Ward 6 Councilor William Onyski. (THE Westfield News FILE PHOTO)
WESTFIELD – On a 3-0 recommendation from the Legislative & Ordinance Committee, the City Council unanimously approved with one recusal the first reading for a stipend increase for the School Committee, their first increase since 2002 when the stipend went from $3,000 to $5,000. At-large Councilor Rick Sullivan recused himself due to having a family member on the committee.
L&O Chair William Onyski said the School Committee originally sent the letter in (March) 2020 asking the City Council to raise the stipend to 67 percent of that of the City Council, which is currently at $13,500.
Onyski said his committee decided that they should get an equivalent amount to the request, but written as dollar amounts and not percentages of and tied to the Council stipend, which is also increasing in steps until 2026.
“The School Committee met 59 times in 2020. In the last eight years, they enacted 382 policies, about 40 a year. School Committee members also go to subcommittee meetings, which are all committees of the whole. Based on the great job I feel and the L&O feels they’re doing, and the lack of a raise in 19 years,” Onyski said they recommend the increase.
The initial increase effective July 1, 2021, would be to $8,100. There are also step increases in the recommendation every two years effective Jan. 1, starting with $8,680 in 2022, $9,425 in 2024, and $10,500 in 2026, at which point the School Committee will be receiving two-thirds of the City Council stipend, which in 2026 will be $15,000, Onyski said.
“We thought whole numbers (were) best. After 2026, they would have to come before the City Council again,” Onyski said.
At-large Councilor Dave Flaherty said this particular request came in 2020, but it has come in several times in the past. “I really support this. I don’t agree with the percentage stuff either. This School Committee does a ton of work with the city,” Flaherty said, adding the only problem he had with the ordinance change was that the first year increase comes in the middle of an elected term, which the City Council is not permitted to do for themselves.
Onyski said it was okay to do in this case. “We can’t do it (for) ourselves, but since we’re not benefitting from it, we can do it,” he said.
“I’m strongly in support of this. They have done an extraordinary amount of work. I’d like to see it start as soon as possible,” said Ward 3 Councilor Bridget Matthews-Kane.
At-large Councilor Kristen Mello asked if the raise is enacted now, where would the money come from.
“It’s my understanding that it is in the school budget,” said Onyski. This was later confirmed by Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski, who said the stipend increase would be built into the FY 2021/22 school budget.
Ward 1 Councilor Nicholas Morganelli, Jr. asked whether these increases equalled one percent increases since 2002, and if anybody had done that math. No one responded. “That seems a little high,” he said.
“I’m going to support this. How do you go that many years without even a small increase,” said At-large Councilor Dan Allie.
“It’s a little bit higher than when we did ours, but they had a longer time. I also think $8,100 for all they do is not a lot of money. They’re managing $80 million for the city between the school budget and all the employees,” Flaherty said.
Council President Brent B. Bean, II then moved the first reading, which passed 12-0, with the one recusal.
“The School Committee is well deserving of an increase of their stipend. There has been no increase since 2002. Besides the time spent in meetings, Committee members spend many unseen hours studying the issues and talking with educators and parents. The School Committee members guide the educational process in the City. It is an enormous responsibility. The School Committee, along with the administrators, staff, and teachers, have performed exceptionally, especially considering the challenges faced over the past year,” Onyski said after the meeting.
