The debate about whether or not the mayor will release $2.5 million of Chapter 70 money intended for the Everett Public Schools is also about whether or not the mayor respects his good friend and colleague in government, Senator Sal DiDomenico.
DiDomenico was instrumental in raising these funds through some savvy hard work done on the Senate floor.
Without DiDomenico’s efforts, this money would not exist.
The mayor knows this. The question is, does he respect DiDomenico enough to change his course and allow the money to be transferred from the city’s General Account, to the School Department?
This is anyone’s guess – except for the mayor – as he likely knows exactly what will be done with the funds.
Another mayoral reversal such as those that have preceded this crisis is expected but not guaranteed.
The mayor does as he likes unless confronted and in such a way that he must reverse his course.
In an instance such as this, reversing his course is a bigger victory for the mayor than staying his course, which is to deny the EPS of funds intended absolutely for the EPS in order to bring down rising classroom size.
Senator DiDomenico has said publicly that if the mayor does not release these funds into the public schools coffers, that all future efforts at securing added funding for the EPS will be subject to his Senate colleagues accusing him of crying wolf.
We agree.
The right thing for the mayor to do is to release the funds.
It is the right thing to do because it shows he honors his good friendship Senator Sal.
Showing up the school superintendent is one thing.
Degrading his friendship with Senator Sal is another.