School committee approves $30,000 payment to equity-search vendor while solicitor launches internal review

The Cambridge School Committee voted Dec. 2 to authorize up to $30,000 in payments for an equity-process contract tied to the district's superintendent search while the city solicitor completes an internal review of how the contract was executed.

City Solicitor Beyer told the committee she found payments totaling $30,000 had been made under a $40,000 agreement and that a fourth phase of work, budgeted at $10,000, had not been performed. "My recommendation would be to take the vote to retroactively approve the contract," she told members, saying a retroactive vote would reduce legal risk and correct an oversight in the usual approval process. Beyer said the office will reconstruct the timeline and report back in January.

Committee members pressed for specifics about procurement thresholds, sole-source justification and whether the missing committee vote could expose the city to legal challenge. Member Amber Rojas offered the amendment the solicitor had drafted: approve the contract "with authorized payments not to exceed $30,000 of the $40,000 contract." That amendment passed on a roll call vote (5 yes, 2 no), and the main motion as amended also passed on the same margin.

Members said they wanted policy and procedural changes to ensure the school department, the city purchasing office and solicitors attach committee votes to contracts over the $25,000 threshold in the future. Beyer said the contract had been signed "subject to a vote of the School Committee" but that she had relied on school-department staff signatures and did not verify that the vote paperwork had been attached.

The committee did not adopt punitive actions against the vendor; members emphasized recovering any improperly paid funds would be a future option if the fuller review finds legal flaws. The solicitor said she will provide recommendations for checks and balances to avoid a repeat.