Weston Board of Education reaffirms $3.336 million capital budget after split vote

The Weston Board of Education voted March 4 to reaffirm its original $3,336,000 capital budget request after rejecting a revised $1,710,000 figure that the Board of Selectmen had recommended.

Board members said the cuts proposed by the town would delay critical maintenance and replacements, most notably a planned North House HVAC replacement and several aging heating, ventilation and air-conditioning units across district buildings. Mike Del Mastro, a district staff member who addressed technical and scheduling implications, said postponing projects would increase maintenance hours and costs and could push major work into 2028–2029.

Why it matters: The board and district staff described the capital request as addressing both safety and building-health issues that the board has discussed for years. Several board members warned that moving or cutting the projects now would raise long-term costs, extend disruption to students, and risk more expensive emergency repairs later.

Board debate and technical concerns

Several board members told colleagues that the Selectmen’s recommendation — which reduced the board’s…