THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2022 Page 3 School Committee votes not to extend superintendent’s contract; forms ad hoc sub-committee By Tara Vocino T he School Committee voted not to extend the superintendent’s contract to 2026 during their meeting on Tuesday at Everett High School. “I love my job,” Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani said. “I am respectfully requesting that you vote tonight to approve my extension.” Tahiliani was asking to extend a current contract to June 30, 2026. Her current contract ends on Feb. 28, 2024, but Tahiliani requested the School Committee to vote on a contract extension Tuesday evening despite the School Committee’s December 1, 2022, deadline should they decide to renegotiate. The contract states they need to make a decision before or by December of this year. The committee will develop an ad hoc superintendent sub-committee consisting of three School Committee members. Ward 2 School Committee member Jason Marcus suggested that they have a lot of time, as it would extend to February 2024 otherwise. “Time is subjective,” Tahiliani replied to Marcus. “If it doesn’t go through, next year would be my last full year in this role.” Tahiliani added she doesn’t believe it’s too soon and she doesn’t want to start a year that she can’t fi nish. In regards to a string of incidents within the school district, Tahiliani said she will have a security hiring update and provide short- and long-term solutions at the July School Committee meeting that would require a collaborative eff ort. Ward 6 School Committee Member and Vice Chairperson Michael McLaughlin said it’s a time element for him, not extending the contract per se. “It wouldn’t add costs to the School Committee but would extend costs to the school system,” McLaughlin said. “And that’s okay, but there is a process and a timeline in place when asked to do such.” He was quick to note it wasn’t personal against Tahiliani but that he wanted to refer the piece back to sponsor. However, since they didn’t have a two-thirds majority vote, they continued discussion. Ward 5 School Committee Member Marcony AlmeiDuring Tuesday’s School Committee meeting, Supt. of Schools Priya Tahiliani asked the School Committee to extend her contract, which presently ends in 2024, until 2026. Ward 6 School Committee Member/Vice Chairperson Michael McLaughlin said he wasn’t prepared to extend the superintendent contract, in the interest of time, on Tuesday at Everett High School. da-Barros was in favor of extending her contract on Tuesday. “She has faced unprecedented challenges — one was a pandemic that tried to close Ward 3 School Committee Member/Chairperson Jeanne Cristiano, who originally was against extending the contract prematurely, said the superintendent puts students fi rst. (Advocate photos by Tara Vocino) the school [her] fi rst or second week on the job,” Barros said. “She found illegal surveillance SUPERINTENDENT | SEE PAGE 4
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