What is the district doing in response to anticipated budget reductions?
At this week’s Medford Board of Education meeting, Richard Lacovara was appointed the admin director of educational programming and planning, effective July 1.
Lacovara will be taking over Thomas Olson’s position after his retirement, to which Superintendent Joseph Del Rossi said Lacovara has “big shoes to fill.”
“Rich has worked really hard here for a number of years in a number of different capacities in the curriculum department, as well as through three principalships and as a staff developer,” Del Rossi said. “I have all the confidence in the world that he is going to meet the challenges and direct and lead our curriculum department into 2019–20 and beyond.”
Lacovara will be parting from his position as principal at Taunton Forge Elementary School to assume this new position, and Del Rossi assured him the new position will make a difference in the district going forward.
“I just want to thank you and the board for their confidence. I agree they are very big shoes to fill. I’m looking forward to the challenge, and it’s a great opportunity, so I’m really excited,” Lacovara said.
Lacovara was chosen from a pool of 30 candidates and will be transitioning throughout the course of the year, working alongside Olson on various projects.
Del Rossi also addressed upcoming budget cuts due to a reduction in state aid funding.
He said over the course of the next six years, the district will lose a total of about $1 million and he is concerned with how the students will be affected.
Del Rossi explained an advocacy group called “Support our Students” that represents 57 school districts (including Medford) and more than 138,000 students plans to go to the Capitol in Trenton during the governor’s budget address to ask for a freeze on the reduction until the fair funding formula is looked at more closely.
Del Rossi said the formula is unclear, and multiple districts are unsure of how the formula matches the amount of funds they are receiving. He feels these reductions are “eroding the base of their education.”
The next board of education meeting will be held on Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the board of education offices located at 137 Hartford Road.
