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Councilor accuses district of using one‑time ESSER funds for long‑term hires; school leaders defend approvals
Summary
A councilor alleged the district used COVID-era ESSER funds to create ongoing personnel costs that contributed to the structural deficit; school leaders and committee members said ESSER spending was approved by the school committee and the Department of Education and that hiring addressed urgent student needs.
A sharp exchange broke out over whether federal ESSER pandemic funds were used for permanent hires that the district could not sustain after one‑time money expired.
A councilor criticized prior and current school committee decisions, saying the district “spent it on legacy hires, long term hires that will require years and years” of continued spending and that the present request effectively asks taxpayers for an additional $5.1 million when FY26 and FY27 amounts are combined. The councilor argued the school committee should have kept one‑time funds from being committed to ongoing personnel costs.
School leaders pushed back. The school committee vice chair, Becky Boland, and chairman James String said ESSER funds were spent on approved plans, on items that benefited classrooms and services, and that the committee had followed Department of Education approvals. “We did everything by the book,” the superintendent (S7) said, urging collaboration rather than finger‑pointing. School committee members said the district needs supplemental help now to restore staffing and maintain services.
The exchange framed much of the meeting’s debate, with councilors demanding stronger assurances on how city funds would be used and the school committee saying it will comply with the certification and reporting required by the amended resolution.
