Mary DeLai has served as the Watertown Public School’s Interim Business Manager since November, but she has had the interim removed from her title and also given new duties.
At Monday’s School Committee meeting, Interim Superintendent John Bracket announced that DeLai has been appointed the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations. This is a new position for the Watertown schools.
DeLai will start her new position on July 1. Brackett said he was happy to have her continue working in Watertown.
“When we were looking for an interim business manager people kept saying ‘if you could get Mary Delai, your district would be in great shape,'” Brackett said. “Fortunately for the district we were able to recruit her and now retain her.”
DeLai told the School Committee she looks forward to continue working in the district.
“Thank you to the Watertown School Committee and the team in Watertown,” DeLai said. “Everyone has been welcoming and I look forward to working with the outstanding group of educators and leaders.”
Members of the School Committee welcomed the appointment. Town Council President Mark Sideris said DeLai took on the interim role with professionalism and strong work effort. Guido Guidotti said that he heard that one reason school union contracts were settled so smoothly was because of DeLai.
Eileen Hsu-Balzer said that she looks forward to DeLai working with incoming Superintendent Dede Galdston.
In addition to her duties as Business Manager, DeLai will also have the information technology (IT) department report to here. The position not only requires licensing for a business manager, but also a license for superintendent/assistant superintendent. Before coming to Watertown DeLai was the superintendent in Winchester.
The change from business manager to assistant superintendent was one of the recommendations of a report by RSM which are designed to reduce the number of people directly reporting to the Superintendent, Brackett said. The moves will also save the district $100,000, he said.
This is the third change in the administrative structure made this year. In February Brackett announced that Assistant Superintendent Theresa McGuinness had been named the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning and Assessment, and also that Special Education Director Kathleen Desmarais would become the Director of Student Services.
Other changes will be made, including:
• Combining the Director of Wellness and Extended Programs and Coordinator of Health and Physical Education into one position, called the Coordinator of P.E., Health and Wellness.
• The “extended” portion of the position will be broken up and report to different supervisors: Director of Community Education reports to the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning and Assessment; nurses will report to the dDirector of Student Services; the Athletic Director will report to the High School principal and the Director of Food Services and Nutrition will report to the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations.
• The Coordinator of Assessment, Guidance, and Behavior Health will be refocused on behavioral services, and will be renamed the Coordinator of Behavioral Services.