Kukenberger Exit Not Cause For Celebration, But Reaction Is Cause For Concern

MELROSE, MA — Tuesday's news that Julie Kukenberger won't be back as superintendent wasn't surprising.

There was a feeling this latest controversy might prove fatal to her career here. This time people weren't mad about the local tangent in a culture war; rather, they were disappointed in what they felt was a breach of trust.

Unfortunately, the vitriolic response to the announcement Kukenberger wouldn't seek a new contract was even less surprising.

Don't worry, Melrose. It's not just you. Overlooking nuance and abandoning grace in favor of fortifying political leans is where we've been for years — really since the earliest days of the American experiment.

But now it's commonplace. It's expected. Sadly, it's accepted.

Jen McAndrew, who will not again seek the School Committee chair in the wake of failed oversight by the body, had to remind people Tuesday night that "threats, veiled or otherwise, discriminatory comments, accusations levied at or about School Committee Members or family members, including by school and city personnel, are being documented and will not be tolerated."

Welcome to 2022, where elected officials have to explain this like kindergarten teachers. Apparently some school and city workers need to put in time-out, too. (Mayor Paul Brodeur should investigate whether any threats have come from people drawing city paychecks.)

This isn't new for McAndrew and Kukenberger. Their families have been rather publicly dragged into controversies by people who struggle to win arguments based on merit. People's families become fair game because it makes it easier for the aggrieved public to substitute personal attacks for principled disagreements.

"This needs to end," McAndrew said. "Personally, I am disheartened by this behavior, but not shocked."

It's too bad, because this is an instance where Kukenberger's opponents have some cards to play in the field of civil discourse. The superintendent is the chief architect of the school budget, and everything rolls up to her. The budget mess is at her feet.

But Kukenberger is not headed home because of the district's mishandling — and miscommunication — of the school budget.

No, it's because she spent too much time focusing on canceling Halloween. Surely the prior finance director would have had better practices had the sports name not been changed. Heck, the schools would probably be sitting on millions had the School Committee let Columbus Day remain on the calendar.

Of course, none of this is true. Kukenberger wasn't ripping up finance reports in order to push through a progressive agenda. She wasn't ignoring calls from the city CFO because she had DEI chiefs on the other line. Her uncomfortable changes weren't the reason this happened, despite what the people who don't like uncomfortable change say.

But this flawed thinking allows those she offended to conflate culture war issues with practical school ones. It also emboldens some to go beyond the pale in taking extra swipes at the superintendent, School Committee members, and apparently their families.

This isn't a defense of the district's penchant to allow certain issues to take on an outsized importance relative to the work it's charged with.

It is however proof of a chronic inability to compartmentalize amongst some of the public, which has a hard time separating policy from people. Or, seemingly, right from wrong.

Whether Kukenberger truly felt it was time to move on or she saw the writing on the wall, her upcoming exit satisfied a bloodlust for a certain brand of Melrose resident. "Good riddance! And take your lefty policies with you!" OK, cool.

Kukenberger leaving isn't cause for celebration. The district got only three years out of a young, bright administrator and needs to start from scratch next year.

Should recent events have cost Kukenberger her job? Perhaps. Two-million bucks is not pocket change, and since the city been unable to properly fund the schools — not to mention pushing across an override — yea, it's a sore spot. And the ongoing teachers' contract situation is the rancid cherry on the sundae.

But using the current crisis to justify holding onto grudges about holidays and jerseys is petty. It's a smorgasbord of grievances. Festivus come early.

One Melrose paper said Kukenberger is "beset by an alarming $2.2 million budget shortfall and controversies over Halloween celebrations and the high school mascot." That's Halloween 2021, people. If you look out your window, you'll see we're at Halloween 2022.

Taxpayers have the right to be upset. School families have the right to be hurt. Fair-minded people have the right to want new leadership.

And Kukenberger has the right to have three years, not three hot-button instances, considered. Kukenberger helped a chronically underfunded school district navigate COVID-19 while balancing the duties of a superintendent which, believe it or not, vastly outnumber the few topics that get traction on Facebook.

Yes, she steered the district into a few potholes that may have been avoided with more tact. And she failed to catch an unforgivable budget mess until it was too late.

She also pursued her job with the students in mind, whether or not it hurt oversensitive adults' feelings.

Melrose would be lucky if her successor does the same.