Arlington School Committee elects Gittleson chair, approves four new central office job descriptions

ARLINGTON -- April 9, 2026, Arlington School Committee reorganizes, approves central office job changes, and flags a $66,000 fiscal year 2026 budget gap. The committee unanimously elected Laura Gittleson as chair, Liz Exton as vice chair, and Jeff Thielman as secretary at its April 9 organizational meeting, following a town election that also seated new member Capiton and the passage of a municipal override. METCO Director Rochelle K. Smith told the full committee that the program's 62 students, capped at 69 under a new state limit, are feeling the effects of years of flat state funding, with dedicated classroom staff eliminated this year due to budget constraints; she and the committee endorsed a push for $35 million in increased state METCO funding at an April 13 State House advocacy day. Finance Director Dan Schweitzer presented a March 27 budget projection showing an adjusted deficit of negative $66,000, with options including tapping current-year circuit breaker funds or drawing from the roughly $824,000 Special Education Stabilization Fund, the latter requiring coordinated votes at both the School Committee and Select Board. The committee voted 7-0 to refer a March 27 open meeting complaint filed by Cheryl Miller to town counsel.