Residents call for joint school budget roundtable after reports of sole‑source search contracts

Multiple residents used public comment to urge the City Council to hold a joint budget roundtable with the School Committee to review procurement, spending authority and recent sole-source contracts used in the superintendent search.

Speakers said a Cambridge Day report revealed a $50,000 sole-source contract for equity-related work associated with the superintendent search that was not widely known and that raised questions about bidding, delegated spending authority and how budget lines were used. Lily Halfstead urged the council to schedule a Nov. 10 roundtable, publish the agenda, invite the public, and provide relevant financial documents so community members can understand how the contract was approved and how such searches will be budgeted in the future.

Rebecca Lester said the Cambridge Public Schools budget represents about 30% of the city's budget and argued the public is owed a full accounting. Elizabeth Hudson, a school committee member present during public comment, called for tighter oversight of smaller discretionary expenditures that "make us look careless" and asked that the roundtable consider low-level items that erode public trust.

No formal council vote on a date occurred during the meeting, but speakers and several councilors expressed support for a prompt, public roundtable and staff said they would work on logistics. The council will consider follow-up at upcoming meetings and staff were asked to facilitate public participation and document sharing.

Next steps: Council and school staff to coordinate on the timing and agenda for a joint, public budget roundtable and provide documentation on the contracts and budget lines under discussion.