Arlington School Committee receives all-district quality plans, advances graduation policy

ARLINGTON -- December 4, 2025, Arlington schools show broad academic gains but warn fragile staffing model is at risk. The School Committee received quality plans from all ten district principals at its December 4 meeting, with elementary schools reporting 66 percent of students meeting or exceeding ELA standards, well above the state's 40 percent average, and 65 percent meeting math expectations against a 42 percent state average. Arlington High School Principal Matthew Janger reported AP participation has grown from 438 students four years ago to 741, with 93 percent of exams scoring a three or better, and daily attendance at 95.6 percent. Multiple principals, echoing Bishop Elementary Principal Eva Liner's warning that the system is "fragile," made the case for a level-services budget as the committee's budget subcommittee refines a long-range plan built around a blended salary growth rate of 4.25 percent. The committee also approved a housekeeping amendment to policy BEDL and advanced a first reading of the district's new competency determination policy, required before year's end, which replaces MCAS as a graduation standard with 10th-grade coursework requirements in ELA, math, science, and history, with a final vote expected December 18.