Newton Mayor Weighs Boston College Property Impact
Mayor Marc Laredo discussed Boston College's property and school renovation plans at a public Laredo Listens session.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Newton Mayor Marc Laredo discussed Boston College's property holdings and school renovations at a Laredo Listens session. The city plans to propose debt exclusion overrides for major school and fire station projects.
Why it matters
Massachusetts law exempts nonprofits, including universities, from property taxation under the Dover Amendment, which affects how Newton funds its schools. Newton will not fund major school buildings or fire stations without voter-approved debt exclusion overrides.
The estimated cost of Newton South High School renovations is approximately $200 million. Debt exclusion overrides would require voters to approve a temporary property tax increase, and the City Council must agree before any measure reaches the ballot.
The players
Marc Laredo
Marc Laredo is the Mayor of Newton, Massachusetts, who hosts public Laredo Listens sessions with residents.
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, whose School of Education places student teachers in Newton classrooms.
The details
Boston College purchased Mount Alvernia High School in 2023, and Laredo plans multiple conversations with Boston College President Rev. Jack Butler, S.J. Newton South High School has water damage, mold, and mice, according to a resident, and the administration plans to use video to document building conditions for feasibility studies.
Timeline
2023: Boston College purchased Mount Alvernia High School.
Over the summer: The theater department discarded props damaged by water.
November 6, 2026: Laredo Listens session held.
Legal Context
Under the Dover Amendment, Massachusetts exempts nonprofit educational institutions from local property taxation, which shifts the burden of school funding onto other taxpayers. Newton's reliance on debt exclusion overrides reflects this structural constraint on municipal revenue.
Newton residents could be asked to vote on temporary property tax increases to fund school and fire station repairs. Families with students at Newton South and the elementary schools would see the direct effect of any approved renovations.
The takeaway
Community input shapes how cities like Newton decide between tax-supported renovations and alternative funding. Residents who follow Laredo Listens sessions and city newsletters can track how the proposed overrides take shape before any vote.
What happens next
Newton plans to propose debt exclusion overrides covering the police station, Newton South High School, and Ward and Underwood elementary schools, though no ballot date has been set.
Further reading
Explore more on Secondary Education for context on how districts fund school renovations.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Heights.
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Would you vote to raise property taxes to fund major school renovations in your town?
