1 week Ago By To the editorTo the editorTo the editor
To the editor:I want to start by thanking David Grishman, Doug Thompson, Katie Phelan and Danielle Leonard for your vote at your meeting on Wednesday, April 2, in support of fully-funding the Swampscott school budget. I am grateful for the four of you using your voice and your position to support our students, teachers and families. I would be remiss, however, not to take issue with the collective silence at your meeting when your Chair, Mary Ellen Fletcher, stated that she had not seen the school department’s line-item budget and, therefore, abstained from last night’s vote.
As you all know, this statement from the Select Board Chair is a lie. As you are all aware:• Since January, school staff and School Committee members have worked hard to answer every question and request for information from the Select Board, town staff, and the Finance Committee;• The complete school department line-item budget was sent for review to the Town Finance Director, Finance Committee members, and Select Board members on Jan. 20.
• The complete school department line-item budget was presented to the entire Select Board and Finance Committee at our joint public meeting on Jan. 23.• The complete school department line-item budget was published in the FY26 Town of Swampscott Budget Book, an unprecedented inclusion, which was provided to the Select Board before its meeting on March 5.
So why does Mary Ellen’s lie and abstention matter in light of the fact that four of you still voted to support the school budget? First and foremost, it matters because the truth always matters. Second, while I appreciate the support of the four of you who voted, we are all keenly aware that as the Select Board Chair, Mary Ellen exerts considerable influence over the town finance staff — especially in the absence of a permanent Town Administrator in place — and her public lie and abstention sends a clear message to staff and others that she does not support a fully-funded school budget. Finally, the inescapable truth is that liars lie.
If Mary Ellen so blatantly and publicly lies with impunity about not seeing the complete school department line-item budget, how are you or anyone to know whether to believe what else she says and does as the Select Board Chair whether it be about the school budget or otherwise.We are all working extremely hard to collaborate on important issues. Lies only lead to erroneous information, poor judgments and decisions, additional problems, and unnecessary mistrust.
Lies completely break down working relationships.We deserve much better than lies from our leaders. We also need other leaders to hold our lying leaders accountable.
Otherwise, lies become norms, and these norms are mistaken as truths. Thank you,Suzanne Wright (Writing on my behalf only and not on behalf of any other member of the Swampscott School Committee or the School Department)The post LTTE: We deserve honesty from our leaders appeared first on Itemlive..
