Deputy Superintendent Brian Allen was interviewed about next year’s budget as the first guest of the expanded version of, “Ask the Superintendent,” which is now available both as a video and a podcast!
You can view the episode on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, Channel 191 on Spectrum in the City of Worcester, and on the web livestream of Worcester Educational Access Television, which produces the show. All previous episodes of “Ask the Superintendent” are now available as podcasts as well.
As part of the new format, Superintendent Rachel H. Monárrez, PhD asks the guest three questions, and the guest asks her three questions. Each episode is about 15-20 minutes long.
“We’re really excited about the potential to reach even more people through this expanded format,” Monárrez said. “Each episode is long enough to get in-depth on a few issues, but hopefully not so long that people will tune out.”
Monárrez has hosted “Ask the Superintendent” for the past two years — allowing herself to be interviewed by students in the Superintendent Student Advisory Council about once a month. She’ll continue to interview students but will now bring on adult guests as well.
Allen, who is also the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer, oversees the Finance, Nutrition, Transportation, Safety, Facilities, and Information Technology departments.
In the interview, he talks about the projection for the 2025-26 school year budget and does not anticipate reductions — unlike this year when the district experienced significant cuts.
Allen has worked for the district and city for 32 years, and in the interview said his greatest accomplishments have been leading advocacy work to obtain greater funding under the Student Opportunity Act, overseeing the effort to bring transportation in-house, and the Finance Division receiving the Meritorious Budget Award for 12 years in a row.