Budget Workshop III and Special Meeting

Note: Transcripts are generated from video auto-captions. While highly accurate, they are non-official and do not meet State Archivist record-keeping requirements.

• 0:00
  Call to Order & Roll Call

  The special meeting and FY26 BUDGET WORKSHOP III is called to order, followed by the roll call of the BOARD OF EDUCATION members.
• 0:00
  Chair's Opening Remarks (Chair Schen)

  The Chair outlines the meeting procedures, emphasizes the need for respectful deliberation, and sets the stage for the board to amend and pass a budget for the city council's consideration. She proposes a structure for the board's discussion.
• 0:06
  Board Member Resignation Announcement (Dowling, Schen)

  At Mr. Dowling's prompting, the Chair announces the recent resignation of board member Jen Ryan. The City Council will handle the process of filling the vacant at-large seat.
• 0:07
  Superintendent's Budget Presentation (Superintendent Metheny)

  Superintendent Metheny presents the FY26 Superintendent’s Budget, highlighting the 5.98% increase, health insurance uncertainty, and previously restored positions. He makes a strong case for retaining the Mental Health and DEI Director positions, citing district data on student well-being and persistent achievement gaps.
• 0:22
  Board Questions for Superintendent

  Board members ask clarifying questions following the superintendent's presentation, focusing on the health insurance cost estimate and potential risks to federal funding.
• 0:26
  Board Deliberations: Initial Proposals

  Board members share their initial proposals for amending the budget. A strong theme emerges around restoring the three elementary SEL teachers, with varied ideas on how to fund the restorations, including cutting central office positions and freezing administrative salaries.

  • 0:28 Elliot Wertheimer
    Prioritizes restoring student-facing positions, such as SEL teachers, ESOL teachers, and the high school social studies position, over administrative director roles.
  • 0:30 Angela Kabisa
    Advocates for restoring ESOL positions, sharing her personal experience as an ESOL student and highlighting the challenges of large class sizes with diverse language needs.
  • 0:32 Rosemarie DeAngelis
    Proposes restoring the SEL teachers, funded by eliminating the Director of Mental and Behavioral Health position and implementing a salary freeze for the top 12 administrators.
  • 0:43 Susan Rauscher
    Suggests making the STEM coordinator a full-time curriculum coordinator and expresses concern about cutting the co-director of community partnerships, a role she argues more than pays for itself.
  • 0:56 Molly Schen
    Supports restoring two of the three SEL positions, funded by cutting the Director of Mental and Behavioral Health, but expresses strong opposition to freezing administrator salaries.
• 1:05
  Board Discussion: Costing Out Proposals

  The board requests and receives financial data on the cost of restorations (like SEL teachers) and the savings from proposed cuts (like the Mental Health Director and an administrative salary freeze).
• 1:20
  Board Debate: Administrative Salary Freeze

  A major debate ensues over a proposal to freeze salaries for the top 12 non-union administrators. Supporters argue it's a matter of shared sacrifice, while opponents, including the Superintendent and Chair, call it disrespectful and potentially damaging to leadership.
• 2:00
  Recess

  The board takes a five-minute recess before public comment.
• 2:01
  Public Comment

  Citizens, teachers, students, and administrators address the board. Key themes include strong support for restoring SEL and curriculum positions, concerns about the impact of cuts on vulnerable students, and divided opinions on the proposed administrative salary freeze.

  • 2:04 Lynn McEwen
    A teacher and parent advocates for restoring all three SEL positions and the Director of Curriculum. She praises the student board members for their bravery and articulate engagement in the process.
  • 2:06 Abby Anderson & Kate Porter
    Speaking for the SPTA, they present the teachers' association's official positions on the need for collaborative processes, robust curriculum support, and strong mental health/SEL services for all students.
  • 2:10 Sarah Gay
    The SPTA President reads an anonymous teacher's statement questioning the impact of the DEI and Mental Health director roles and the fairness of asking teachers to suggest cuts when they lack budget expertise.
  • 2:14 Madeline Roy
    A high school student challenges the board to act on its rhetoric about community and shared pain, stating that respect is earned by making the right choices for the community, not by salary levels.
  • 2:14 Griffin Huel
    A high school student shares a powerful personal story about the positive impact of social workers and special education teachers on his life, arguing against cutting these essential student-facing roles.
  • 2:17 Rebecca Stern
    The middle school principal, speaking on behalf of building administrators, opposes any salary freezes and instead offers to find the equivalent savings ($67,000) within their collective school operational budgets.
  • 2:19 Rachel Maloney Hawkins
    A teacher and spouse of the DEI Director defends the position as critical for student advocacy, especially for students of color, and argues it must remain a director-level role to have the necessary authority.
  • 2:22 Joe Naso
    An instructional strategist whose position was eliminated describes his experience being riffed via email and questions the lack of a plan to cover his special education curriculum duties.
  • 2:26 Kara Kralik
    An ESOL teacher argues that ESOL staff have a direct impact on literacy and SEL for the most vulnerable students and supports the administrative salary freeze as a show of solidarity with student-facing staff.
  • 2:33 Eleni Richardson
    A parent expresses concern that the board isn't ready to vote, is embarrassed by the loss of the Curriculum Director, and urges the board to consider a higher budget increase to fund it.
  • 2:39 Mitch Willette
    An Assistant Principal speaking as a resident cautions against a "budget by committee" approach and urges board members to spend time in schools to understand the impact of their decisions.
• 2:43
  Superintendent Responds to Public Comment (Superintendent Metheny)

  The superintendent addresses questions from public comment, clarifying where to find information on stipends and proposing a task force to improve the budget process in the future.
• 2:48
  Final Deliberations and Procedural Stalemate

  The board debates the principals' offer to cut operational budgets, which some members see as an inappropriate "bargaining chip." With no consensus on a path forward and a motion to approve the budget failing to get a second, the board acknowledges it is not ready to vote.
• 3:23
  Adjournment

  With no motion on the budget passed, the board adjourns without a final decision, agreeing to schedule another meeting to continue deliberations.