The school committee in Springfield, Massachusetts is still hammering out a contract for the candidate it picked to lead one of New England’s largest school districts.
The Springfield School Committee voted in late May to pick Dr. Sonia Dinnall to head Springfield Public Schools, following a months-long search. Over a month later, the committee is still working toward approving a contract for the candidate, though members appear upbeat about the process.
The topic was tabled “for the very near-future,” according to Mayor Domenic Sarno, after the school committee met Tuesday. The public-leg of the meeting lasted about three minutes, after the committee finished meeting in executive session.
Three voting items were on the agenda – among them was item “A” – approval for a collective bargaining agreement with the Springfield Association of School Custodial Employees that passed unanimously.
Also passing without issue, item “B” – approving Dinnall’s appointment as Chief of Family and Community Engagement with the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership, effective July 1 through the 21. The position is the same role Dinnall last served in and was departing from for the superintendent role.
Both her contract, as well as the custodial union’s CBA, were the topics of the committee’s executive session, which lasted some 90 minutes.
“Now, we’re just going back and forth on some items,” said Vice Chair Joesiah Gonzalez. “We hope to finalize a contract with Dr. Dinnall very soon - that's why we had to table the matter today, we were hoping to get it finalized, but it’s taking a little bit more time, that’s all.”
No details on the contract itself were released, though Gonazlez told WAMC that as negotiations continue, the committee’s optimistic about getting the next superintendent in place.
“At least from my perspective and opinion - there is a general consensus to support the incoming superintendent, regardless of what has occurred over the past couple of months,” he said. “Everybody seems to be on the same page in supporting her, and then supporting our district as our new leader coming in. So, right now, we're just trying to get through the technicalities of a couple things here.”
Contract negotiations with Dinnall were originally slated to start in early June, with the retiring Daniel Warwick’s last day on June 28.
That was the plan before a voicemail featuring Warwick disparaging school committee member LaTonia Monroe Naylor surfaced. The message, which featured profanity and various comments aimed at Naylor’s family, appeared days after Dinnall’s selection on May 30.
Warwick then retired early, leaving the district of just under 24,000 students after 12 years as superintendent.
Serving in Springfield Public Schools for almost 50 years, by the time he retired, Warwick was earning a salary of about $319,000, according to the public salary database OpenPayrolls.com.
In the days that followed, the committee named Dr. Michelle Balch, the school district's Chief Instructional Officer, as the temporary leader of SPS.
As the contract for Dinnall continues to be hammered out, the school committee meets again on Thursday at 4:15 p.m., with another executive session scheduled.
