School Comm. Updated on Budget Process, Principal Search

By Adam Swift

Superintendent of Schools Lisa Howard provided a brief update on union contract negotiations, as well as the school budget process at Monday night’s school committee meeting.

Four bargaining units under the Winthrop Teachers’ Association have been without a contract for nearly a year.

Last month, the WTA stated that the contract negotiations appeared to be heading towards a mediation process and called for continued negotiations with the district.

At Monday night’s meeting, Howard said there are bargaining sessions that have either taken place or are scheduled to take place this month.

“We met with the ESPs (education support professionals) and the secretaries on May 6,” said Howard.

A bargaining session with the teachers and an additional session with the ESPs was scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, according to Howard.

There is also a potential session on Monday, May 18, likely with the secretaries or the nurses, she added, although she said that could change depending on what happens in the negotiations before that date.

The superintendent said she was also scheduled to meet with the town’s finance commission on Thursday, May 14 to review the district’s proposed $42.5 million budget request for Fiscal Year ‘27. Howard said she has met with the finance commission over the past nine years and there are typically some variations year to year in what the fincom would like to see.

“Clearly they are going to see the request for this year’s budget, but what we are going to do a little different this year is get the next three years lined up so they can see the increases and the decreases and give them some explanation about that,” said Howard. “Typically, they are interested in seeing the actual people who work here in terms of how many teachers there are, who are they, what steps and lanes. That is easily produced from our original budget documentation … so I’ll have that ready for them. They ask questions about special education, so certainly I’ll be ready for those.”

In other business, Howard said the district has posted for an interim middle school principal. Current middle school principal Brian Curley is taking over as an interim assistant superintendent in the district on July 1.

Howard said the interim principal position is being posted internally and that she believes there are some strong internal candidates. The posting was scheduled to close on Thursday.

Depending upon how many people apply, Howard said there could be a committee made up of administrators and middle school staff to conduct some formal interviews.

“If there is only one candidate and that candidate is someone I feel could manage that position for a year, again we like to build from within, so I will be coming back to the committee with more news on that at the next meeting,” said Howard.