Hundreds of Marblehead educators and other town employees rallied outside the Veterans School before Town Meeting Monday night, demanding “fully funded” budgets. The Marblehead Education Association handed out flyers urging voters to “restore $700,000 and save our educators.”
The town’s $115 million budget, including $46.7 million for the schools, passed easily and without much debate. Educators ultimately did not make a motion to ask for another $700,000.
MEA Co-President Jonathan Heller says the union remains commmitted to fully funded budgets.
“The presence that we had at Town Meeting tonight was what we wanted… to engage with the community, answer questions and begin the process of working collaboratively together on a strategic plan for building up a budget with the resources our teachers need to provide the exemplary education the children of Marblehead deserve,” he told the Current.
Last Friday, Heller defined a fully funded budget as “providing level services and stopping cuts after two successive years of harmful reductions.”
“We must protect all existing staff and services,” he said. “Then stakeholders — including educators and families — need to have a strategic plan for building up the school budget to meet all of the academic, social and emotional needs of students. This means having reasonable class sizes and proper staffing levels for all student-facing positions, including counselors, librarians, nurses, paraeducators and teachers.”
‘We affect your life in so many ways’
Speaking outside Town Meeting, Terri Tauro, who leads the Marblehead Municipal Employees Union, said her workers got “absolutely nothing” during recent contract talks with the town.
“It was ‘take it or leave it,’” she said. “Our members make $50,000-$65,000 a year, with no raise coming.”
Inside Town Meeting, Tauro spoke about a collective bargaining article that was postponed before being cut off by Moderator Jack Attridge.
“I would like to start with a shout-out for our town employees,” Tauro said. “Marblehead’s town employees educate your children and keep them safe. We keep your power on, plow the snow and care for your aging parents. We make your summers on the harbor, at the parks and take away your refuse. We affect your life in so many ways, every day.
“For many of us, the wages we make working for the town are far less than what it would take to live in the town,” she added.
Attridge interrupted, “As much as I know a lot of people would like to hear what you like to say, we’re only debating indefinite postponement. I’m sorry, you are out of order.”
To read Tauro’s full message, click HERE.
Budget cuts
The town’s overall $115 million budget included $4 million in cuts to address a structural deficit and rising costs, including health insurance, retirement expenses, trash fees and more. Thirteen educator positions were cut (including five layoffs), one police officer position was not filled, and funding for the library and Council on Aging was trimmed.
Stay with the Current as Town Meeting continues on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Veterans School. Several hot topics will be addressed, including proposed multifamily housing zoning changes, recalls, leaf blowers and more.
Check out the Current’s 2024 Town Meeting Guide, which is being updated consistently.
Will Dowd contributed reporting to this article.
