Waltham school referendum defeated

The portable classrooms at Waltham Elementary may stick around for a while. Tuesday, Utica-area voters rejected building a $10 million annex.

Unofficial results on Waltham’s referendum showed 488 residents voted no and 286 voted yes.

Superintendent Kristi Eager acknowledged that the totals, while not final, bode poorly for the outcome.

“I am deeply disappointed by the outcome of the building referendum, as it was an opportunity to enhance the learning environment for our students and staff,” Eager said. “However, as we have always done, we will continue to prioritize what is best for our students and remain committed to providing them with the highest quality education possible.”

Waltham has had capacity issues spurred by the pandemic. To remedy the crowding, the district proposed an addition of 22,000 square feet that would include a new preschool wing, a junior high wing, multipurpose room as well as more parking.

After months of discussion, Waltham voted in December to adopt a resolution seeking $9.96 million for a building addition to ease the Utica school’s space constraints.

Waltham projected a 38-cent increase to fund it. According to a Shaw Media projection, Utica Mayor David Stewart, who last year paid Waltham $1,636 (total tax bill: $4,246) faced an 11% jump to $1,814.

“The Board of Education will carefully assess the next steps and explore the best options to support student success,” Eager said. “We remain hopeful that our community will continue to stand behind the decisions made by our dedicated board, whose goal is the continued improvement of our school district and the overall betterment of our community.”