Speakers at an open-mic portion of the Lynn School Committee meeting said the district’s handling of position closures and staff reductions has eroded trust and hurt teacher recruitment.

“Sheila O’Neil, president of the Lynn Teachers Union, said the decision to eliminate positions after postings had begun left many educators ‘feeling less than respected and valued,’ and that members were kept waiting for more than five weeks for official notification.”

O’Neil told the committee the timing led to rumors across the city and “stress and lack of communication” for educators; she said the postings and awards for next school year “will not be complete until sometime in June,” a delay she said will limit the district’s ability to recruit newly graduated teachers.

Other speakers described local impacts. Jeffrey Marshall, a faculty member at North Shore Community College who works with students at Frederick Douglass Collegiate Academy, said the elimination of a co‑teacher position and cuts to support staff threatened classroom practice at that school and left him questioning whether decision‑makers had full information about classroom effects. “I haven’t had an email that says, what is the effect of these cuts gonna be on your students and in your classroom?” Marshall said.

Long‑time elementary math intervention teacher Noreen Duff Connolly said her position at the Tracy School was closed after eight years in the role. She described the personal toll of learning a position had been closed and told the committee she planned to continue working in Lynn but asked leaders to consider the human impact and to improve how staff are notified.

Speakers framed their remarks as appeals for procedural and communication changes rather than policy prescriptions. No formal action on staffing or budgets occurred during the public‑comment period; committee members received the comments and proceeded with the posted agenda.

The comments join ongoing district conversations about staffing and budgeting as administrators prepare for next year’s assignments and schools prepare to post and fill positions. Committee members and district staff did not announce any immediate changes to the process during the meeting, but officials noted they have been meeting with union and school leaders while finalizing assignments for 2025–26.