A Boston metropolis councilor backed by the mayor this previous election canceled a listening to he was chairing on a push from two of his colleagues seeking to increase a mayoral initiative that waives museum charges for BPS college students to incorporate all schoolchildren.
The workplace of Councilor Henry Santana, who beforehand labored for the mayor, despatched an e mail to the workplace of Councilor Ed Flynn Friday evening, saying that the March 18 committee listening to was canceled as a result of Santana wished extra time to review knowledge that the mayor’s workplace has been gathering through the pilot section of BPS Sundays.
Flynn and Councilor Erin Murphy, who co-sponsored a decision in search of an growth, stated they have been blindsided by the cancellation, which got here a couple of week after the mayor’s former marketing campaign aide Councilor Sharon Durkan objected to their name for a right away vote on the measure, mechanically sending it to committee.
“It’s disappointing,” Flynn stated of the cancellation. “I think parents and students alike asked for equal access to museums and these cultural institutions. It’s important that we put politics aside and provide every family the same opportunity. It benefits every family.”
Flynn and Murphy stated they’d not spoken with Santana as of Saturday night in regards to the change in schedule. The cancellation discover was obtained by town clerk shortly earlier than 5:30 p.m. Friday, and posted publicly with no clarification.
“I was looking forward to the hearing and talking with my colleagues on how to expand this program,” Murphy stated. “That’s a great opportunity, but I’ve been very open and vocal since the beginning that I don’t think we should only be offering this to only students who attend BPS.”
She stated the shortage of communication from the chair was “concerning.”
Flynn and Murphy have been important of the mayor’s choice to exclude non-Boston Public Schools college students from this system because it was introduced in her state of town tackle in late January.
They have characterised their decision as an opportunity to rectify the unfair exclusion of many low-income and minority households whose college students attend constitution, parochial or personal faculties or participate within the METCO program, and may’t afford the price of a museum go to.
Flynn and Murphy filed a 17F request final week, despatched to the Wu administration by the Council with a 7-day deadline, for knowledge round how this system is being funded — between APRA and philanthropic funds — and what number of college students have participated thus far, which the mayor stated two weeks in was about 2,500 households.
Mayor Michelle Wu informed the Herald final week that the funding isn’t there to increase the $1 million program through the seven-month pilot interval that extends by means of August, stating her choice to maintain it open to solely BPS college students was primarily based on the funds of the collaborating establishments, slightly than any political motivations.
She stated her administration will probably be contemplating different components past increasing participation to non-BPS college students after the pilot section, equivalent to whether or not to waive charges on a unique day within the realm of offering higher entry to households.
“It’s all going to be on the table as they really carefully listen to families and measure and see what the numbers tell us over the course of the seven months,” Wu stated on the time.
Her workplace didn’t reply to a request for touch upon Saturday. Flynn stated he believes the funding is there and he and Murphy preserve that they’re pushing for a right away growth through the pilot section.
A spokesperson for Santana stated the councilor helps an growth of this system, however that he needs it to run for just a few extra Sundays to have a greater sense of the info, along with the primary few weeks lined by the 17F, earlier than holding a listening to. He has picked a possible listening to knowledge, which wasn’t disclosed.
Santana stated in an announcement that whereas he appreciates his colleagues’ “thoughtful requests” for details about the primary three Sundays, including “I’m a big believer in utilizing data in the council’s work.”
“And we’ll be in a better position to understand how the program is being utilized and to discuss how it could be expanded once the pilot program has been running for more than a few Sundays, and we have more data available,” he stated.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”