Inside Education

The Fall River School Committee’s Finance Meeting on November 10 opened with discussion of finance policies, late fees, vendor payments, and budget planning as the district heads into a new fiscal year with three new members set to join in January. The conversation revealed ongoing concerns about transparency, accountability, and communication between the district, city hall, and vendors.

Superintendent Curley began by sharing a packet of all existing finance policies and AI-generated summaries for committee review. She proposed forming a working group of administrators and committee members to review, clean up, or revise policies before sending recommendations to the policy subcommittee.

Committee members quickly zeroed in on several problem areas. Mr. Dias noted repeated and mislabeled financial batch files, delayed responses to questions, and overdue payments. Mr. Dias also pressed the administration to address repeated delays in payments to vendors and utilities. CFO Kevin Almeida said late fees were mostly tied to National Grid and Liberty Utilities, and that the district had negotiated extensions (55 days for National Grid, 45 for Liberty) and that late fees would be credited through January 1.

Mr. Aguiar questioned why contractors wait months for payment, saying it effectively raises costs. Mr. Almeida described the week-to-week payment cycle but admitted delays persist when invoices are submitted late or work begins before contracts are approved, something that “has happened in the past.”

Both Mr. Dias and Mr. Aguiar raised alarms over the district’s continued reliance on attorney Michael Joyce’s firm, which reportedly bills the district more than $200,000 annually despite lacking a formal contract. Members argued that routine public records requests should be handled by the city’s legal department, not outside counsel charging $250/hour for emails.

Members criticized the district’s adoption of MASC-template policies without customizing them for Fall River. Mr. Aguiar urged that all finance policies be rewritten to reflect local governance and oversight structures.

Mr. Aguiarslo s revisited budget control and cost-center authority, noting that prior motions changing “quarterly” to “anticipated” budget transfers were missing from the current policy documents. Mr. Aguiar and Mr. Dias both pushed to restore the committee’s line-item oversight, arguing that the district now approves lump-sum budgets without clarity on specific expenditures or federal fund allocations (e.g., an additional $2 million in Title I funds never formally approved by the committee).

Mr. Dias proposed lowering the school committee approval threshold for contracts from $25,000 back to $10,000 to strengthen transparency.

Superintendent Curley outlined a budget-planning timeline and circulated last year’s budget priority survey results (599 families, 213 staff). She proposed gathering more stakeholder feedback through a survey and community outreach before finalizing the FY26–27 priorities.

Committee members, however, questioned the impact of the survey process. Mr. Dias suggested partnering with local media and schools to boost engagement, as few residents attend public budget hearings.

Mr. Aguiar pushed for implementing true zero-based budgeting, arguing that “the time for tweaking around the edges is over” given significant new funding.

Superintendent Curley said that while full zero-based budgeting would require major planning, she is open to the approach if the committee supports it early.

Both Mr. Dias and Mr. Aguiar agreed to postpone a formal vote until the new committee takes office in January.

One of the most concerning issues came in the discussion of healthcare costs. Mr. Almeida provided a projection for the FY26 health care budget, noting the district is in good standing for the year. He reported that FY25 health care expenditures totaled approximately $34.2 million, with projected FY26 spending around $36 million, comparing consistent health-care lines across years.

Committee members raised questions about the previously referenced $5 million overspend on health care and how the city arrived at that figure. Mr. Dias emphasized that reimbursements, such as stop-loss, Medicaid, and trust-fund revenue, had not historically been credited to the school department in net school spending calculations, inflating the appearance of overspending.

Mr. Almeida explained that under the updated reporting method, these reimbursements are now netted out, reducing the effective total to approximately $29.9 million, which is within the district’s approved $30 million health care budget. He added that if reimbursements had been applied in the same way last year, the district would not have appeared $5 million over.

Mr. Dias requested monthly health-care documentation from the previous fiscal year, noting the committee has not yet been provided with the data necessary to determine when increases occurred or whether similar trends may continue. He also reiterated concerns about the city’s handling of Medicaid reimbursement, which exceeds $1 million annually.

The superintendent’s office agreed to supply monthly breakdowns so the committee can better track patterns and understand the basis for the city’s reporting.

The concerns raised during the finance discussion point to a fundamental problem in how the city reports, accounts for, and credits health-care spending, which directly affects taxpayers.

For years, the city has publicly stated that the school department went over budget on health insurance, including the claim that the district exceeded net school spending by $5 million.

This means that for years, both the city and the public have been operating under an inaccurate fiscal narrative, one that implies mismanagement or overspending by schools when the numbers were not first corrected for reimbursable revenue.

This distorts the district’s financial standing but, more significantly, incorrect reporting affects whether the city is truly meeting its legally required funding.

When decisions involving tens of millions of dollars are made using incomplete or incorrect data, taxpayers pay the price both literally and figuratively.

Inside the 2025 Fall River School Committee Debate

🎙️ The Questions

Durfee student moderators shifted the focus from academics to relationships , asking candidates how they would strengthen student mental health and stay connected with the people inside Fall River’s schools.

Question 4 – Supporting Teen Mental Health

Moderator Leisha Boone asked:

“A 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that about half of girls and nearly a third of boys in the U.S. report feeling sad or hopeless for at least two consecutive weeks. Rates are even higher among LGBTQ+ students, children of color, and those living in poverty. What supports will you put in place to improve teen mental health?”

Candidates responded with personal experiences and systemic solutions.
• Mark Mollicone — Spoke about the power of listening and empathy. Shared that as a child he experienced abuse and as a teen he experienced loneliness, saying adults must create safe spaces where students feel heard.
• John Silvia — Pointed to the lingering effects of the pandemic and encouraged students to join clubs and extracurriculars that build connection and belonging.
• Ana Riley — Called for respect, dignity, and resources. Highlighted the district’s partnership with Cartwheel for telehealth and proposed expanding Mental Health First Aid training for all staff.
• Emanuel Moniz — Said every student should have “someone to talk to.” Advocated hiring more counselors and maintaining close communication between educators and Student Adjustment Counselors.
• Shanelle Stewart — Encouraged students to “find your group.” Said after-school activities and clubs are vital to emotional health and social development.
• Tom Khoury — Recounted his work founding Durfee’s United Cultures Club in the 90s and promoting dignity across differences. Linked emotional well-being to feeling respected and safe.
• Randy Dudek — Spoke candidly about family experiences with depression. Called for earlier intervention and stronger community-based supports that celebrate diversity.
• Collin Dias — Said the School Committee must model leadership, accountability, and empathy from the top down. “Students watch how adults treat each other,” he said.
• Kevin Aguiar — Focused on early identification and family engagement. Said when families struggle, students do too, and emphasized investing in staff and partnerships with outside agencies.

🗝️ Common Ground:
Every candidate agreed that mental health is inseparable from learning. They emphasized belonging, visibility, and access to qualified support staff as keys to student success.

Question 5 – Staying Connected with Students and Schools

Moderator Jazlyn Martinez then asked:

“How will you stay connected with students and educators to observe what is working well in our schools?”

Responses revealed different strategies for visibility and engagement.
• John Silvia — Said retirement gives him time to visit schools regularly and see classrooms firsthand.
• Ana Riley — Pledged to “show up respectfully and consistently,” taking vacation time if necessary to visit schools and meet student groups.
• Emanuel Moniz — Favored attending after-school events to support staff without disrupting instructional time.
• Shanelle Stewart — Described her ongoing volunteer work in schools; believes connection grows through consistent presence and clear boundaries.
• Tom Khoury — Said direct conversations with students are the best source of insight, and that he notifies principals before visiting.
• Randy Dudek — Plans to stay active as a parent volunteer and sees family feedback as a key bridge between schools and the committee.
• Collin Dias — Visits schools when concerns arise, citing his trip to RPA following an asbestos issue as an example of proactive oversight.
• Kevin Aguiar — Balances his full-time education role with subcommittee meetings and email correspondence, emphasizing the importance of listening to families and staff.
• Mark Mollicone — Said engagement should extend beyond classrooms — attending games, performances, and community events where students shine.

🗝️ Common Ground:
Candidates differed on how often and where they would connect, but all emphasized visibility, accessibility, and responsiveness. Most described listening — to students, staff, and families — as essential to informed decision-making.

🏁 Takeaway

These two questions revealed a shared understanding that well-being and connection underpin student success. Whether through staffing and programs or simply showing up, each candidate tied effective leadership to empathy, communication, and presence in the school community.