Citing health concerns and increasing responsibilities at his place of employment, School Committee Chair Kenneth Fontes announced Wednesday, August 17 that he will relinquish the chairmanship of the committee on September 1.

“It was a tough decision to make,” said Fontes, admitting that he considered resigning from the committee all together.

In a press release he read aloud, Fontes, a type-one diabetic, said he made the decision after consulting with his doctor and his family.

“I'm happy to say that I'll still be part of the committee and still doing my best for the town and the children of Wareham,” Fontes added.

Fontes suggested that vice-chair Geoff Swett step into the chairmanship. Swett noted that the committee should take a vote to determine who should serve as its next chair.

“I respect and understand your decision to step aside as chairman, but what's most important to me is that you'll still be sitting at this table,” said Swett, a sentiment echoed by School Committee member Cliff Sylvia – a former teacher of Fontes, - later in the evening.

School Committee members were unclear about the procedure for reorganization and planned to find out the process before taking any vote or naming a new chair.

Fontes is serving his first year of his second School Committee term. He was re-elected in April.

In other School Committee business:

Chair Kenneth Fontes provided an update regarding the evaluation process of Superintendent Dr. Barry Rabinovitch.

Rabinovitch presented his self-evaluation at the School Committee's August 3 meeting. The School Committee members then individually evaluated the superintendent and submitted their evaluations to Fontes this week.

Fontes will calculate Rabinovitch's average score and present the results to the School Committee at its next meeting. Whether Rabinovitch receives a pay raise and how much any raise will be is determined by the committee's average score.