Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/page/13/)
The Watertown Public Schools may ask the City to tap the Special Education Stabilization Fund created several years ago for a rainy day. The 2026-27 School Budget may be stormy, as the district faces a shortfall of $2.5 million as of Monday’s School Committee meeting. Other ways to make up shortfalls may include reinstating athletics and extracurricular fees.
Watertown City Hall
Watertown residents were not overcharged on the CPA surcharge on their tax bills, City officials said, but bills in fiscal year 2025 looked different from other years, leading to the appearance that they were calculated differently.
A rendering of the new Watertown High School from Ai3 Architects.
After originally hoping to open Watertown’s state-of-the-art new high school after spring break, Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston said that the school will not host classes until the fall of 2026.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.
Greetings Councilors:
Now that the electorate is aware of the Flock Safety camera fiasco; the Council is backpedaling to save face with a public process. Please: don’t insult us by spinning the words.
Nikola Atanasov
Nikola Atanasov, age 77, passed away at Massachusetts General Hospital on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. He was the beloved husband of Dragica “Carol” (Lesar) Atanasov, with whom he had shared over 52 wonderful years of marriage.
The Watertown Fire Department is hiring firefighter-paramedics, and is starting alternative pathways to be hired. Find out more at an upcoming information session. See more details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below.
Expect lane shifts and parking restrictions along the stretches of Mt. Auburn Street this week as construction crews work on drainage installation dig test pits. See more details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below.
Three condos, a townhouse, and a three-family home were sold this week.
The lights are back on at the Watertown Middle School Gymnasium and the 2025-26 Basketball Season is underway. While Boys Hoops travelled to Belmont to open their campaign, the Girls opened at home to begin the the third and final interim season of hoops at the Middle School before beginning play at the new High School Gym in December of 2026. Coach Mike Tempesta, in his third year at the helm, and his young and small (as in only ten dressed) squad got off to a good start with a 63-54 win over the cross-town rival Marauders.
James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net.
For the first time, the Watertown Public Schools’ Special Education program has failed to earn a grade of “Meets Requirements” from state officials. The School Committee heard a report about the shortfalls and possible solutions at its Dec. 8 meeting.