Kevin Fontanella, incumbent school committee member and teacher, outlines priorities in WCAT interview

Kevin Fontanella, a teacher, the Saugus teachers union president and an incumbent member of the Wakefield School Committee, told WCAT host Anthony Guardia that his priorities include later high-school start times, protecting and planning for changes to federal education funding, and careful budgeting as COVID-era grants phase out.

Fontanella said the prospect of changes in Washington — including proposals to reorganize or reduce the U.S. Department of Education — makes local planning important but not catastrophic because the underlying law that funds many programs remains in place. "There's a law in place that has nothing to do with the Department of Education. I think it was passed in '65 ... the Elementary and Secondary Education Act," he said. He added that formulas and requirements could change and that the state could receive block grants or altered funding rules.

Why it matters: Wakefield, like many neighboring districts, faces budget pressure as one-time federal relief (ESSER) ends, health-insurance costs climb and special-education and out-of-district placements rise. Fontanella said Wakefield has avoided the immediate cuts some…