Residents sharply criticize mayor, call out censure push at school committee meeting
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Summary
Multiple public commenters used the meeting’s public‑comment period to criticize the mayor and accuse school leaders of budget mismanagement and political retaliation; some speakers urged the committee to remove proposed censure items from the agenda and to focus on a harmonious transition.
A series of public commentators used the Dec. 11 school‑committee meeting to lodge strong criticisms of the mayor and the committee's recent handling of budget and governance matters.
Gaurav Jasnani accused the mayor and allies of unilateral budget cuts earlier in the year and described a tension between city spending priorities and school funding needs, saying the mayor "cut over $600,000 from the school budget earlier this year" and accusing leadership of political favoritism. His remarks named elected officials and said he expected a new committee in January to "fight for our kids." The remarks were delivered in a forceful, personal tone; committee members did not engage in a point‑by‑point response during public comment.
Other speakers, including Amy Bookbinder and Meg Robbins, urged civility and thanked outgoing members, and several commenters objected to the inclusion on the agenda of proposed censures of two members — calling those agenda additions divisive and requesting they be removed to allow a cooperative transition.
Several incoming committee members and candidates used their public comment time to thank outgoing members, highlighted the importance of student participation, and asked for a productive transfer of responsibilities. No formal committee action on the proposed censures occurred in this meeting; members Amber Gacy and Gwen Agna later withdrew the censure items and apologized publicly, saying the items were a mistake.
The meeting's public‑comment period lasted the scheduled time and included requests for follow‑up on governance norms and evidence in other agenda areas.
