Swampscott superintendent changes tune on school budget

SWAMPSCOTT — Superintendent of Schools Pamela Angelakis rescinded her encouragement for voters to approve the allocation of an additional $850,000 for the school district from the town’s operating budget for fiscal year 2025 during Annual Town Meeting on Monday night.

“Regrettably, I allowed myself to be swayed by my emotions and failed to maintain the appropriate focus. In hindsight, this was a misstep,” Angelakis said.

She apologized to Town Meeting members, the town’s administration, and members of boards and committees that had involvement in the budget’s formulation.

“I appreciate the town administrator, Select Board, and Finance Committee for fully funding the School Committee’s recommended budget,” Angelakis said.

Earlier this month, the Swampscott Educators Association released a statement expressing its displeasure with the proposed school budget. According to the statement, the SEA believes the budget will be counterproductive to the district’s goal of reducing class sizes for fifth grade and the high school. The letter was brought before the School Committee at its latest meeting on May 9, which is when Angelakis encouraged Town Meeting members to vote to increase the budget.

Angelakis did maintain her position that the town’s current financial policy of restricting budget increases to 2% plus new growth needs to be reconsidered in the future.

“I do not think the current model of 2% plus new growth is sustainable for any department in the long term without consideration given for potential ‘reset years’ or years with exceptions made,” Angelakis said. “I understand that such discussions will not be resolved on the floor of Town Meeting.”

She alluded to “baseless” allegations of secrecy, incompetence, and prioritization of teacher-position cuts being leveled against herself and other district leaders while asserting that the budget process is more transparent than ever.

“We presented our budget multiple times publicly and changed the entire format to provide more transparency and understanding,” Angelakis said. “The appendix of our budget was every single detailed account line that makes up our budget. So anyone can see, to the most granular level, where we spend our money.”

Prior to the start of Town Meeting, the Select Board and Finance Committee both voted unanimously to establish a memorandum of understanding between the town and the school department that would add $200,000 to the school budget outright, as opposed to establishing a stabilization fund for the same purpose.

“In consideration of a brand-new consolidated elementary school, this function would give everybody a peace of mind that if we have some additional cost or additional systems that do require more electricity… that we will have funds sufficient to cover those costs,” Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald emphasized that the increase is a one-time appropriation. As of press time, Town Meeting had not yet voted on the approval of the town’s FY25 operating budget.

The post Swampscott superintendent changes tune on school budget appeared first on Itemlive .