FRAUDS, CONFUSED OR PETTY REVENGE? After catching up on the last School Committee meeting, I have to wonder which of the above categories fit Committee members Dave Conway, Eileen DelRossi and Dominik Lay.
The Lowell School Department is out of the bottom 10% of lowest MCAs Scores, three Lowell schools were named as Schools of Recognition by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Moody Elementary School, Washington Elementary School and Stoklosa Middle School), attendance and graduation rates are up ( 2025 Graduation and Dropout rate memo.pdf) and Lowell is working on bringing in Chapter 74 programs to the High School.
All positive developments.
Three of the Assistant Superintendents contracts expire at the end of June. The School Committee met in Executive Sessions to discuss, debate and decide on these new contracts BEFORE they were brought to the public.
Then at the meeting, the above named three voted No with the worsst piss ass reasoning!
They all stated they were “concerned” about the budget and cuts to the classroom, and wanted to review those before approving contracts.
Let’s look at a few FACTS about the contracts;
Two of the Assistant Superintendent contracts signed in 2024 are for a base salary of $175,000, while the 3rd was for $172,500. Each also received a 2.5% increase in July of 2025 and are eligible for another 2.5% in 2026 (If still employed).
At 2.5%, their salary for 2025 would rise from $175,000 to $179,375 and from $172,500 to $176,812. (I dropped the change to make it simple)
If they received the additional 2.5% effective this July that would be $183,859 and $181,233
It appears the Superintendent, and/apparently some members of the School Committee, also offered approximately half a percent more for re-signing beginning in 2026. So two would start at $184,756 and the other would be $182,117.
The B.S. of concern about the budget is the fact that using last year’s budget, the total school budget was $261,489,114. Adding the three proposed Assistant Superintendent salaries, that comes to $551,629.00
1% of $261,489,114 = $2,614,891. 25% of that is $653,723.
So we are talking LESS than one-quarter of one percent of the entire Lowell School Department Budget!
You can’t tell me these three particular members even understand that is such a small percent they are “so concerned about.”
I believe they are ALL FRAUDS (Conway took every possible increase when he was a teacher and submaster) saying they are concerned about the budget. DelRossi may be confused in not realizing the 2.5% increases being in their original contracts and the additional half percent beginning this year in a new three year contract. She in fact advocated for the teachers’ contract on the floor during a school committee meeting. She also, like Conway, was a United Teachers of Lowell member.
I think BOTH Conway and Lay, and to some smaller degree DelRossi, are all getting some petty revenge. Not aimed at the three Assistants, but a clear smack at the Superintendent who has NOT been willing to accept their “recommendations” to hire people for certain jobs or award contracts to people they support.
The three committee members who voted against should rethink their stance and support keeping the Lowell School Department moving positively forward with this leadership group!
WHERE’S CONNIE? Connie Martin missed the last meeting, but has made most of the meetings this year, a review of the agendas shows.
Hopefully she will be at this week’s meeting and a MAJORITY of the School Committee will approve a motion by Mr. Bahou:
[By Fred Bahou]: Extend Contracts for Assistant Superintendent for Academics & Instruction, Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services & Assistant Superintendent for School Leadership for 3 years beginning on July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029 with a salary increase of 3% year one & 2% for year 2 & 3. Also, if the Superintendent fails to notify (Assistant Superintendents) of the renewal of this agreement at least 120 days prior to its expiration, including any period of extension, it shall be automatically renewed for an additional one-year period.
Council Meeting gone BATTY: I missed the City Council meeting last week (was working at Tewksbury High School for my real job), but thanks to Ryan Gilday’s InsideLowell write up, I did go back to watch the “highlights” which included:
The City Manager and Mayor trying to catch the bat using a sheet or blanket they found.
City Councilor Mercier trying to catch the bat by hand (while a certain Assistant City Manager hid stood in the doorway.
Someone thinking it was a safe and smart thing to shut the lights off in a room full of people, including someone in the balconey who was also trying to catch the bat with his coat/jacket without falling over the railing!
Assistant Manager Machado “bravely” (?) attempting to re-enter the chamber in an effort to catch the bat with his coat!
What were they going to do with the bat if they caught it? Killing it would have caused OUTRAGE!
Throw the blanket or coat out the window with the bat inside and hoping it would fly away? Would the city have had to buy the Assistant Manager a new suit? What was Councilor Mercier going to do if she grabbed it?
WEARING OF THE GREEN: See, the Council can agree on some things. Taking St. Patrick’s Day off this Tuesday is one of them!
Since City workers have to stay until 8:00 pm on Tuesdays, I wonder if anyone would object to a suggestion of a “staff meeting” from 6:00 -8:00 at the Old Court for my department?
