At Monday’s meeting, the School Committee discussed creating a new administrative position—director of community recreation and education. According to Superintendent Linda Dwight, the person would oversee some programs that are now managed within the schools along with some that are under the Parks and Recreation Commission. Dwight said she and Parks and Rec Chair Bob O’Shea, Town Administrator Tim Bragan, and Assistant Town Administrator Marie Sobalvarro had met to discuss the possible new arrangement.
On the schools side, the new director would oversee the Bridges and community education programs. Judy Cavanaugh, who has directed community education, and Deborah Mayo, who has managed Bridges, have both retired.
On the recreation side, the new director would report to Parks and Rec and oversee the beach program and various out-of-town organizations that Parks and Rec contracts with for special activities.
The director would also have to coordinate with a daunting list of people, committees, and departments including—but not limited to—the Department of Public Works, Town Hall officials, the school athletic director, and various youth and adult sports leagues. Much of that work is now done by volunteers, and sometimes information is lost between different groups.
Dwight said the plan includes a part-time administrative assistant for the new director. That person would handle program registrations, fee collections, balance sheet preparation, and similar record-keeping duties.
School Committee member Suzie Allen asked Dwight about funding for the new positions. Parks and Rec has discussed creating such a position for a long time, and Allen pointed out the town has had a hard time working it into the budget. Allen said she wanted to be sure the schools weren’t being asked to shoulder too much of the cost.
Dwight said the money would come from fees families pay for the Bridges program, which provides childcare before and after school, and from community education, which this year is offering Summer Adventure, a camp program for kids from kindergarten through grade 6. Dwight hopes to expand the community education offerings. Parks and Rec has money budgeted for the beach programs and field maintenance, but it does not currently have money to help pay for the new positions. Dwight said Parks and Rec may have more income if its programs can expand under the new system. “We think [the position] could be self-funded,” Dwight said, “but that’s something to watch, for sure.”
