Boston School Committee Interviews Internal BPS Candidate Dr. Tommy Welsh for Superintendent

Uncategorized · Meeting of July 20, 2026

Boston School Committee quizzes internal BPS finalist Dr. Tommy Welsh in second superintendent public interview. Welsh, currently the Region 1 School Superintendent overseeing 15 schools and roughly 7,000 students in East Boston and Charlestown, argued his 23 years in public education, national board certification, bilingual background, and deep knowledge of the district's central office make him the right leader for a July 1 start.

School Committee Chair Jerry Robinson and members including Ms. LaPera, Mr. O'Neill, and Dr.

Alkins pressed Welsh on anti-Black student achievement gaps, ESSER fund management, a $1.3 billion district budget he has not previously managed at that scale, native-language instruction under the LOOK Act, and school closures tied to ongoing enrollment decline. Welsh warned that 100 percent reliance on temporary federal ESSER positions would create a "fiscal cliff" in September 2024, called for pushing spending authority to school leaders, and cited a demolished elementary school playground as an example of a roughly $1.5 million community-trust investment allowable under ESSER. The committee is scheduled to take a final vote between Welsh and the other finalist, Somerville Superintendent Mary Skipper, on June 29 at 5 p.m.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,208 words

Source: the Uncategorized meeting of July 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.