Framingham Supt. To Stay For 6 Years, Contract Passes 7-2 Vote

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham Public Schools Superintendent Robert Tremblay is sticking around for another six years. The School Committee voted on the contract on Wednesday night, passing it in a 7-2 vote. The contract is longer than traditional superintendent contracts, which came up as a point of debate during the meeting.

Several community members voiced a concern with the length of the new contract during the public comment portion of the School Committee meeting. Traditional superintendent contracts are negotiated on three-year terms — six-years is the maximum term for a contract. The two School Committee members who voted no on the contract, Gloria Pascual and Tracey Bryant, said the length wasn't the only issue but the process by which the negotiations were done.

The contract was discussed and initially voted on in the School Committee's Executive Session last week — Pascual and Bryant were not in attendance during the Executive Sessions. The contract terms, including the length and salary Tremblay will receive is based on School Committee evaluations of his performance.

Tremblay received a score of "Proficient" in the committee's June evaluation. His final score was a 3.44 out of 4 from the committee and he received plenty of commendations for his attention to the district budget and implementation of various initiatives. The majority of public speakers along with Bryant and Pascual, made it clear that the concerns surrounding the contract were not due to an issue with Tremblay.

"I love Dr. Tremblay too, he's great, he's a good fit," Bryant said, "I felt the process was rushed — I don't think we really considered both sides, we led with our hearts." She added that additional time to review the contract would allow for public input and to balance pieces of the contract that may not be favorable to future School Committees in the district, including a clause that states the committee must notify the superintendent a year in advance if they do not intend on renew the contract, otherwise the contract is automatically renewed for another year. The contract also states that the Superintendent can resign or terminate his employment with five months written notice to the School Committee.

Pascual mentioned the absence of the Framingham Teachers Union input in the process. "The fact that the FTA were not brought into this matter really concerns me," she said, adding that the six year contract felt rushed. "If he's doing so great, then we renew in three years," she said.

School Committee members who voted in favor of the six-year contract stated the increased time would offer Tremblay and the district the stability it had been missing under previous superintendents. School Committee Chair Adam Freudberg said he had gone into negotiations with a goal of a four-year contract, but changed his mind after hearing. "Implementing a strategic plan, managing a large school district, and addressing challenges requires continuity of leadership," Freudberg said in a statement, "The development of this contract and the eventual agreement between the parties provides the school district with the continuity we need."

A sentiment of holding onto a proficient superintendent was echoed by members Geoffrey Epstein and Noval Alexander, who pointed out that there is a limited pool of administrative candidates to chose from.

The Superintendent’s current contract from 2017 to June 30, 2020 has a base salary of $215,000 with no option for increases, a $6000 car allowance, $2500 reimbursement option for professional conferences, 20 vacation days with 30 available for annual carryover, and 15 sick days.

Tremblay would get a $10,000 salary bump under the new contract with a total salary of $225,000. The total first year salary and benefits for Dr. Tremblay’s new contract equals $231,000. Tremblay's proposed salary would be $43,000 less than Framingham's former Superintendent Stacy Scott's salary of $268,000 in his final year with the district.

Read the full contract: