sessions, covering all of these proposals will be challenging. To reach a timely agreement and focus on what matters most for BPS students and schools, we have suggested that both parties prioritize the most important proposals. 

On March 17, the BEA proposed a 50% salary increase for Unit D (professional aides, classroom assistants, tutors, campus monitors, and building-based substitutes) and proposed several non-salary items for Unit A (educators). BSC aims to raise the salaries of BPS educators and staff as resources allow, but we estimate that these non-salary proposals would cost $2.9M, including $1M to add educator-only bathrooms and $700K in additional longevity payments for Unit A only. This would add significantly to the FY26 budget, does not provide for any salary increases, and already exceeds what the BSC has budgeted for these contracts. As we review these proposals, the BSC must balance them with student needs and financial constraints.

On March 31, the BSC will review the BEA’s salary proposals for the remaining three units (A: educators, B: directors, assistant directors, curriculum coordinators, and assistant principals, C: administrative assistants and clerical aides). After that, the BSC will present its own salary and wage proposals, aiming for a salary structure that ensures fairness among all BPS educators and staff and consistency with those offered by BPS peer districts.

Reaching agreements requires not only shared goals but also making sure we can fund them responsibly. The BSC remains committed to ensuring that any agreements we reach are both fair to BPS educators and staff and sustainable for the Belmont community. We will continue to navigate this process by staying true to the values BSC articulated from the outset of negotiations.

Meg Moriarty, Ed.D., BSC Chair