The Medford School Committee unanimously approved a supplemental appropriation on Jan. 13, 2025, allocating voter-approved Question 7 and Question 8 funds to restore staff positions, add nursing coverage and fund facilities and technology upgrades.

The move follows a presentation from Gerald McHugh, budget analyst for Medford Public Schools, who summarized how cuts adopted in the FY25 budget were implemented and how the override funds will be spent. McHugh told the committee the city advanced money ahead of the override vote and the district is proposing to use that plus the new override revenue to reestablish 14 positions (including teachers, literacy coaches and paraprofessional behavior specialists), fund a Chromebook refresh and cover other immediate needs.

Why it matters: voters approved two override questions in last Novembers election that directed additional money to schools and to compensation. The committees vote commits those local funds to staffing and programs before the fiscal year ends, including items tied to collective bargaining and contract obligations that must be funded in FY25 if agreed to by negotiators.

McHugh detailed line items and new hires that would be funded by the supplement. He said the citys advance and the override will allow the district to add back 14 positions previously proposed for cuts (2 elementary teachers, 2 high school teachers, 2 literacy coaches, 1 nurse, 4 curriculum administrators and 3 paraprofessionals/behavior specialists) and to buy a Chromebook refresh estimated at $500,000. He also outlined proposed new hires and one-time expenses the committee is being asked to approve now, including:

- an inclusion-teacher position paired with a Best Buddies program and stipends for coordinator teachers;
- an additional nurse floater or converting a part-time nurse to full time to cover intermittent gaps at the McGlynn complex;
- two swing-shift custodians to reduce weekend overtime and support community use of buildings;
- an Assistant Director for Buildings and Grounds to improve oversight of maintenance and construction projects;
- a district-wide project for electronic door access and video intercoms and a facilities-conditions assessment projected at about $125,000 for five schools;
- replacement wireless access points as part of an E-rate project, with the district share estimated around $140,000; and
- district musical instruments, a van for the vocational program and other targeted items.

McHugh said some of the positions were restored immediately after the FY25 budget was adopted and that the supplemental appropriation would formalize funding for positions retained or added during the school year. He said the prorated cost of the new positions through the remainder of FY25 is a little over $400,000 and would annualize to about $750,000 in FY26.

Public comment and special-education priorities: Parents and advocates urged the committee to prioritize bus monitors and an inclusion specialist. Patricia Cherry of 20 Wellesley Street said, "The bus ride is often one of the most concerning experiences in terms of safety for our children," and urged the committee to approve bus monitors and to fund inclusion programming. Other speakers, including former committee member Melanie McLaughlin and community advocates, thanked outgoing Superintendent Dr. Maurice Edward Vincent and voiced support for the proposed staffing restorations.

Negotiations, schedule changes and bus monitors: McHugh told the committee funds carved out under Question 8 were intended in part for compensation and to cover costs of negotiating a new high school schedule that could expand access to arts and vocational programming. He said the budget includes a negotiation reserve; how bus monitors or extended hours would be staffed "will have to be negotiated," and the district is considering several options including having paraprofessionals provide monitor coverage, contracting through providers, or hiring staff specifically for bus supervision. "We could make it a condition of the contract and have the contractor hire the bus monitors," McHugh said, adding that staffing decisions will affect overtime and must be worked through with unions.

Committee discussion and vote: After discussion and brief clarifying questions from committee members about nurse coverage at the McGlynn complex, the facilities-assessment figure and whether some costs are one-time or recurring, the committee voted 7-0 to approve the supplemental appropriation. The committee also considered and then withdrew an amendment that would have redirected undesignated funds to restore an additional nursing floater; the amendment was not adopted.

Votes at a glance:
- Motion to approve supplemental appropriation for FY25 (uses Question 7 and Question 8 funds as described by the budget analyst). Motion: Member Graham; second: Member Ollipate. Roll call: Member Brantley Yes; Member Graham Yes; Member Entapa/ntapa Yes; Member Olapade Yes; Member Rheinfeld Yes; Member Russo Yes; Mary Longo Kern Yes. Outcome: approved, 7-0.
- Motion to approve contract for interim superintendent. Motion: Member Olapade; second: Member Brantley. Roll call: unanimous. Outcome: approved, 7-0.
- Consent agenda (bills and payrolls, capital purchases, grants, field trip to Dartmouth Bridal UN Conference, minutes from Dec. 16, 2024). Motion: Member Rousseau; second: Member Rheinfeld. Outcome: approved.
- Motion to enter executive session pursuant to Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 30A, sec. 21(a)(3) for strategy on bargaining and sec. 21(a)(2) for strategy re: nonunion personnel. Outcome: approved 7-0; committee convened in executive session prior to the public meeting.

What the vote does not decide: The appropriation authorizes district spending of override funds and sets staffing priorities for the remainder of FY25; it does not itself finalize outcomes to collective-bargaining items (salary increases, added hours, or schedule changes) which must be negotiated and could require future appropriations. McHugh said many of the funds reserved for bargaining would be part of a multiyear agreement and some payments could be made before June 30, 2025, if the parties reach an agreement.

The committee scheduled its next regular meeting for Jan. 27, 2025. Committee members invited the public to remain for a brief reception honoring Superintendent Vincent.