LYNN — At the Wednesday evening meeting, the Stadium Commission discussed its membership, potentially allowing athletic directors to represent Lynn Public Schools instead of the principals.
Along with the athletic directors, Superintendent Molly Cohen also suggested that the assistant director of P.E. and Health Athletics be added. She explained that the role oversees K-12 athletics in the district, as opposed to the athletic director.
“Anything could happen at the end of a school day, you can plan on coming and not come,” Manager of Fields, Rich Avery, told the principals, “(then) we don’t have a quorum and that would be tough for all of us, so it (would) be in place, not replaced.”
Although not all members of the Commission took it as just a flexible switch-out.
“I see it as a replacement, because it would be the line of coordination athletic. The principals are part of those discussions internally, but I don’t know that they need to be at every meeting.” Cohen explained.
She also expressed that she obviously did not want to take seats away. “I’m meaning in terms of commitment here, it would make more sense if this is to support the athletic program through the district.”
Classical High Principal Amy Dunn shared that she did not feel strongly about staying or not.
“But if this meeting was in October, the athletic guys would have a difficulty coming here,” Lynn Tech Principal Fred Gallo pointed out.
On top of different sports seasons and being absent from meetings for games, the Commission concurred that it was about flexibility.
“There’s also a scenario where we’re saying, it doesn’t need to be a formalized, separate file, with designated seats that are set out by ordinance,” Mayor Jared Nicholson stated.
The Commission is currently running on an ordinance from 1992 that the members want to update. The Commission has to take the steps to update the ordinance. If the City Council approves it, then the athletic directors may begin to attend the meetings.
“If we have a process where we feel confident (and it’s) getting the right input from the right stakeholders and getting a recommendation, that maybe is a way to streamline the actual proposal,” Nicholson said.
