Communication from Mayor Siddiqui transmitting updates from the School Committee

What happened

Mar 16, 2026 · 📁 Placed on file. This was an informative communication; there were no decisions to make. (voice vote, 7 present · two absent)

Present and voting at this meeting (7)

Ayah Al-Zubi
Burhan Azeem
Tim Flaherty
Marc McGovern
Sumbul Siddiqui
E. Denise Simmons
Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler

Filed by voice vote. A voice vote records the outcome, not individual positions. No member's yes or no is on the record (though a member can ask to be recorded in the negative in the minutes). Showing the members who cast recorded votes at this meeting; Councillor Patty Nolan is not among them; Councillor Cathie Zusy is not among them. Rule 6 requires a roll call for spending over $50 or on any member's request; state law requires one for every vote when a member participates remotely. · photos: City of Cambridge · roster: PrimeGov roll calls, Mar 16, 2026

What’s next

🚪 End of the line.

The document Agenda item attachment · 1 page

🏛 This item on the city's site 📄 Download original PDF

To the Honorable, the City Council:

I write to provide an updated summary of recent Cambridge School Committee activity. The Committee held three special meetings this week. Two were convened on March 11, 2026, in executive session – one to hear a Level III grievance related to Cambridge Education Association (CEA) Units A & B, and one to address matters related to collective bargaining with CEA Units A, B, C, D, and E.

Executive sessions were required for these discussions, as open proceedings could have a detrimental effect on the Committee's bargaining and litigation positions. The third meeting also on March 11, 2026, featured a presentation of the Superintendent's proposed FY27 Budget. The proposed budget outlines priorities for the upcoming fiscal year and formally begins the Committee's budget review process.

In the weeks ahead, the Committee will examine the proposal in detail, engaging in discussion around funding priorities and resource allocation across the district. I will continue to keep the Council informed as this work progresses.

On a celebratory note, congratulations to the Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (CRLS) Theater Department on their Spring Play, Oh What a Tangled Web, which performed last night at the Fitzgerald Theater as part of the statewide Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild Festival competition. I hope those who attended had a wonderful evening supporting our students and the arts. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or requests for additional information. Sincerely,

Sumbul Siddiqui

Mayor of Cambridge (2020-21, 2022-23, 2026-27)

🗓 The meeting where this was taken up: Mar 16, 2026