SWAMPSCOTT — Amy O’Connor has announced that she will be resigning from her position as School Committee chair, effective immediately.
“It is with a heavy heart that I submit my resignation from the School Committee. Serving this town and its children for more than a decade has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” O’Connor said in a statement. “I will always be grateful for the trust the voters placed in me and for the opportunity to help guide the district through years of growth, challenge, and progress.”
She said that Swampscott Public Schools are at an important inflection point and that the district has “exceptional leadership in place.”
O’Connor added that the accomplishments made by the Committee and the district — despite years of near-level funding — are “extraordinary,” and that school finance, by nature, is unpredictable. She also noted that the district closed last year within 1.3% of its annual budget; an outcome of what she called disciplined planning, constant monitoring, and the expertise of individuals like Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Cheryl Stella, Director of Student Services Martha Raymond, Superintendent of Schools Jason Calichman, and Becca Buckland, head of the Teachers’ Union.
“Despite this, a small but vocal group continues to mischaracterize our fiscal management and cast doubt on the work of our professionals. Many of these criticisms stem from a lack of understanding of modern educational finance, yet they are delivered with the certainty that undermines trust in the very people who keep our schools running.”
She explained that Massachusetts law intentionally separates school finance from municipal finance because the work requires specific licensure, deep expertise, and constant adaptation.
“This dynamic has made it increasingly difficult to sustain the work of the Committee and the district leaders… The prospect of fighting through another budget season is beyond my energy level. In any other town, schools closing the year with a small surplus is a positive headline. Instead, in Swampscott, it is somehow negative. This is a purposeful effort to misdirect attention away from the Town’s recent $400k accounting error.”
According to Town Administrator Nick Connors, a health insurance expense was incurred in FY2025 and not booked to the correct account. It resulted in a $370,000 appropriation deficit within the employee benefits line of the budget. It was discovered and reconciled after the fiscal year closing. Reconciliation changed the final expense numbers, and the town completed a thorough process to make certain that no similar errors occurred.
Improved processes were implemented in response to this. If the error had been identified prior to year-end closing, money from other unspent appropriations would have been applied via the year-end shuffle.
O’Connor continued, “I want to speak directly to younger residents: your town needs you. Too often, our public discourse centers on demand for lower taxes while simultaneously demanding amenities, services, and infrastructure improvements. Swampscott’s tax rate is not high compared to surrounding communities, yet the misinformation persists. Painting the schools as irresponsible or overspending is an easy trope, but it is inaccurate and harmful – to our town, to our reputation, and most of all, to our kids.”
She said she hopes new voices step forward with energy, optimism, and a commitment to understanding the complexities of public education.
