Wayland School Committee elects Gibbons chair, fills out subcommittees

WAYLAND — July 19, 2023 — Wayland names Gibbons chair, awards $5,000 stipend to outgoing acting superintendent. Acting Superintendent David Fleischman, who started July 5, nominated interim chair Erin Gibbons for the permanent role; the committee approved her unanimously and elected Jeanne Downs vice chair with one abstention. New Finance Director Susan Bottan reported a year-end operating balance of roughly $75,400, with any remainder bound for the depleted Circuit Breaker account that the prior committee had voted to refill up to $250,000. Members unanimously authorized a $5,000 stipend for former acting superintendent Parry Graham, whom Gibbons said "really stepped up" during his uncompensated emergency elevation. Resident Carol Plumb pressed the board on roughly $30,000 in investigation costs and about $150,000 in projected legal expenses tied to former superintendent Omar Easy's departure, saying "there's plenty of things that we could be doing with that money."