Newly Elected Andrew Lipsett Wants To Increase School Budget

WOBURN, MA — Asked what he will prioritize on Woburn's school committee, new member-elect Andrew Lipsett gave several answers, which all tie into one issue: the budget. Lipsett believes the schools need more resources, and it is the job of the school committee to make that case, publicly and privately. From English language learning to class sizes, he said, the district needs resources to make improvements.

Lipsett teaches history at Billerica High School. He got 10votes last week, taking the fourth out of five slots on the school committee.

"There are several things that I'd like to begin working on right away," Lipsett said. "The first is bolstering our English Language Learning services at all levels. We're seeing a significant rise in students whose first language is not English, especially in the younger grades. We need to make sure our budgetary process this year includes the position of EL Director, a position that was in the superintendent's proposed budget last year but which was cut during our budgetary issues in the spring. "

The district also needs to focus on lifting English language learner graduation rates, he said, as they lag state averages. One thing that would help, he said, is increasing teacher diversity, but there's more to do.

"This will be something I'll be focusing on upon taking office in January," Lipsett said.

Special education is another issue where he wants the district to have more support.

"I've been impressed with both the changes and the personal family attention that I've seen from our new [Special Education] Director Maureen Ryan, but we need to make sure that she and [Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services Michael] Baldassarre have the resources they need to deliver services to students and families," Lipsett said.

Finally, he said the district needs to focus on reducing class sizes, both in contract negotiations with the teachers union, and in the budget process.

"All of this ties in with the school budget. As the process begins for the 2020-2021 school budget, I hope the School Committee can take on an even more public role as an advocate for investment in our system," Lipsett said. "We need to make the case, not just in private but in public, for why we need the funding increases we need, and how the changes we seek will strengthen the district as a whole."

Lipsett said he hopes that by doing so in public the board can "begin to erase the perception that our boards lack transparency."

Alongside the other two non-incumbents who won elections last week, Lipsett attributed his success to shoe-leather campaigning, and he said he hopes to continue talking to residents regularly.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at chris.huffaker@patch.com and 412-265-8353.