Ed Cafasso Letter - Part 2

Hello everyone!

I am passing along a brief update on school issues in Franklin, but first I need to make two corrections to the e-mail I distributed Sunday evening…

• At Franklin High School, the graduation rate for the Class of 2008 was 98.7%. Of the graduates, 73.1% chose to attend a public or private four-year college, and 15.4% chose to attend a public or private two-year college. (My e-mail said “four-year” in the second reference.)
• The average per pupil expenditure among school districts in Massachusetts stood at $11,859, which was $2,273 more than Franklin’s. (My e-mail said “less.”)

Thank you to the readers who pointed out my errors… I apologize. You can view the complete, corrected version of the academic-financial performance report online at: http://franklinschoolcommittee.wordpress.com/

With the school year underway, three issues are top of mind:

1. The Superintendent’s Resignation: Many parents have expressed deep disappointment in Supt. Ogden’s decision to resign, and I share that sentiment. You can expect next steps to be a topic of discussion at the School Committee meeting scheduled for the evening of Sept. 9. The mission of education goes on in Franklin and I think it’s fair to say that all the members of School Committee are committed to ensuring that the schools do the best they can this year with the resources that are available.

2. Class Sizes: The Franklin Public Schools began the 2008-09 academic year with an estimated 6,175 students, an increase of 101 students from the end of school in June and 136 more than were enrolled at the start of school in 2006. With 40 fewer teachers, there are fewer classes at all levels and too many of the classes that remain are far larger than they should be. We are already receiving reports of over-crowded classrooms at middle schools and the high school; in some cases, class sizes at Franklin High are at 40 students or more and there are not enough seats or textbooks for some students. Now that school has begun and new enrollments are being finalized, the Committee expects to receive up-to-date data on class sizes soon; I will pass it along when it becomes available.

3. Franklin High School: The reduction in instructional personnel will need to be reported to officials with the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC), which looks closely at class size in making decisions about our accreditation status. It is possible that the increased class sizes, the need for facility improvements, and the need to invest in our science and technology offerings will result in the high school being put on probation by the end of the year. Moving as quickly as possible to address the issues at Franklin High must be a top priority for the School Committee and for the town as a whole this fall.

Facilities maintenance responsibilities for school buildings and grounds were transferred to the Town control this summer after an agreement was reached to ensure that school principals retain command and control over issues inside their buildings, which is a required provision under the state’s Education Reform law. Custodial staff did another fine job preparing the buildings for the first day of school last week.

Also, I know many of you have expressed concern about the fate of the late bus, which was one of the items at risk in the override voters faced this past June. With the override’s failure, the late bus was not included in the school budget for 2008-09. For a time earlier this summer, it appeared that strong demand for the pay-to-ride program would produce enough funds to continue the late bus, but now additional unexpected new costs have arisen elsewhere within the school district. At the Aug. 26 School Committee meeting, efforts to continue the late bus were again discussed and shelved.

The rollercoaster late bus debate is a symbol of the increasingly difficult choices we face as a district. When there was a threat the late bus would be eliminated, working families protested because the service allows them to work and their children to access important after-school programs. When there was a chance there might be funds to continue the late bus, some community leaders complained that the School Committee would lose credibility if we didn’t follow through on the promised consequences of the failed override. Still others argue that if we can somehow find $40,000, we should use the funds to try to re-hire a teacher or for some other important purpose, instead of using it to revive the late bus.

At a time of scarce financial resources and a variety of urgent, under-funded needs, you can expect more of these unattractive choices to dominate School Committee discussions and decisions.

These e-mails are provided as a constituent service. I hope to distribute at least one e-mail update each month during the school year, as issues warrant. As always, I welcome your thoughts and suggestions. If you are receiving duplicate e-mails or if you no longer wish to receive these updates, please let me know and I will remove you from the distribution list. If you know of someone you would like to add to the list, please send along their e-mail address.

Thanks!

Ed Cafasso, Member

Franklin School Committee


Note: The corrections noted by Ed in the opening here have been incorporated into the posting of Part 1.

Ed Cafasso Letter - Part 1

Hello everyone!

I hope you are enjoying the long holiday weekend. As we begin the 2008-09 school year in Franklin, I want to share you with some objective facts about the state of your schools.

The first section of the report below provides a summary of academic performance in Franklin as of today. A second section summarizes the financial performance of the school district based on the most recent data available.

To me, as a parent, a citizen and a member of the School Committee, this data demonstrates that, up to now, the Franklin Public Schools have been high performing academically and have used taxpayer resources in a highly efficient manner to produce those results. How long can it continue? That’s the big question. You be the judge.


Academic Performance

The Franklin Public Schools received four commendations in 2007-08 from the Office of Educational Quality Assurance (EQA) that directly affect and speak to student performance: High MCAS scores, curricular alignment with state frameworks, the district professional development program, and the mentoring program.

The district analysis of the 2007 MCAS data continues to identify the Franklin Public School System as a “high performance” district in all tests at all grade levels.

• All students continue to outperform the state averages on the same tests in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science/Technology Engineering (STE).
• All 17 tests, including three Long Composition tests, given in Grades 4, 7, and 10 scored a “High” (80-89.9) or “Very High” (90-100) performance rating.
• MCAS 2007 included, for the first time, the addition of a science competency test at the high school. Students in the class of 2010 must pass a STE test to graduate. The district identified Biology as the test of choice since Biology is a requirement for graduation. The 2007 Grade 9 Biology CPI was 96.7 (Very High), outperforming the state by two performance ratings.
• All Special Education subgroups in Grades 3-10 achieved a higher proficiency index than state subgroups in each of the subject tests.
• All Low Income subgroups achieved higher proficiency indices (PI) than the state subgroups in each tested area with the exception of Grade 7 ELA, which scored equal to that of the state subgroup, and Grade 8 Math, which came in at 3 PI points below that of the state subgroup.
• When compared with 28 top-performing districts in the state by AYP grade levels (3-5, 6-8, 9-12), Franklin outperformed 14 districts in one or more of these AYP reporting categories.
• At the high school, 105 students were awarded the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship based on their Grade 10 MCAS performance. Students qualified for this scholarship by scoring: (a) in the Advanced category in English Language Arts or Mathematics and Advanced or Proficient in the other subject area on the grade 10 MCAS assessments; and, (b) in the top 25% of the students in the district on these tests.

The complete MCAS report may be found on the Franklin Public Schools main web page at the following link: http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/FPS/instruct/MCAS/default.htm

In addition, the Franklin schools met the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standard for 2007 in both ELA and Mathematics. This is an important improvement indicator for Franklin and identifies the district as “No Status” for two years running. From 2003-2005, the district did not meet AYP (subgroups only). In 2006, the district made AYP and maintained this status for a second year (2007). This two-year performance has officially removed the Franklin Public Schools from the “Identified for Improvement – subgroups” status.

District and school NCLB Report Cards may be viewed on the Franklin Public Schools website at the following link:
http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/FPS/instruct/nclbrptcd/default.htm

At Franklin High School, the graduation rate for the Class of 2008 was 98.7%. Of the graduates, 73.1% chose to attend a public or private four-year college, and 15.4% chose to attend a public or private four-year college. Graduates chose to attend a wide range of well-known colleges or universities, including Boston College, Boston University, Bates, Brandeis, Dean College, Harvard, Hofstra, Northeastern, Providence, Syracuse, University of Pennsylvania, and U-Mass.

School Financial Performance


According to April 2008 data from Massachusetts Department of Education, Franklin spent $9,586 per pupil. (This data is for the 2006-07 academic year, the most recent calculated by the state.)

Fifty-one (51) school districts spent less per pupil than Franklin, and 277 spent more per pupil than Franklin. In other words, 84% of the school districts in the state spent more per pupil than Franklin. The average per pupil expenditure among school districts in Massachusetts stood at $11,859, which was $2,273 more than Franklin’s.

• Franklin spent $201 per pupil on school administration. The state average was $401
• Franklin spent $480 per pupil on instructional leadership. The state average was $770.
• Franklin spent $4,718 per pupil on classroom and specialist teachers. The state average was $4,513.
• Franklin spent $90 per pupil on professional development. The state average was $222.
• Franklin spent $190 per pupil on instructional materials, equipment and technology. The state average was $356.
• Franklin spent $213 per pupil on guidance and counseling. The state average was $328.
• Franklin spent $862 per pupil on pupil services. The state average was $1,081.
• Franklin spent $923 per pupil on operations and maintenance. The state average was $1,041.
• Franklin spent $908 per pupil on insurance and retirement programs. The state average was $1,929.

The average teacher salary in Franklin stood at $56,366, according to the DOE data. Statewide, the average teacher salary was $58,257.

Franklin’s budget for fiscal year 2009 is approximately $88 million. The school budget for the current academic year is $49.9 million, approximately $3 million less than the amount required to maintain the same level of service as last year. The town budget is funded largely by two key revenue streams – property taxes, which provide $48.8 million or 55% of the total, and state and local aid, which provides $33.5 million or about 38% of the total.

Chapter 70 education aid accounts for the vast majority of the state aid distributed to Franklin and totals $28.7 million in the current fiscal year. Almost 58% of the budget of Franklin Public Schools is paid for through Chapter 70 funds.

Enjoy the weekend! I plan to e-mail a second school update tomorrow evening.

These e-mails are provided as a constituent service. If you are receiving duplicates or if you no longer wish to receive these updates, please let me know. If you know of someone you would like to add to the distribution list, please send along their email address. Thanks!

Ed Cafasso, Member

Franklin School Committee

"We're entering some tough times"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Aug 27, 2008 @ 11:34 PM

---

FRANKLIN —

School Superintendent Wayne Ogden formally gave his resignation Tuesday, saying in a press release that restrictive budgets and massive layoffs preclude him from moving the schools "from good to great."

"I have no desire to continue to dismantle our school system and, as such, I no longer feel I offer the right fit to lead the Franklin schools," Ogden said in a statement released by his office yesterday.

Ogden, who came to Franklin in May 2006 after serving as assistant superintendent for Wayland public schools, will end his tenure June 30, 2009, fulfilling three years of a five-year contract.

"I came to Franklin ... to help move the public schools from good to great. Instead, we are beginning another academic year moving in the opposite direction," he said in the statement.

Franklin starts the 2008-2009 school year with 180 more students than when Ogden first arrived, and a budget that is several million dollars short of keeping pace with that growth, he said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

"there's a huge appetite for busing"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Jul 16, 2008 @ 12:17 AM

---

FRANKLIN —

It looks like the School Department will be able to save the late bus, thanks to more students than expected paying to ride the regular bus.

The department's fiscal constraints had threatened to end late bus service this year, but school officials subsequently committed to finding a way to continue offering the popular bus.

At last night's School Committee meeting, Superintendent Wayne Ogden outlined four options regarding late bus service for middle and high school students: using a fee-based system in which all students pay about $10 per ride; partnering with GATRA; eliminating the late bus altogether; or funding the late bus through pay-to-ride bus fees. The late bus costs $40,000 a year to provide, and it runs from Monday to Friday.

Ogden recommended using pay-to-ride revenue to keep the service intact, to which the committee responded favorably.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Franklin Matters: Sch Com Mtg 6/24/08

Another in a series of podcasts on what matters in Franklin (MA). This one features three segments from the School Committee meeting of 6/24/08 reviewing the depatures from the district due to the budget cuts, the reallocation of some funds to add back 3 teachers, and the closure of the Brick classroom.

Time: 16 minutes, 39 seconds



MP3 File

My notes preparing to record this session:

Features three segments from The School Committee meeting of 6/24/08

In this first segment Asst Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski
Reviews the totals for the teacher layoffs done in May
Lists the categories of layoffs and other departures from the district
There will be some hiring to replace some people whose positions were not cut
Ed Cafasso reiterates a few key points on the numbers

---- ---- ----

In this second segment, Jeff Roy starts the discussion on the 180,000 unallocated funds in the budget
You may recall that this amount was in the hardcopy of the budget but didn’t calculate properly leaving the total unallocated
Sue Rohrbach reports from the budget subcommittee their recommendation
Maureen Sabolinski outlines the proposal to add three teachers in the elementary schools
Consensus was reached by the elementary principals on this decision
Reduces the districts net loss to 42 teachers

---- --- ---

In the final segment, Jeff Roy confirms that as the school and fiscal year come to a close that the district will complete the year at budget, with no surprises
Paula Mullen opens the discussion on the Brick classroom status
Maureen Sabolinski provides Details on the Davis Thayer situation with 2 kindergarten classes in one building
Cafasso closes expressing the committee hard choice in tough budget times

----- --- ---

The state has re-opened applications for school building projects, so the FHS renovation or building discussion will move to the forefront in the next couple of months to meet the state application date in Sept.
The July 9th Town Council meeting school audit/budget update to be presented
Next school committee meeting on July 15th

Stay tuned, stay involved

The holiday week ahead should be quiet, very few meetings, fireworks at the high school, and carnival rides and music on the common, but no parade, enjoy the 4th

---- --- ---

This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow Franklin citizens and voters by Steve Sherlock

For additional textual information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve dot gmail dot com

The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music

"It's not a shell game"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Jun 25, 2008 @ 10:01 AM

---

FRANKLIN —

At the recommendation of Assistant Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski, the School Committee last night agreed to use $180,000 of unspent money found in the athletic revolving account this year to put three teachers back in the classroom.

Former acting Finance Director for schools Paul Funk notified the committee of the accounting oversight this spring, but the committee opted to wait for the results of the Proposition 2 1/2 tax override on June 10 to decide how to use the money.

"In the past, the superintendent (Wayne Ogden) recommended using it for bringing back three teachers. We said right up front, teachers, teachers, teachers," which will reduce class sizes, Sabolinski said.

The School Committee agreed to allow principals to hire a Grade 4 teacher at Helen Keller Elementary School, a Grade 3 teacher at Oak Street Elementary, and a Grade 2 teacher at John F. Kennedy Elementary School, as class sizes there were slated to be 28 to 30 students, Sabolinski said.

"There was consensus among all elementary school (principals). A lot of thought went into making those recommendations. They looked at the needs of students in those classrooms," Sabolinski said.

School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy noted the district is still losing the vast majority of teachers they expected to this spring.

"It's only three teachers out of 45, so it's a net loss of 42 teachers," Roy said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.

live reporting - Action items

Action Items:

1. I recommend acceptance of $13.50 from Kaitlyn Simmons & Corinne Lewis, raised from their lemonade stand for the Oak Street Elementary School Gift Account.
approved 7-0

2. I recommend acceptance of a check for $285.00 from Lifetouch Pictures for the Future Enrichment Programs at ECDC.
approved 7-0

3. I recommend approval of the request of FHS teachers Jackie Eckhardt and Debbie Murphy for the annual trip to Spain for the summer of 2009.
approved 7-0

4. I recommend adoption of the revised 2009-2010 School Calendar
approved 6-1

5. I recommend adoption of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Jeff Roy - school department lawyers were not required to work out the issues on the MOU, this covers most of the items raised in the previous meeting, not perfect but a good ways along, can still be modified as it goes

Cafasso questioned to make sure the heating utilities were being covered by the town given the discussion about the Brick school

hopes that the principals are vigilant and report back to us if things do not go smoothly

Jeff Roy - did get the clause to state that the principals will retain level of control over personnel in their buildings

Rohrbach - hope this goes smoothly, hopes that this does generate some cost savings

approved: 7-0

6. I recommend adoption of the Consolidation Plan.
approved: 7-0


7. I recommend the increase to $325.00 per year for the Pay-to-Ride Program.
approved: 7-0

live reporting - FY 08, Brick closes

Sabolinski
Miriam will be bringing the school year to a close with the budget coming in where it needs to be, no surprises

Mullen
Brick school was not in the budget

Sabolinski
needing to put students with disabilities in two places instead of just one
principal agrees with the placement in this way
makes it more efficient to have the two classrooms in Davis Thayer

Cafasso
no one on the committee is happy about not having the Brick school in the budget
in difficult budget times extremely hard to continue that operation
building use subcommittee needs to look at and make a good use of

Live reporting - school choice, Pay-to-ride

School choice
previous decision to continue to with school choice
early applicants were notified of not guaranteeing slots
40 overall - 23 in K, the remainder is sprinkled amongst the other grades
76 enrolled in school choice last year, 61 returning, 5 graduated, 10 others left for other reasons, bulk not going to Grade 1 (they came here for K).


have 23 applications for K, would have to do a lottery to chose possibly 10-12
have not publicly held the lottery but could do that to generate some publicity

decision from budget subcommittee to keep any extra funds in the School Choice amount (approx $120K) for a contingency
there are a number of items that it could be used for, instead of a recurring cost (i.e. text books, school supplies, etc.)

anticipating a reduction in revenues for next year as only 61 students are returning which would provide about $300,000 in revenue

Ed Cafasso "one quarter of one percent, a good idea to keep that money unencumbered"

Jeff Roy
"school choice is only offered on a space available basis "


Pay to Ride
616 applications as of Friday, 860 as of this morning
920 applications as of end of day today, last year about 1800 total
on target to where we were last year at this time

seat guaranteed to those with application submitted by June 27th; after that, no guarantee
people moving in do get some slots held for them, others will go to the wait list

Ed Cafasso - would be good to do a survey of the Pay-to-Ride to find out why they use the service
get an idea of routes and schedules in August, before school opens, to try an head off some issues like what occurred last year

Maureen Sabolinski - some parents disagreed with the Franklin Police assessment, that is not a decision the Central Office makes (on bus turn points)

Letter from Ed Cafasso

People support overrides for many different reasons.

I heard from one School Committee member about a friend whose kids are grown and out on their own; she struggled to raise them by herself despite a great many personal and financial obstacles, including serious illness. She said she would be voting yes because “the community” helped educate her children and she feels it’s now her duty to support the community in educating others.

I heard a Town Councilor describe “the bargain” he feels the Franklin schools are. He looks at his tax bill; he looks at the services he gets – the low crime rate, the convenient businesses; the clean streets, the award-winning schools – and he realizes that his family is getting an exceptional value for the money.

I heard a School Principal talk about how a child only goes through each grade once. You’re only in 5^th grade once. You only get one crack at high school. And how important it is that each step along the way be the best it can be; because this is the part of life that’s the most fun. You’re only a kid once.

And, over the years, I have heard dozens more great reasons to support overrides. All of them deeply personal; each of them fueled by an individual’s own upbringing, experiences and values.

For me, it’s really about wanting the best for my kids and for the rest of the young people in town. In my job, I get the chance to meet a great many new college grads – either as employees or as job candidates. I look hard at their resumes and cover letters. I interview them. I review their writing tests.

I can tell you firsthand that we truly do live in a very competitive, global economy. There are many more resumes than there are open positions. And, unfortunately, there are a number of countries that invest much more in education than the United States. I worry about what my kids will face when they try to make it on their own; just as I’m sure that my parents worried about me; and their parents worried about them.

The only things that we can leave our children that truly matter are a loving upbringing, strong values and the absolute best education we can possibly deliver. That’s why I am voting Yes on Tuesday.

I completely understand that some people feel they cannot afford a Yes vote. I would argue that they can’t afford not to, but these are very personal issues. Who am I to tell them what they can and can’t afford?

And there are others, too many others I’m afraid, who are concerned about where Franklin is headed and how financial decisions are made. I share that concern. We need to work harder to make sure citizens trust us with their hard-earned tax dollars; that we listen to their views; and that we do a better job explaining what we are doing and why.

People support overrides for many different reasons. On Tuesday, I hope you will look into your heart and find your reason to vote “Yes.” Thank you for your support!

Ed Cafasso, Member

Franklin School Committee

Q & A 10 - How do parents get a say on FHS cuts? Ogden, Cafasso respond (audio)

From the Franklin Override Information Forum coordinated by the Joint Parent Communication Councils and held on Wednesday, 5/28/08.

Q - Would students or parents have a chance to dialog with whomever on what cuts would be made?

A - The parents can always come to the School Committee meeting and voice their concerns. The students are unknowingly participating with the student cost selection data. There are 17 teachers with 85 classes to be cut, there is not much room for wiggle. The music cut is bad for the music students but there are also English teachers, Math teachers, Science teachers, physical education, etc. These are bad choices. There are no good choices with the override. Parents need to express their choices.

A - Cafasso, to re-inforce that participation is open and looked for, if you have ideas we are looking for them. The meetings are open. Citizen comments are always on the agenda. Our email addresses are available.

Time: 6 minutes, 22 seconds



MP3 File

Q & A 3 - responses continued by Doak, Cafasso (audio)

From the Franklin Override Information Forum coordinated by the Joint Parent Communication Councils and held on Wednesday, 5/28/08.

A - Doak, picking up on another comment to increase the revenues. We get get a good deal from the industrial and retail establishments. We have tried to foster commercial and industrial growth with smart policies. Council has encouraged good growth over the years and is looking to continue that so the residential taxpayers don't take the whole burden.

A - Cafasso, the school department has made cuts over the years to protect the classroom and to be as efficient as possible.

Time: 3 minutes, 15 seconds



MP3 File

For reference, the Franklin School Departments budget reductions over the years from 2002 to 2009 can be found here

Letter from Ed Cafasso

Good evening everyone!

I hope you and your families had a pleasant Memorial Day weekend. We certainly could not have asked for a better stretch of weather…

I wanted to pass along a couple of important scheduling notes as we all head back into our work and home routines, and the kids enter the homestretch of the 07-08 academic year.

On Tuesday (the 27th) at 6 p.m., the Town Council is schedule to finalize Franklin’s budget for fiscal 2009, which begins July 1. The school budget will be among those voted upon by the Council. Immediately following that session, the School Committee is scheduled to meet at 7:15 p.m.

Tuesday’s School Committee meeting will be an important one because it will be the first time we will be in position to analyze in more detail how the recent move to lay-off school personnel will impact academic classes, class sizes in key grades, and extracurricular offerings in the fall.

Now that the lay-offs have gone forward, in combination with retirements and terminations, Supt. Ogden and his staff will be able to present a clearer picture of the potential impact on student services. I urge you to tune in to the discussion Tuesday night if possible.

On Wednesday night, members of the Town Council, the School Committee and the Finance Committee will gather at 7 p.m. at the Mercer Auditorium at Horace Mann Middle School for a town-wide forum to answer citizen questions about the override votes scheduled for June 10.

I hope you will take the opportunity to attend Wednesday evening’s forum to learn more about the town’s fiscal condition and to speak your mind on budget matters, the town’s financial management and the value of the school services to the quality of life and property values here.



For additional information, you can view the Town budget page at: http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/town/admin/budget2/default.htm


You can view the proposed FY09 school budget at:
http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/FPS/super1/FY06Budget/default.htm


In addition, an override page is available that offers a central repository for a great deal of school and financial information. You can view it at:
http://franklinschoolcommittee.wordpress.com/override-page/


A small group of parents has begun to organize a citizen’s group in support of the override. If you are interested in meeting with them, please let me know and I will connect you.

Thank you for your time and attention, and your continued support. Please stay tuned for additional budget information in the weeks ahead.


Ed Cafasso, Member
Franklin School Committee

"taxpayers expect and deserve a five-year plan"

"The most important thing we can do to help pass the ($2.8 million) override is to immediately begin an intensive planning process that will lead to the development of a five-year financial plan before the year is over," said School Committee member Ed Cafasso.

"It's badly needed. Not only do taxpayers expect and deserve a five-year plan, we as town officials need a blueprint to guide our decisions going forward - we can no longer afford to beg for a life preserver every year," said Cafasso.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.

--------------

Learn all you need to by visiting here frequently.

Visit the School Committee override page for the schedule of information sessions

Be informed to cast your vote on June 10th

Letter From Ed Cafasso

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a restful weekend. As promised, here is an update on school budget matters, including a schedule of important public hearings that you may wish to attend.

The School Committee this week voted unanimously in support of a level service budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. That means we will ask the Town Council for approximately $4 million in additional funding, enough to cover our increasing costs so that we can support the same level of service students and parents currently receive.

As you know, Town Administrator Jeff Nutting has proposed that the schools receive only $800,000 in additional revenue for fiscal year 2009. If the Town Council accepts Mr. Nutting’s proposed funding level, the School Committee and Supt. Ogden would need to impose $3.2 million in cuts, including:

- 15 teaching positions at elementary level

- 12.5 teaching positions at middle school

- 17 teaching positions at FHS

- A $100 increase in the pay-to-ride bus fee hike, and

- The end of late bus service for students who need to stay after school for academic, clubs and extracurricular programs.

To date, we have not received any indications that the Town Council is willing to support additional funding for the schools beyond Mr. Nutting’s proposed appropriation. In light of this, the School Committee also voted unanimously to authorize Committee Chairman Jeff Roy to pursue the possibility of placing a Proposition 2½ override on the town ballot.

Dozens of you have written to me and to other members of the School Committee to express your deep concern over the impact of these potential cutbacks, including inappropriate class sizes, reductions in arts, music and extracurricular offerings, intolerable burdens for working families; destabilized property values, etc.

I appreciate all of the messages of support I have received and the great many smart questions parents are asking. I urge you to make your opinions known to the elected members of the Finance Committee and the Town Council. I have included their email addresses below, arranged in easy cut-and-paste blocks.

Finance Committee members:

RobustAlternatives@comcast.net; feldjamin@hotmail.com; pmessere@earthlink.net; rebecca65@comcast.net; mark.cataldo2@verizon.net; jfc322151@yahoo.com; pat@cbsfinances.com; csmaire@aol.com; wnorman18@comcast.net; rfvitale@msn.com; John.redwine@fmr.com; jnutting@franklin.ma.us

Town Council members: cdds2@comcast.net; bartlett.family@comcast.net; judpfeffer@verizon.net; TDoak@comcast.net; smason2@comcast.net; DMC2466298@aol.com; Vallee480@aol.com; whalen_stephen@hotmail.com; szollo@mbbp.com; jnutting@franklin.ma.us There are several public meeting opportunities coming up at which you also can ask questions of your elected officials and express your views as voters and taxpayers. These include;

Monday, April 14: The Finance Committee will hold a hearing to examine the School Department’s proposed FY09 budget at 7 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers on the 2^nd floor of the Municipal Building.

Tuesday, April 15: Town Administrator Jeff Nutting and School Supt. Wayne Ogden will appear at the meeting of the Franklin Schools at 9 a.m. at Horace Mann Middle School.

Tuesday, April 29: The School Committee will hold its public hearing on the school budget at 7 p.m. on 2^nd floor of the Municipal Building.

Wednesday, May 7: The Town Council will hold its hearing on the School Department budget at 7 p.m. on the 2^nd floor of the Municipal Building.

Thanks again for your feedback and support. I will do my best to keep you informed. The next three to four weeks will be crucial in determining the state of our schools this fall. Stay tuned. Stay involved.

Ed Cafasso, Member

Franklin School Committee

A letter from Ed Cafasso

Hi everyone,

At this Tuesday evening’s School Committee meeting, members will discuss how to handle the massive proposed cuts your community’s schools are facing in fiscal year 2009, which begins July 1. You can expect several updates on this topic in the weeks ahead.

The Town of Franklin, on average, spends $2,200 less per pupil than the average for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The state Department of Education tracks school district spending in 11 categories, including administration, professional development, pupil services and operations and maintenance. Franklin spends above the state average in only one of the 11 categories – classroom teachers.

In fact, approximately 80 percent of our budget is driven by compensation to teachers. Over years of grappling with school budgets, the Committee has always tried to protect classroom personnel in order to maintain reasonable class sizes for our students.

But, unless we can improve school funding for the coming fiscal year, it’s unlikely that Franklin will be able to claim an advantage in that category any more.

The current school budget is $54.6 million. In order to maintain the same level of services in the new school year, a budget of $58.7 million is required to meet rising salary, healthcare, pension and utility costs. Maintaining the exact same level of services we are providing this year would mean an additional appropriation of $4 million.

Despite receiving an increase in Chapter 70 state educational aid of $2.2 million, town tax revenues are down overall, so the Town Administrator proposing to give schools only $800,000 more in fiscal 2009.

In order to fulfill our responsibility to submit a balanced budget to the Town Council, the School Committee and Supt. Ogden are considering $3.2 million in cuts, including:

• 15 teaching positions at elementary level

• 12.5 teaching positions at middle school

• 17 teaching positions at FHS

• A $100 increase in the pay-to-ride bus fee hike, and

• The end of late bus service for students who need to stay after school for academic, club and extracurricular programs.

Last year, even passage of the town’s first-ever override was not enough to help the budget keep pace with escalating costs, and the schools cut 28 positions. The vast majority of those terminations were not educational positions. This year, the 45.5 jobs slated for elimination will have a direct, negative impact on class sizes in Franklin for the first time.

At Franklin High School, where a reasonable class size range is 22 to 26 students, the class size in September will balloon to 25 to 30. Middle school class sizes will range from 25 to 30, as well. Class sizes in most of the town’s elementary schools will push well past appropriate levels, and will feature 26 to 30 students each this fall.

At our most recent meeting, school principals expressed deep concern over their ability to deliver a top quality academic experience to students if these cuts go through. One even predicted that Franklin’s test scores, which have been outstanding despite lower-than-average per pupil spending, will begin showing declines in only one year.

Members of the School Committee – as well as members of the Town Council and the Finance Committee – need to hear your concerns and recommendations on how to proceed. Everyone recognizes that these are tough economic times, but disinvesting in our schools has no good outcome. It will not help our children prepare for their own economic future. It will not maintain our quality of life. It will not stabilize home prices in Franklin.

Please let me know your thoughts on the current situation. In the meantime, the following links provide additional information on budget proposals and discussions:

School Budget Information Home Page:

http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/FPS/super1/FY06Budget/default.htm

PowerPoint Overview on Proposed FY09 School Budget:

http://www.franklin.k12.ma.us/co/supt/budget/Budget2SCFY09.pdf

Complete Proposed FY09 Budget by School:

http://www.franklin.k12.ma.us/co/supt/budget/FY09Budget.pdf

Franklin School Committee Web Site:

http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/fsc/

Franklin Town Council Web Site:

http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/town/towncouncil/

Franklin Matters Blog:

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/

Franklin Town Common Discussion Site:

http://www.towncommon.net/tcma/forumdisplay.php?f=594

I hope you will use these sources, as well as newspaper reports, PCC meetings and cable broadcasts, to stay informed as budget discussions continue. As always, I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you!

Ed Cafasso, Member

Franklin School Committee

New Business: The Charlebois issue (audio)

The Franklin School Committee does not have much of a position to handle this issue but it is addressed. Karen Seyfried, Principal and Director of the ECDC answers questions along with Wayne Ogden.

Time: 11 minutes, 5 seconds



MP3 File

Sub Committee Reports (audio)

The Franklin School Committee hears from the various sub committees.

Time: 4 minutes, 18 seconds



MP3 File

Facility Consolidation (audio)

The Franklin School Committee get an update from the group that met with some of the Town Council and other Town administration to discuss the proposa. It will require a memorandum of understanding between the Town Council and School Committee to put into effect.

Details remain to be worked out but in Jeff Roy's terms it was "the most productive meeting on this topic".

Time: 8 minutes, 16 seconds



MP3 File

FY09 - Elementary School principals (audio)

Franklin School Committee continues the detail discussion on the FY09 budget with the Elementary School principals

Time: 13 minutes, 14 seconds



MP3 File