Belmont School Committee Ratifies Contracts With Teachers Union
DATELINE — BELMONT Belmont's School Committee has ratified new contracts with the Belmont Education Association, closing out negotiations that stretched more than 19 months. The town also launched a rat prevention campaign, and a Wicked Local report identified the buyer of the former Bank of America branch in Belmont Center.
SCHOOLS
The School Committee approved ratified contracts with the Belmont Education Association, the union representing the district's teachers, following what the district described as more than 19 months of negotiations, collaboration, compromise and mediation. The agreement closes out one of the town's longest-running rounds of collective bargaining and comes as the district's registration window for the 2026-2027 school year remains open.
TOWN HALL
The town's health officials this week rolled out guidance on rat prevention and control, urging residents to learn how to identify rat activity, eliminate common attractants around their properties and follow specific recommended steps if an infestation is suspected. The full guidance is posted on the town's civic alerts page.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
"Belmont MA bank building sold for $2.825M. Look who bought it": Leader Bank of Arlington has purchased the former Bank of America branch on Leonard Street in Belmont Center for $2.825 million, according to Wicked Local, a new development in the deal the town's News Flash also covered earlier this week (read it at https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/news/local/2026/08/18/leader-bank-arlington-ma-buys-former-bank-of-america-branch-in-belmont-ma-leonard-street/91336535007/).
"These Are The Best Public High Schools In MA For 2026-27: U.S. News": U.S. News released its annual rankings of Massachusetts public high schools based on six performance measures, per Belmont Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/belmont).
"Patch AM: Want to host a new air-quality sensor at your Belmont home?": Belmont Patch's morning newsletter flagged an opportunity for residents to host a new air-quality monitoring sensor at their homes, according to Patch AM (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/belmont).
COMING UP
The town has scheduled a Notice of Vote Tabulator and Ballot Testing session on Wednesday, August 19, part of preparations for the September 1 state primary. The Economic Development Advisory Committee meets Thursday, August 20. The Belmont library branch is also hosting a Sewing Hangout drop-in on Wednesday, August 19, from 10 a.m. to noon.
Compiled from official town feeds, community organizations, and local press. Outside reporting is attributed inline.