In a special meeting called for a single symbolic vote, Ms. Spadafora lays bare the past practices of the school committee, the complete lack of oversight practiced and the complete darkness which the committee operates.
OpenCommonwealth applauds Ms. Spadafora and acknowledges how very difficult doing the right thing is.
We all should support her!
The video is here for your viewing pleasure: https://youtu.be/gGweHnmkAf8?si=tvq4wioiTodo-X2U
Here is what was said:
Ms. Spadafora:
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
So, I just wanted to be very clear before we took our vote on where I stand, because I think I’m probably the outlier here tonight.
And please excuse me because I wrote up some notes.
So, the City Council has chosen to put a tax override before the voters, and that is their role. And I am so in favor of anything going out to the residents of Malden to be able to decide on what is best for us.
But tonight, we’re being asked as a school committee to formally endorse that override.
Based on my experience, I’m not comfortable doing that.
For seven years on this committee, members did not have access to our warrants.
I don’t know anything before that.
The Municipal Modernization Act of 2016 allowed bodies like ours to choose members to approve on our behalf, and that is the chair.
And up until last May, this body was never provided copies or access warrants until I started asking.
We also have policies regarding school committee approval for grant funding and for transfers between salary accounts and operations maintenance, and those items have never been brought before us for approval.
Again, further lack of transparency when it comes to our finances.
We recently had grant funding where $15,000 was returned because we did not spend those funds.
And in fact, as the finance chair, I learned during the city council finance meeting that this district did not meet net school spending last year.
I did not hear about it from our finance manager or from our chair, and that would have been important information to share with this committee.
So, as we talk about transparency and finances, that is something this committee has lacked for eight plus years.
I can’t speak to the city’s financial practices, but at this point, we have not been given a clear explanation of where additional over-head funds will actually go.
I will be asking for this body to take back approval of the warrants, and until full transparency and strong financial oversight,
I will be voting no.