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School committee approves $225,000 transfer to teacher salaries and instructional materials after debate over books vs. assistant principals
Summary
The Worcester School Committee approved a motion to move $225,000 from a miscellaneous instructional technology account into school staffing and library materials — $200,000 for teacher-salary accounts (to fund elementary assistant principals/teacher positions) and $25,000 for districtwide instructional materials — after members debated whether the money should instead buy books for underfunded school libraries.
Member Johnson moved to transfer $225,000 from the miscellaneous education instructional-technology account to teacher salaries and instructional materials, saying the change would support elementary assistant principal and teacher positions and help schools adding libraries. "I would like to make a motion to transfer $225,000 from the miscellaneous educational account, instructional technology, line e, and add that to the teacher salary elementary school teacher account," Member Johnson said during the hearing.
Member Mailman offered an alternative motion to allocate the full $225,000 to books, arguing that taking salary dollars when the district faces future fiscal pressures risked adding recurring obligations. "My concern is ... adding additional salary dollars when we know that next year we're in a heap of trouble," Mailman said, urging investment in library materials for schools with weak PTO support.
Administration and other committee members characterized the teacher-salary transfer as targeted to elementary assistant principals and classroom coverage. The superintendent's office said the recommendation would fund assistant principals at Main Street and Heard Street and noted that some elementary AP positions historically have been budgeted in the teacher-salary account. Johnson and supporters argued AP hires free principals to focus on school and special-education oversight (IEPs and 504 plans) and would allow some classroom positions to be filled.
After discussion, the committee held a roll-call vote and approved the motion by recorded vote (six yes, three no). The committee then proceeded to additional line-item votes in the budget book.
The committee did not adopt Mailman's full-books motion; the chair noted the passage of Johnson's transfer made the alternative motion moot. The committee also asked administration to report back on which schools would receive assigned positions and on plans for library-material distribution.
The committee moved on to other budget items and continued line-by-line consideration.
