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WESTFIELD – Fresh from his inauguration, Mayor Donald F. Humason Jr. took his seat Jan. 6 as the de facto chairman of the School Committee.
Nominated for vice-chair, Timothy O’Connor accepted the position upon election, replacing Ramon S. Diaz who served in 2019. O’Connor said he appreciated the committee’s support and confidence in him, and their professionalism. “I’ll do my best moving forward,” he said.
Diaz noted that the vice-chair serves on all of the sub-committees. “I appreciated your support this last year,” he said to the committee members.
O’Connor then handed out committee assignments, and addressed Humason, saying, “There are very few subcommittee meetings that the entire School Committee is not present for.”
Also at the meeting, Westfield Technical Academy student liaisons Alex Blake and Nayelley Ruiz reported on the many activities at the school over the first term.
Highlights among them included the election in November of Jeff Amanti, president of Advance Manufacturing, as chairman of the General Advisory Committee for 2019 to 2021, replacing outgoing president Ed Watson.
Also mentioned were the commemorative trees donated by Harry Rock, president of the Westfield 350 Committee, which were planted at every school by the Horticulture Technology department; a top 15 percent national placement in the Cyber Patriot competition by the seniors; and the 250 Thanksgiving meals donated during the food drive.
In other business, a vote on the contract settlement agreement for cafeteria managers was tabled in order to cost out the contract with more detail.
A vote was also made to authorize the School Committee to plan for renovation, alteration and construction to the Franklin Avenue Elementary School. Chief Financial Officer Ronald R. Rix said the school project has been accepted into the feasibility study by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, but according to the City Charter, a vote by the School Committee is required to move forward.
Rix also said that the composition of the Building Committee has been amended to include Humason and the new Ward 3 Councilor Bridget Matthews-Kane, and that the first meeting would be scheduled soon.
For the Superintendent’s Report, O’Connor read a list of items donated to the new health care pathway at Westfield High School, which included a wheelchair, walkers and canes, hospital bed, linens and bedpans. Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski was absent from the meeting due to illness.
The next scheduled meeting of the School Committee will be a joint meeting with WTA Advisory council Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. in Tiger’s Pride.
“It’s a lot easier to watch it on television at home,” said Humason afterwards about his first meeting.
