The Lynnfield School Committee voted unanimously to appoint members Kate DePrizio and Jamie Hayman as the committee’s chair and vice chair, respectively, during an emergency meeting Tuesday evening. The appointments come on the heels of former Chair Rich Sjoberg and Vice Chair Stacy Dahlstedt’s resignations last week.
Hayman did not wish to be nominated for chair, saying that he did not have the time and attention that would be needed for the role. However, he agreed to work as vice chair and help the committee in “whatever way is needed.”
“As we address continuity of district leadership, the FY25 budget, and curriculum reviews, I am committed to doing so as transparently as possible,” Hayman told The Item. “I am 100% committed to collaborating with Mrs. DePrizio and positioning her for success to collectively move the district forward. One of the first opportunities I see is to open up more channels of communication to open a channel for two-way dialogue between the School Committee and the community. All that being said, it is also bittersweet as I will miss working with Rich and Stacy, and their contribution, dedication, and hard work should not go unrecognized.”
Due to Sjoberg and Dahlstedt’s resignations, the committee is seeking to fill two vacancies. The committee voted to send a notice of the two vacancies to the Select Board and will later hold a joint meeting with the board to vote on the candidates. Letters of interest and intent can be sent to Town Administrator Rob Dolan, Assistant Town Administrator Bob Curtin, or acting Superintendent of Schools Thomas Geary.
During the meeting, School Committee member Phil McQueen announced that he would not be seeking reelection to the committee in the spring. In a lengthy Facebook post, McQueen said that he would like to spend more time with his family and at his job at Lynn Classical High School, which he said “suffered two tragic and traumatic losses due to community violence over the holidays.”
“I want to make it very clear that my decision has nothing to do with noisy, pitchfork-waving, fringe interests in Lynnfield,” McQueen wrote in his Facebook post. “However, as election season gets underway and candidates pull papers for townwide elections, please educate yourselves as community members regarding the motivations and political connections of prospective candidates.”
He also said that the committee had “no indication of dissatisfaction among teachers” before the letter submitted by the Lynnfield Teachers Association on Oct. 25. In the letter, the association said its members were frustrated by cuts to educator positions and alterations made to their contracts while Superintendent of Schools Kristen Vogel and assistant superintendents received raises.
“No information from parents or teachers regarding dissatisfaction with Superintendent Vogel was shared with me in the 18 months prior to the LTA letter,” McQueen wrote in his post. “All members of the School Committee evaluated Superintendent Vogel as proficient, and all agreed to the salary increase for her and Deputy Superintendent Geary.”
McQueen thanked the Lynnfield community for its support.
“I remain fully committed to serving the students, teachers, and parents of Lynnfield for the remainder of my time on the School Committee and to investigating, and solving, the issues that have been identified in the Lynnfield Public Schools since Oct. 25,” he added.
These developments follow significant controversy surrounding both the committee and Vogel. Earlier this month, the Lynnfield Teachers Association declared no confidence in the school district’s leadership. Vogel has been on indefinite medical leave since Dec. 4, with Geary serving in her stead.
The committee responded to the LTA’s declaration with a statement promising to address the issues presented and resolve them through a third-party investigation into the district’s operations. Less than two weeks later, Sjoberg and Dahlstedt submitted their letters of resignation.
