The School Committee meeting on March 1 began with Superintendent Kathy Smith’s regular update, during which she talked about the decision not to declare a snow day on February 28, and reported on ongoing NPS lobbying efforts in the community regarding the vote on the proposed override on March 14. She also discussed participating in the Kindergarten welcome virtual event, in which over 300 families participated, and referenced being brought into early discussions to convert the vacant Indigo Hotel building into a shelter for migrant families.
The School Committee then voted unanimously to approve Dr. Anna Nolin’s contract as NPS’s new superintendent beginning on July 1, 2023. Dr. Nolin then entered into the meeting chambers to sign the contract, received congratulatory remarks from the School Committee members, and joined them for a group photograph.
Following this, Dr. Smith and Assistant Superintendent Liam Hurley gave a detailed FY24 budget presentation, which both reiterated prior points from previous budget presentations and also specified potential cuts in elementary, middle, and high school for the next school year if the proposed operating override does not pass on March 14. The level of cuts in absence of an approved operating override, and the need for some level of cuts even if the override is passed, illustrated the unsustainability of the current year’s budget.
