Vice Chairman Mary Beth Ogulewicz Sacco wants to avoid "politically charged" budget talks with the city council
WESTFIELD - Newly elected School Committee Vice Chairman Mary Beth Ogulewicz Sacco has an aggressive agenda for the next year dealing with a new School Department budget, superintendent search, staff contract negotiations and building a new elementary school.
But, she said this week, she intends to be “proactive” on all issues facing the School Committee and will reach out to the City Council in hopes finding issues in common when approaching the annual budget adoption process.
“I want to avoid the scenario we had last summer when, I believe, the budget became politically charged,” said Sacco. She was referring to an attempt by the City Council to dictate where school funds should be spent.
Sacco said a joint meeting between the School Committee and City Council President Christopher Keefe and the council’s Finance Committee will be scheduled soon to discuss the fiscal 2012 budget process.
As for negotiations with teachers and other school employees, Sacco said the issue “this time will be money. We need to find out where the spending priorities are and hopefully come to a mutual agreement.” During this budget year, contract negotiations focused on the need for furloughs.
The School Committee is preparing to launch a search for a new superintendent of schools and the vice chairman said a meeting Feb. 7 will focus on a salary range and advertising brochure for that search. Shirley Alvira announced in July plans to retire, after four years as superintendent, at the end of the current school year.
Sacco, nearing the end of her second four-year term on the School Committee, was elected vice chairman Monday night. She succeeds Kevin J. Sullivan in that position. Mayor Daniel M. Knapik serves as chairman.
Sullivan will now serve as chairman of the committee’s Finance Committee and liaison to the City Council.