Showing posts sorted by date for query "state education mandates". Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query "state education mandates". Sort by relevance Show all posts

Sunday, July 29, 2012

10th Norfolk: Collected questions for Democratic debate

My questions:

What have you done or are planning to do to prepare for serving Franklin in the Legislature?

Two part Q: What do you see as Franklin’s key issue at the State level and how do you plan to address it?

Do you have any relationships with folks in or around the State House or in the Legislature that you can leverage when you are in office to help serve Franklin? Please elaborate.

Based upon the flyer on the door, it seems like you are both walking the neighborhoods. What is one thing that going door to door does for your campaign?

How much will websites and other social media tools help your campaign?

Questions submitted by others in Franklin:

If elected what changes would you propose to help commuters from Franklin/Medway afford to get into Boston for work?

What are your thoughts about the MA higher education costs. Is there anything you would propose to help more students afford MA State higher education?

Local officials often complain to voters that costly state mandates tie their hands and prevent them from making common-sense fiscal policies for the town. What will you do as state rep to remove burdensome state mandates and un-tie local officials' hands?

What will be your priorities if you are selected to serve in the state legislature?

How can we make health care in Massachusetts more affordable for the commonwealth, cities, towns, businesses and individuals?

How do you feel about what Gov Patrick has done so far about containing health care costs?

My question to all is This... I think all of you are educated well, are lawyers and have held local seats on a board but what Policical experience so you have that I may not know about that you feel makes you qualified to be sucessful at this job?


Don't see a question topic here that you would like an answer to, add yours to the mix via email or the form here  http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/07/what-would-you-ask-candidate.html

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Good candidate questions coming in

Thanks to you we have four good questions for our candidates thus far.


What question would you ask these candidates for the 10th Norfolk District to help make your decision on how to cast your vote?

  • If elected what changes would you propose to help commuters from Franklin/Medway afford to get into Boston for work?  
  • What are your thoughts about the MA higher education costs.  Is there anything you would propose to help more students afford MA State higher education?
  • Local officials often complain to voters that costly state mandates tie their hands and prevent them from making common-sense fiscal policies for the town. What will you do as state rep to remove burdensome state mandates and un-tie local officials' hands?
  • What will be your priorities if you are selected to serve in the state legislature?


If you have a question, you would like to ask one of the candidates for the 4th Norfolk District, please use the form here to submit it
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/07/what-would-you-ask-candidate.html

Or if you want, you can always send me an email at (shersteve at gmail dot com)

Monday, October 24, 2011

Live reporting - Candidate Night - part 3

School Committee
Cafasso, Douglas, Mullen, Rohrbach, Donavan, Jewell, McIntyre (Trahan not present)

Intro
Trahan - letter to be read

McIntyre - 17 year resident, son is senior at FHS, life of fostering learning, professor and advisor, part of School Improvement committee at Remington Middle Sch, also on FHS, has been subbing k-12

Jewell - 18 years in Franklkin, in military, familia with student needs, taught at US Milatary Academy, can bring it to the school system

Donahue - live in Franklin all through the system, Bryant degree in communications, really important fields for the town right now, done budgets for school groups.

Rohrbach - lived in Franklin 13 years, Bryant and Suffolk Univ. Served on last 6 years, loved every minutes even during the most difficult times. Focus efforts onbudget and finances, ensure the schools are run efficiently

Mullen - running for 6th term, raised 3 children, youngest is Senior, work in Wrntham, was an elemtary school teacher for several years

Douglas - lived in Franklin, taught at Brick for 33 years, insights into Sch Dept as a passionately believe in the fine education

Cafasso - two daughters at FHS - 1st goal to see the new high school, 2nd goal to work on the table and redo the contract to save money, hard work and creativity will be needed

Q - what are prioties on sch budget nees?
McIntyre - foster a love of learning, do a lot of work to get education good, are the students love to learn? The K students love it but the others lose it as they go. Race to Nowhere, film, are we connecting school with what they do with their life?

Q - primary role
Jewell - How could you possibl give a raise and layoff teachers, science classes are too large/ Students are being forced to learn but not being stimulaed to get to a higher level. need to compete to get to the levels of Harvard, etc.

Q- how do you expect to communicate?
Donahue - a very important issue to me, the SChCom bbog os a step forward, post more frequenently, let people nkow of what's going on before people have to go look for it. Mis0information is out there, need to correct those facts. There are lots of benefits in the contract, the ability to look at steps and lanes, if we can make serious changes, we need to do a better job so that people know these thiings

Q - Do you believe full day K should be maintained?
ROhrbach - we did a study on it, we don't save money by going awy from it, if we dilute the experience by going to half day, it will affect them longer term. It is not a good decision

Q - do you support the raises that were given?
Mullen - there are five less teachers so there is misinformation around that we need to correct. There was an unfair labor practice to save over $500K and settle the contract, already started the interest based bargaining process last week. We will adress the isseu of steps and lanes, it was the right decision to make.

Q - what are prioties?
Douglas - keping teachers in the classrooms, as Ms Mullen only 5 positions were lost last year vs what the media has reported.

Q - do you support the bulding committee decision?
Cafasso - I do support that decision the architect stood up and said it would be foolish not to consider the new school. The labs are 80 vintage and need updated. The rnovation would take twice as long, and have unpredictable outcomes, an excellent investment, a great investment ofr our community and property values

Q - how do you expect to communcate?
McIntyre - communication is a hugh issue, one needs to happen more with each other. and letting others know what is going on. Going into their homes, into the coffee shops
 it is important that they know

Q - do you beleive full day kindergarten
Jewell - I have not completely looked at it so I will take the recommendation from the study, reasonabled sized class rooms, it is important to look at the budgert we have and look at it, the money saved could have avoided other teacher layoffs, look at language emersion, look at perfoamce at the school and lessons after the school. need to reach the highestr of their potential. look at the state mandates

Q - Do you support the raises?
Donahue - I think this is a difficult decision for someone who hasnt been part of the negotiations. The current members are more eloquent on this matter

Q- what is your primary reason for seeking aposition
Rohrbach - it hasn't changed over the eyars,m I wnt to give back. This term, I have particular reasons getting into the teachers contract, IBB adn conversation on steps/lanes and follow through on the high school uilding committee as it was started in 2005

Q - do you support the building committee?
Mullen - to renovate the hgih school would be a very diffu=cult for the stuendets, the best value for the dollar. Mutltipe stories that don't connect to each other

Q - what is your primary reason for running
Douglas - after working as a teacher, this is another way to give back to the town. I would like to be here again

Q -
Cafasso - I ahve been sending emails to about 600 consituants, on a monthly or quartery basis. The school website is being update. I want to redo the survey and see what the community wants to receive. We are fortunate to have good relationships, we need better on a regular basis.

Closing
McIntyre - major strength big picture and broad perspective, 30years in hgher ed, teaching here k-12. Imroving our schools is not about AP course or gettign into Harcard, It needs to be generating a loe of learning. need to knwo the connections on why they are education, we can look at making it better in our little town. I will ask why?

Jewell - we have several questions on communications, a very important part of the whole process. Defend the positin in the budget, favorbable bargaining with the unions,. doignwhat is best for the students. I wil be working with the seniors as I have been told that thye vote down the overrides. Once a school is paid for, it is done, with an override is goes on. We need to improve the education that our students have. Some who are successful or margainially successful is interest

Donahue - thanks - Donahue for Franklin dot com. Goals and accountabilkity is posted there. Why I am running, my success in school here helped me, to give back to Franklin. I have talked to a,oot of parents and what to bring back something that I had that sutednts don't get today. Communications with civility is importnat.

ROhrbach - I have been part of a committe that has worked tirelessly, that believes in educationg the whole child. Since 2006 we have been in a recssion, re-0evaulate our program, seek additinal revenue streams. The results of these efforts are shown by being named as a spotlight district. Imprtant crossroads with our teachers and their salary sturcture, the high school uulding project, perfromance based evaluation for our teachers. I want to contune to make the difficult chocies. It is all about our children
'
Mullen - first became involved when childeren were in elemtenary.
(add later)

Douglas - did alot of listening last 2 years, lots of learning that wya. take time to vote, your vote counts

Cafasso - lots of people are touched by the schools when you have children in it, a 50M non-profit, we are spending less than the state average but perform in the top 25%. Can this continue, it remains to be seen.. I do my homework, I am accountable,. I am accessible


Live reporting - Candidate Night - part 2

Board of Health
Ranieri - unable to participate, letter read for him as his one minute introduction
Brunelli - no show

Intro
Aucoin - interested in politics for more than 10 years. Became more involved with the H1N1 virus. Came into the issue of fluoride this year. The current Board of Health is making residents take the fluoride in excess amounts. Most towns don't enforce fluoride.

Q - what are the most pressing issues?
Aucoin - current board did not take initiative in researching the issue, needs to be more active

Q - 2 full time health agents, how do you see your working relations with these?
Aucoin - they are predisposed to take the State and Federal government word, the local board needs to take a more substantial role to stand up against the pharmacutical companies.

Summary
It is all about fluoride for me. They do a good job with the mundane stuff they do. They do good work. My research on civil liberties will add this important aspect to the Board.


Constables
Defino - not around at this time, was here, may get back to this later (and they did not before the evening ended)


Town Council
(slight delay as there was not enough chairs in position for the candidates)
Jones, Kelly, McGann, Pfeffer, Powderly, Vallee, Bissanti, Calabrese, Dellorco, Mercer, Rivera, Roy

Intro
Jones - (missed catching - recap from recording later)
Kelly - product of Franklin, schooled, business owner, tough times, important to make every tax dollar count
McGann - long time resident, children through the school system, seeking the 5th term, bring positive ideas to the table, maybe asked why am I missing, it is all personal, I don't feel I have to share it with the whole town.
Pfeffer - life long resident, through school system, JD in Law from Suffolk, believes in giving back to the community. Remington was named for a family member
Powderly - lived her 10 years, served on FinCom. on 1t term of Council. Chair of Senior outreach tonight. Issues are complicated, need different approaches. I hope to be part of the process in the future.
Vallee - family local, veteran, Franklin Rotary Club.
Bissanti - involved for approaching 100 years. 3 daughters at home under one roof, i have been a politicians all my life.
Calabrese - married 43 years, three children, Brick School and FHS graduate. Northeastern Univ, former police service. Served on Planning Board.
Dellorco - married 16 year, three children, long time youth coach, coach at FHS, want to make Franklin best community in Commonwealth
Mercer - VP of Fuller Box Company, chair of building committee, Horace Mann, Senior Center and currently the new Franklin High school. This has inspired me to serve on the Town Council
Rivera - In Franklin 8 years, 3 beautiful children, served on FinCom for three years. we have great challenges and with my strong background, I believe forward thinking and solutions, I will be an added value
Roy - I have had the honor and opportunity to serve as the SchCom Chair, 4 superintendents, a high performing district. Want to take that energy to bring to the Town Council seat and work with a new team

Questions
Q - do you support the recommendations of the building committee?
Roy - I am delighted that the community will be able to vote on this project. We started in 2005. The new school option was outrageous. Overtime, renovation appeared a better option. The building committee looked at that, then was offered the option of the model school.

Q - How do you plan on communicating to community on issues?
Rivera - The line of communication is strong here. I am a coach for baseball and my parents know I am open to communications

Q - When making decisions how would you handle it?
Mercer - it is important for the Council to do their homework, need all the information and data in front of you to make an informed decision.

Q - how do you see your relationship as a Councilor?
Dellorco - I would make team Franklin and all work together to solve our problems?

Q -
Calabrese - no expertise, need to maintain our integrity and spend our money in a responsible way

Q - what is your primary reason for running for Council?
Bissanti - Could we get some water bottles up here? In my business, I hear and see a lot of issues discussed, to hear out on the street to be discussed on the council

Q - What do you see as council role in getting things running smoothly?
Vallee - health safety and education, I want to see three ambulances staffed all the time. I am concerned about the police, we have 50 something we are down to 42 now I think?

Q - What can the Council do to keep residents concerns are addressed?
Powderly - need to address, transparency, communication and respect. Among elected officials and employees, communications need to assess the priorities. Constantly be a focus. Represent the citizens in the best way possible

Q - assuming expenses will outpace revenue would you support an override?
Pfeffer - at some point in time, there will be a need to do so. Will need to support us for a few years. you can't fool the people and then come back. We are cutting expenses. We have cut expenses the past numbers of years.

Q - Assuming expenses have to be cut to balance the budget what would you cut first?
McGann - it is a tough budget, health, safety and  education. I would look at every budget very carefully. I would scrutinize the budget in every way possible. The next council will have their hands full. This is the worst I have seen, and Franklin is not unique

Q - what do you believe are three most important issues?
Kelly - education of our children, rely on the school committee to set the best policy; look at the fire and police; look to take care of our seniors, keep them safe and active. Those are the same items that will come up on the next budget.

Q - what is the most pressing problem that you could address immediately?
Jones - biggest issue is money, facing a loosing tax base combined with increasing unfunded mandates coming down from the Sate and Federal level. Schools need additional funding, cuts in fire/safety -cuts are immediate, cuts in schools are seen until students graduate. Where do we make our choices? needs to approach as a whole

Q - if elected, how to plan on communicating to the community?
Roy - I think I would follow the way we did with the SchCom, with the web site, superintendents office did the same. We also used a blog, started in 2007, 218 posts, and 200000 individual visits to get that information. I will take the opportunity to engage with the community to speak my mind, what ever vehicle or means the folks want, I am open to it

Q - when making decisions with other boards, how would you do so?
Rivera - I have made those decisions before, I ask a lot of questions, maybe the engineer in me, I would follow the open meeting law, we have challenging issues,

Q - what is the #1 problem you would address immediately?
Mercer - budget is importance, reviewing every departments budget, better objectives and performance measures should be set by the Council?

Q - assuming expense would exceed our revenues?
Dellorco - I would look at the all the budgets and investigate. I am not against an override but it needs to be justified

Q - if you needed to cut, what would you cut first?
Calabrese - look at what the options are, police, fire, health school, and hopefully come up with a reasonable way to either cut the budget or make it work

Q - how do you see your relationship as councilor with Town Administrator?
Bissanti - I don't think I have seen a more open administrator. Impressive resume. This council should respect that and also measure that in their role as Council?

Q - do you support the building committee recommendation?
Vallee - yes,it seems to be the most economic option

Q - what 3 issues?
Powderly - high school likely the biggest,support the children and property values; expense have outpaced revenues, we have drawn down the stabilization fund, options are fairly limited, having hard time to see more cuts to public safety or education

Q- If returned to the Council?
Pfeffer - town has a website, all items are placed there, I don't have a website, we are covered by the Milford News, and the two other start up papers, and people call us continuously

Q - how do you see your relationship with the Town Administrator?
McGann - Mr Nutting has an opened door policy, his door is always open, first one to return a phone call. He has done a very good job. The 9 councilors that are elected, they are on the web channel, email and phone numbers are on the website,we are very reachable

Q - when making decision with other boards
Kelly - spent two years on SchCom and did not have much interaction, spent past two years on TC and there needs to be better, communication is needed, one of my goals in the next two years

Q - what is your primary reason for running for TC?
Jones - to be an outspoken voice for the residents and businesses, an electrician in the trade for 20+ years, some folks are afraid to talk, I have not been afraid to step up to the plate for those who aren't.

Closing Statements
Roy - go to the bottom of the ballot, my name will be on the bottom. You have come clear choices, I have worked with the SchCom and a great team. I have been a trial lawyer for 20+ years that is problem solving. I am going to leave my home in a pine box. I first ran when I was 18 years old. Fighting for a school budget. The budget is going to be a difficult process. An increase of 1,000 students a decrease of 1q00 teachers, and tough decisions

Rivera - a pleasure to serve and live here. Some difficult decisions, worked with dept head sin last 3 years, rate has gone up since 2006, we need to understand how our money will be spent going forward. How can we increase our revenue. Work with all involved to get feedback. I have enjoyed working with the FinCom, we need to bring solutions.

Mercer - I believe have the knowledge to work and ensure a careful decision. Will work hard to improve communications, my prior years have lead me to this position. I am proud of my track record.

Dellorco - I do support Bob Vallee, I do think we need three ambulances in town. Health safety and education. One of the players at a Pop Warner game had to wait for over 20 minutes for help. I live in town, I work in town.

Calabrese - I grew up in this town, I do care very much about this town, If you want responsible spending for your tax dollars, vote for me

Bissanti - we all know what the issues are. I will do the best I can to address those issues. On a more global outlook,the future of this town is the children, What protects them on and off to school is what I am for. I will make sure this town you can be proud of

Vallee - in view of the declining economy, I have voted against fee increase and salary increase. Need health, safety and invest as much as we can in education. We are 7th or 8 in the world right now and that is not good.

Powderly - the overriding principle, we are one community. i will take all aspects of the budget into consideration. We spend less than others on what we do. That means a safe streets, fire, ambulance, I can't match the lifer residence that others have up here. I was an Army brat, to be in any place or town years is the longest time, you have to have an open mind.

Pfeffer-  a town council represents all citizens not the place to further personal goals - the greater good for the most number, make a decision

McGann - thanks for the good questions, good luck to all the candidates. Don't try to fool the voters, if we are going to bring an override, you have to be honest with them One has passed of the seven brought. If you pull a rabbit out of the hat, there is one dept that does that. The voters know what they want. They know who is going to be doing for them

Kelly - thanks for the opportunity for this night, the next several years will be challenging, the safety of our residents, education of our children and care for our seniors are important. Constant communications with all involved have prepared me for this. Your vote will show

Jones - I don't have a prepared speech but I am not going to sugar coat this. The down town traffic patterns will change, the budget will be tight. I have been a leader

.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Live reporting - Rep Vallee, Sen Spilka

a. State Representative Jim Vallee, Senator Karen Spilka

Rep Vallee - The budget is just starting, the presentation was impressive

Sen Spilka - Schools can be very responsive and creative
1st hearing Weds, Senate will work on its in May, House working now


Rep Vallee - the strides made in this community have been tremendous, these have brought so many new folks to the community as well. It is distressing to dismantle something that is doing so well, a portion of your budget is based upon State aid - you are so reliant State aid. School construction is now budgeted with a definite revenue stream after having gone wild several years ago. A challenge for us to continue to contribute to a quality education. The formula is so complicated, only one or two people perhaps know all the ins/outs.

Roy - I am so excited that you had a chance to see that presentation. We are down about 100 teachers but the spirit of the program remains in the system. No matter what adversities arise, they step up to them. I don't know if you can shed some light on what is coming down, we were delighted to see that the Governor's number didn't cut so much.

Sen Spilka - where as the school budget saw an increase in aid, other services (Dept of Mental Health, etc.) are stepping forward to ask for their cause. There may be some shifting around. Local aid and Chap 70 has been a priority for me. This budget will be the toughest budget yet, things will get better after this. We are on the rebound getting out of the recession. We are moving out of the recession faster than other states, rated 5th best state to do business in the nation. For those not employed or under-employed, this means nothing. Creating jobs is our number one priority. What ever we can do, the more jobs we can create, the healthier the revenue will be.

Roy - We are thankful that the two of you have returned to Beacon Hill. We appreciate the fact that you are helping us.

Rep Vallee - certainty is something to have, not something elusive, in our community we have been doing this for a while. State aid can't continue to rise every year, having some certainty we can at least make some plans. I get the calls too! It is hard. It is something I would like to see achieved.

Cafasso - We talk about local aid, it is 54% of our budget, we should be thankful, and we are. Both of you have done well by this district. It is time for the citizens to bear more of the burden for this district. We are very appreciative of your continued support.

Sen Spilka - I have been filing legislation in an attempt to find an alternative source to the property taxes.

Rohrbach - It is a scary position, when state aid goes down, it is a problem for us. How long will it take to adjust the huge cruise ship to a different model/ The circuit breaker is one item if we could close to the Gov's number. We pay about a million dollars for out of district transportation.

Sen Spilka- I did file legislation to help communities like this. All of them geared to reducing the cost of special education.

Glynn - thank you for your efforts. I attended a suburban coalition meeting last week. It is very disheartening to know, what we have been doing via cuts with what we have had and comparison to other towns where they get less state aid.  For something that is a national priority, you can’t expect to finance it via homeowners, that’s a broken financial model. We are talking about hundreds of kids here in Franklin, this effects thousands of kids nationwide.

Updated 2/16/11 via email from Bill Glynn

Rep Vallee - the model that we have, we were sued and lost. So the State passed Ed Reform to address that. The model is not sustainable. We patched the tire instead of fixing the model. There are a lot of people who agree with us. No one has come up with an acceptable solution. When you start contracting budgets, it forces you to look at things. To think outside the box to come up with a solution. We know the formula, we stabilize a country and educate the kids overseas. We need to change it here.

Sen Spilka - I was on the School Committee previously, my first intro to Beacon Hill was lobbying it. We need to get to critical mass. We did make a change five years ago. It was supposed to be on a five year plan. I am not sure aggregate income is the way to go. We did get some predictability from the Dept of Rev. We did make it simpler. It sill is not fully simple. The piece that eluded us is adequacy. The constitution mandates it but the definition of adequacy has changed. There are so many factors. The Dept of Ed is undertaking an adequacy study now. Hopefully by this summer, we'll have some results. What should be built into the funding formula. That I am hoping will be a springboard for the next round of ed reform.

Glynn - adequacy can not lie in the eyes of the beholder



Franklin, MA

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Live reporting - School Budget Workshop - (after break)

Part 1 can be found here
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/01/live-reporting-school-budget-workshop.html

Question - Rohrbach
Basically level service budget, some positions under ARRA have been included, some have not - hence the "not-quite-level-service" budget.  What does the 1.7M  represent?

Goodman - most of the 1.7 M is accounted for by the 1.1M ARRA funds expiring. The remainder are due to contractual obligations under which we are still negotiation.

Rohrbach - we have been in maintenance mode,

Sabolinksi - level service is a misnomer, 14 plus positions are eliminated, classroom  teachers
5 elem, 3 middle school, Director Alt Ed, etc. are positions that are not in this budget.

Glynn - We have the not-so-level service, we have seen what it would look like with the average State per pupil expenditure. Do we have a feel for what would be in the middle? What we would restore here and there previously cut?

Sabolinski - We could do a lot with 10M

Glynn - where is it that we would restore to, so that we could feel good about it?
Kingsland-Smith - how about getting to average?

Sabolinski - If we got 10M we could bring 60 teachers back, that would be huge for class size, programs, etc. We don't need to jump to $78 million to be great. We could jump halfway there and still be better than average.

Powderly - I am looking for something that people will hold on to. I'd love to have some illustrative points to tel the story.

Roy - The most pressure we are in is with the teachers contract. There was a sense that the teachers weren't hearing the School Committee. There was a sense that the School Committee wasn't hearing the teachers. We had a special session about 2.5 hours open session where we heard those stories about what is going on. People are protective, they don't want morale to fall. The only thing they care about is the kids in the classroom. It was certainly very impact full to hear the teachers tell the stories.

Powderly - I know your hearing and there are folks who would use that in a malicious manner.

Jones - that is the beauty of the anonymity of the comments in a newspaper article. How do we convince the community that we need an investment in the community?

Roy - I think if we can get the nine voices on the Council to buy into this, that will go along way. It is very difficult to build this beautiful piece but it is so easy to tear it down. One naysayer throwing out a comment can   undo that.

Cafasso - when we do the presentation to the community and to the Council, we need to include the DESE numbers on the state averages. There are 6200 kids in the district. 20% of this community is in school, don't tell me to cut the fat. We appreciate the Town taking over the facilities, it was a good move. 60% of this Town isn't paid for by the Town, it is paid for by people who buy lottery tickets.

Glynn - for the sake of argument, if we put together a budget around a number below the average but above where we are.

Jones - It is the democratic way that determines the decision. What it boils down to is that the naysayers are winning. We are not going to change the way the game is played just because you don't get what you want.
We are not in the best economic position to propose this. There is more to this than just the numbers, there is the overall value of the Town based upon the education, the outcome of the future due to our children's education.

Roy - that is a great segway to the next segment of this discussion on the impact of the budget.

Elementary

Mrs Minkle - We have been telling this story since 2002 when we started loosing teachers and programs. Our top priority is classroom teachers and class size. range from 18-27. Depends upon building population. We haven't yet had kindergarten registration, so that is open. We are using the last years number asa starting point

Rohrbach - 23 out of 125 classes would be above recommended class size?
Minke - Yes, that is correct.

Sabolinski - This is based upon the $52 M budget propsed. If we don't get all of that, the numbers would be different.

Cafasso - Are there other program impacts?

Minkle - we are feeling the effects across the board, every one of those cuts effects the students in the classroom. Just the amount of time on each student decreases. We are always asked to do more with less, RTI, ELL, the list is growing - these are unfunded mandates.

Kingsland-Smith - the 2008 data showed testing in three buildings, we have testing in every building. Some recent immigrants speak no English whatsoever. Classroom teachers, specialists, etc are now engaging in additional team work to set plans for at risk students.

Rohrbach - The cuts started in 2002? how would

Minkle - 22 vs. 28 on class size, amount of time a student can get from their teacher. These are our most vulnerable. From K to 12. These are our future. The experiences they are missing can not be replaced.

Roy - I remember last year during the budget, I got a text from my daughter who came to the meeting to speak personally to the changes she has seen.

Sabolinksi - instrumental music doesn't exist in Elementary anymore, yet expectations at Federal and State level have increased (unfunded mandates, etc.) We have relied on our teachers so we have been able to survive.

Kingsland-Smith - in the MCAS scores, Elementary was out of a problem zone, the last couple of years we are seeing these scores creeping in.

Lisa Trainor - we can see being efficient with less, over time the working conditions are not something you can maintain, there are increases in absence, increases in grievence.

Middle schools

Beth Wittcoff
17 classes will exceed recommendation on class size with the loss of 6 teacher positions
Math CET loss will risk gains made in AYP, the gains made in large part to the Match CETs
Provide acceleration for 7th graders as well as those falling behind

24 positions lost since 2004,
loss of a dedicated health class, infusing health anywhere they can see fit.
Latin instruction was loss but switched to Spanish
in ago of response to intervention (RTI) it is a challenge, it is not just an obligation, it is a calling

Michael Levine
Sometimes it works to our disadvantage that we are so efficient, the social emotional problems that occur during this age, if they are not addressed by the teachers and faculty

Paul Pieri
It is also the appearance we put forward, do we still do foreign language, to go from offering three languages to offering one, the extent of it has drastically changed from 2002 to now.

Glynn - you expressed it very well, it is a calling. Education is being eroded, "not in my classroom" was an immediate response from one teacher.

Sabolinski - the principals are trying to insulate the teachers as much as possible from the budget discussions. I have a monthly round table. Morale is really good, we appreciate not having conversations about budget all the time. Come April/May, there will be more anxiety, but the teachers have been allowed to focus on education. As for the principals, this is not a seasonal thing, we are working at this all year, trying to think how we can do more with less, do things better with what we have.

High School

Mr Light
Director, ALP is a loss, a number of the teachers at the high school
1100 principal, director of student services, 4 asst
1600 principal, 3 asst principals - effectively lost about 40% of the administration with a larger school

These are the neediest students in Franklin, because we have been successful in this program, our dropouts have decreased, from 26 to 5, amongst the best in the state. The work that coordinator does has been critical to that success. The work will have to shift, where we have not yet determined.

The high school has been impacted by reductions across the district. The language program because a more meeting students needs rather than a well thought out program.

There is a reduction in type and breadth of programs. The Math, ELA, and Science are where the focus is due to where the reporting is required. All the other services are less priority.

It costs Franklin much more to send a student to Tri-County as it does to educate here. Many of the students end up coming back because the educational needs are not being met there, but the money has already gone out of the district and doesn't come back that year.

Sabolinski - I think we have tried to layout in the budget what it will take to stop the hemorrhaging of resources. I see this as essential to maintaining our programs. We are really at a district out of places to cut. We can not cut administrative staff. This is a pivotal time for the school community. Education after this would become unrecognizable to what we used to be able to provide in 2002.

Roy - You have talked today about the $52M and 5% increase, it does not cover impacts about what would happen if we don't get that amount.

Rohrbach - Each asst principal covers 850 students each? What is a good number?
Light - I think around 500-600 would be better.
Rohrbach - so the loss of one has an impact

Rohrbach - one question we have received is could we have one principal over both middle and elementary schools?

Minke- one, I am not certified for Middle School, it is a separate factor. If we don't have the social/emotional factors covered for each age group, education will not occur.

Kingsland-Smith - The schools are divided for a reason, there is a whole lot of educational thought and science put into the building arrangement and educational process.

Wycoff - it would create a 900-1000 student school, Franklin was instrumental in getting to smaller buildings and it was reflected in the district performance. This would be a significant step back. In order to do this job right, it takes time. We are working with the students to help them learn and learn from their mistakes.

Trainor - I don't think you would save any money on a cost benefit analysis.

Roy - Scheduling of buildings is difficult, you are going through scheduling and that is also a negotiation point so we won't get into details. Can you speak to the schedule changes?

Light - We looked at our class sizes and wanted to avoid getting into 30+ students per class and adjusted the schedule dropping one period. We have no way financially to get that seventh period back. We can't afford to bring in sufficient teachers to do so. The kids would like to take an additional elective but we can't go there.

Rohrbach - can you do more on the transfer out of Franklin High topic?

Light - We lost 150 students to private and vocational schools,  $16K plus for Tri-County vs. $10K for FHS.

Sabolinski - If the students don't fit what the program is, are invited to leave Tri-County. We are looking at numbers and in particular, in the period shortly after October the students come back. October 1 is the cut off for State numbers that determine the funding.

Roy - Now the Tr-County budget also goes before the Town Council and in recent years they have gotten few if any questions. When Franklin comes before the Council for a dime, we get grilled. You can help turn that tide.

Glynn - at a high level would would it take to get that schedule?
Light - about 15-20 teachers at a minimum

Glynn - The report reflecting data from two years ago, when we had that schedule, showed we were highly efficient. Yet we can't get back to that without millions of dollars.

Trahan - we know what the research says, we know what the kids need, yet every year the budget gets cut. We thank you for all you do. For the one override that did pass, it will take a united council to bring it forward to the people. I was on the first Long Range Financial Planning, I am not on the second go around. If the Council can at least understand at least half of what we have found today, that will help. Thanks to Miriam  for the budget presentation. I am not a budget person and I can understand this.

Jones - I can not speak for the Council. Really and truly, all that we can ask is that we look for in every area we can find, a dollar reduction. We try and keep things on a lean level and try to keep education. It is a balancing act. It is a lot for us to ask of the Town. It will take an effort of everyone we know. Everyone should get a little information to pass along. We can't fix what has been done but we can fix what lies ahead. Not only get it to them but make them understand it.

Roy - I think we heard today that we can not cut any more. We have to take responsibility for our kids. We have to have the community to step up to the plate. We need to fund our responsibilities. I am not convinced that we are meeting our obligations.

Glynn - if this level of taxes is what we can afford, then the services need to adjust. If you can't understand the future, look at what is happening to Egypt. If you are worried about the debt level, worry about the educational preparation that these kids will have.





Franklin, MA




Monday, June 7, 2010

Budget - Override Collection - FY 2011

The following links provide access to information on the budget for Fiscal Year 2011

Additional items will be added here as they are found/prepared.
If you are looking for something in particular regarding the budget and don't find it, please let me know.

Now what?


Letter from Ed Cafasso

Joint Statement on Override - June 8th
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/05/joint-message-on-june-8th-special.html

Scott Mason Interview on the whole gamut of topics around the vote on June 8th
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/05/fm-69-scott-mason-part-1-of-2.html
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/05/fm-69-b-scott-mason-part-2-of-2.html

Town Fiscal Year 2011 Budget document and cover letter
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Admin/FY%2011%20Budget/

Budget Workshop (held Jan 25, 2010) to prepare for the budget
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/budget-workshop-collection-12510.html

Finance Committee budget hearings
May 4th http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/05/finance-committee-050410.html
May 6th http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/05/finance-committee-050610.html
May 10th  http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/05/finance-committee-051010.html

Town Forum at Horace Mann School Auditorium (video)
http://view.liveindexer.com/ViewIndexSessionSL.aspx?indexPointSKU=mGsI6gdlM4Tf2oFU7LAn9g%3d%3d


Town Council budget hearings
June 9th - meeting notes can be found here
June 10th

Franklin budget for FY 2010
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Admin/FY%2010%20Budget/

Franklin budget documents for years prior to 2010
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Admin/previous

Financial audit reports for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Admin/Audits/

School Department/School Committee budget book
http://www.franklin.k12.ma.us/co/supt/budget/FY2011Budgetbook.pdf (PDF)

School Department proposed cuts to the level service budget (assuming override does not pass)
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/05/franklin-ma-school-budget-possible.html

School Committee override page
http://franklinschoolcommittee.wordpress.com/override-page/

Schools presentation on budget and need for override
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/05/franklin-ma-choice-we-have.html

Financial Planning Committee report (long term plan) and documents
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_BComm/financial%20planning%20committee%20report/

A series of posts on State Education Mandates (unfunded mandates)
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/05/state-education-mandates-collection.html

Invest in Franklin: http://investinfranklin.weebly.com/

The June 8th Special Election Flyer can be found here

The forums and events calendar to hear and discuss information on the Special Election June 8th can be found here

Franklin's override and debt exclusion history
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/04/franklin-ma-override-debt-exclusion.html

Frequently Asked Questions




Significant comment discussion is also found in these articles on the Milford Daily News website

http://www.milforddailynews.com/topstories/x1372400798/Franklin-puts-money-aside-to-pay-laid-off-workers

http://www.milforddailynews.com/topstories/x1602636112/Franklin-proceeds-with-layoffs

http://www.milforddailynews.com/topstories/x1602634672/Franklin-plans-for-layoffs

http://www.milforddailynews.com/topstories/x682904107/Franklin-votes-on-tax-override-today

http://www.milforddailynews.com/topstories/x682904075/Franklin-planners-OK-Big-Y

http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x88774700/Case-made-for-Franklin-tax-override

http://www.milforddailynews.com/topstories/x457996868/Franklin-schools-discuss-cuts

http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x88775036/Franklin-principals-say-cuts-have-been-harmful

http://www.milforddailynews.com/newsnow/x644095507/GUEST-COLUMN-Vote-yes-on-Franklin-override



Franklin, MA

Friday, May 21, 2010

So, What Changed???

This is from Bill Glynn, member of the Franklin School Committee:

-----

So, What Changed???

This is a question I am frequently asked in reference to why so many school districts face financial difficulties year after year. A friend of mine from High School recently asked me what is so different now as compared to when we were in school because school financial troubles didn’t seem to be common when we were growing up. So, I spent the next 45 minutes telling her what I have learned about “how the system works and doesn’t work”. School budgets continue to be a problem because of ever-increasing costs. Decreased revenues, such as cuts to local aid (Chapter 70) and a shrinking commercial tax base can hurt too, but increased costs are a huge problem and these costs take many forms. In no specific order, some of the biggest cost issues are:

Labor Costs

Labor unions have significantly increased the compensation package for their members over the past two decades. There are a number of things that comprise the compensation package, including salary, health benefits, pension, etc. Regardless of what you may personally think about the current teacher compensation package, the fact is, compensation packages and their related costs increase at a rate that drives the need to ask for a Proposition 2 ½ override. Prior to Proposition 2 ½, a town could just raise taxes to cover its costs, but now towns are required to ask for an override so people are more aware of the situation.
We want to attract highly-qualified teachers. We want to treat them fairly and we want them to know that they are valued town employees. Franklin does a good job and our teachers are compensated fairly as compared to neighboring towns.

Special Education

All children deserve a quality education; however, not all children can be taught together in the same classroom using the same methodologies. Some children require special education and special education services and programs are expensive. Educating a single child with special needs can cost upwards of 10x the cost of educating a single child in a mainstream program. In addition, the ability to diagnose learning disabilities has also improved, which has increased the number of students that require special education services. It’s also possible that there are some societal and/or environmental factors at work that give rise to learning disabilities. Regardless of the underlying causes, the end result is a large (and increasing) group of special needs students and the cost to educate these students continues to rise.

One of the biggest problems towns face, at least in the short term, is that the special education costs are pushed down to the individual district and are paid out of each town’s education budget. In particular, the special education costs associated with educating students who must be sent out of their home district (because their needs are so specialized) steadily increase outside the control of any individual district. As an example, Franklin has been hit with a $1.3 million increase in special education costs for FY 2011, primarily due to out of district tuition rate increases. Since each town’s education budget is a zero-sum game, the lack of an override means that the students in the mainstream program, who account for approximately 80% of Franklin’s total student population, are unfairly subjected to a $1.3 million budget cut in order to pay for the increased costs in the special education programs.

Remember above when I stated, “All children deserve a quality education”? Well, the current model for special education funding has created a dichotomy between the special education programs and the mainstream program, whereby the special education programs tend to maintain their services at the expense of the mainstream program during times of increased costs and budget cuts. Any time you have multiple distinct groups and you take something away from one group to provide for another group, you undoubtedly have a systemic problem. The special education funding model is is a glaring example of a fundamentally flawed system. The special education laws were created (in part) because it was determined that (in the past) mainstream programs were receiving preferential treatment as compared to special education programs. Now the problem has been inverted and budget constraints are forcing school districts to systematically dismantle their mainstream programs in order to sustain the special education programs. The same state laws that were enacted to provide equity within the education system preclude a balanced approach of equitably distributing budget cuts across the mainstream and special education programs. Consequently, special education programs have basically become immune to budget cuts while mainstream programs are being decimated.
These ever-increasing special education costs have not gone unnoticed. Special education costs, which are highly dynamic in nature (due to changes in student needs and population), cannot be absorbed by individual school districts. At a minimum, the state needs to take direct responsibility for special education costs because the state is better able to absorb these increasing costs by pooling the risk and balancing the costs across hundreds of towns. Work is being done in this area, but as you might imagine, it is not a quick process.

State laws have changed

You may have heard the phrase “unfunded mandate”. This is a term used to refer to state laws imposed upon school districts that have a measurable cost to implement, but the state has not provided any increase in funds to cover the law’s implementation. As an example, Massachusetts recently passed anti-bullying legislation. This is a new law that mandates school districts to do many things, some of which involve training programs, which have an associated cost to implement and will increase each district’s costs. In addition, this new law comes at the same time that Massachusetts has cut the overall education budget and hence has cut each town’s education funding – so all towns have been hit with a double blow of increased costs coupled with decreased revenue.

Technology in the classroom

This topic alone could be an entire article, but suffice it to say that today’s students don’t learn in the same way that students learned a couple of decades ago and so they can’t be effectively taught using yesterday’s methodologies. Children are far more engaged in the learning process when they get their information from digital sources rather than from lectures and textbooks. That’s the way they like it, that’s how they’re growing up, and that’s what works. Therefore, today’s classroom must provide computer and internet access for each student, which requires a lot of computers, software, networking equipment, and increased electricity usage at a minimum. Whereas, yesterday’s classroom needed text books and a blackboard, today’s classroom needs text books, an interactive white board, computers and associated software, as well as fixed and/or wireless network access. So, the classroom has changed and costs have gone up. However, the world has changed and our children will be competing in a global economy and they need to be educated within a 21st century classroom in order to be prepared for college as well as the global workforce.

The aforementioned topics represent big problems and they are mostly beyond the control of local officials. However, there is hope. These problems are being discussed by cities and towns throughout Massachusetts. Here in Franklin, we’re working on some of these issues with our state legislators and other groups, but there is no quick fix. It’s very important that we all have a common understanding of the root cause of our biggest problems so that we can try to work through them together. While it’s tempting to point at specific issues and propose remedies, it’s critical that we all realize that Massachusetts state laws restrict what an individual town can and cannot do. This leaves us with two unpalatable options: pay more in local taxes to sustain our vital town services and education system or continue to dismantle the quality of life in our town and jeopardize our children’s future by voting down Proposition 2 ½ overrides based upon the unattainable desire to effect changes in places that are outside the control of individual towns.

-----

You can respond to Bill directly, or comment here.


Franklin, MA

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Safe Schools Package = unfunded mandates


Senator Spilka Votes in Favor of Safe Schools Package

BOSTON - 03/11/10 - Senator Spilka voted on Thursday to advance a pair of bills aimed at promoting a safe, healthy and productive learning environment for all students through banning bullying and updating nutritional standards in schools.

Senate anti-bullying legislation prohibits physical, verbal and written acts that threaten or cause harm to another student, including Internet "cyber-bullying," while a separate school nutrition bill establishes new standards for fresh food options in school cafeterias and vending machines.

"Both of these bills will help create a secure, healthy and beneficial school environment," stated Senator Karen Spilka.  "Kids need to know that the adults in their lives will back them up when they participate in positive behaviors, like healthy eating, and won't tolerate deplorable behaviors, like bullying.  These bills go a long way towards setting new and important standards for a productive learning setting.

"These two bills working together will make a dramatic difference in our school environment," Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) said. "We all know there's a strong connection between health and safety and learning. By striking out fear and improving nutrition, we're going to provide students with a more valuable and rewarding educational experience."

The anti-bullying bill requires all school districts, charter schools and non-public schools to develop prevention and intervention plans by December 31, 2010 that include procedures for investigating bullying incidents, notifying parents and determining appropriate disciplinary actions.

"The anti-bullying legislation passed today provides a framework for schools to adequately address the damaging impacts of bullying in all its forms," said Senator Robert O'Leary (D-Barnstable), Senate chairman of the Joint Committee on Education. "Equipping teachers, students and parents with more information and education on bullying and outlined steps on how to handle it provides a community solution to a community problem."

Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) said: "This is comprehensive, prevention-oriented legislation that will work to end the persistent cycle of bullying we've seen in the Commonwealth's schools for years,
leading to tragedies like those in South Hadley, Springfield and too many other communities. Every student deserves to feel safe in their own schools, and this bill is a strong step in that direction."

The bill requires school principals to notify local law enforcement of bullying incidents if there is reason to believe criminal charges may be pursued. It also allows Individualized Education Programs for children with special needs to include provisions that will help them handle and respond to incidents of bullying. The bullying ban extends to all school facilities, school-sponsored functions, school buses and bus stops.

The Senate also passed a bill establishing new nutritional standards in schools to address the problem of childhood obesity in the Commonwealth. Food and beverages in school cafeterias, vending machines and other locations in public schools separate from federal meal programs must be
in compliance.

"The fact that the current generation of children may have a shorter life expectancy than their parents is simply unacceptable," said Senator Susan Fargo (D-Lincoln), lead sponsor of the bill. "Families demand and deserve that their children be offered food that is healthy, wholesome and safe. The School Nutrition Bill makes certain that parents have the final word on what children eat at school and makes it a requirement that schools maintain healthy standards in the cafeterias."

The standards, to be implemented by the 2012-13 school year, will be developed by the Department of Public Health and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and include requirements for the availability of free drinking water, fresh fruits and vegetables, and nutritional information for non-packaged foods. The use of deep fryers is banned.

The regulations do not apply to bake sales, concession stands and other school-sponsored events.

The nutrition bill also requires issues of nutrition and exercise to be included in the educational curriculum, and it establishes a commission to make recommendations related the management of childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes and eating disorders.

"I applaud the Senate for taking an important step in combating what has become a childhood obesity epidemic in the Commonwealth, and across our nation," said Sen. Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge), Senate chairman of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. "By limiting the availability
of unhealthy foods and promoting the infusion of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables, we're not only curbing bad habits among our children, but improving the general, healthy outlook of wellness in
Massachusetts."

As a way to further promote wholesome food options and locally grown products, the bill encourages statewide adoption of the successful "Farm-to-School" program, which creates contracts between local farms and public schools to provide fresh fruits, vegetables and ingredients.

The bill also adds state colleges and universities to the requirement that state agencies or authorities give preferential treatment to local farms when purchasing agricultural products.

Finally, capitalizing on the fresh food trend, the bill requires the study of Boston's "Chefs in Schools" program, which teaches schools to create healthy, cost-effective meals that kids like to eat, to see how it could be effectively implemented in other school districts.

The bill now goes back to the House of Representatives for further action.

I would prefer to see more of a focus on how to cook and prepare good meals. Jamie Oliver's talk and the actions he proposed I think would be a better longer term solution than "unfunded mandates."

Why?
The State is addressing a major issue (societal obesity) via a mechanism it can control (school lunches) that doesn't get to the heart of the matter (the family dinner table).

Monday, January 25, 2010

Live reporting - budget workshop continued

Part 1 for this meeting can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/live-reporting-special-meeting-budget.html


Jim Dacey covered the debt and interest explanations. Susan and Jeff combined to discuss the stabilization fund, the calculation of "free cash" and its use for capital expenses (one time, not recurring).

The group took a break and then resumed to pick up with the School budget.

Maureen Sabolinski and Miriam Goodman presented the initial overview on the budget and Federal/State mandates.

Sally Winslow and Beth Fitzmaurice are now covering Special Education and its requirements.
I am taking good notes but will spend some time to write them up before sharing them here.

Franklin belongs to two collaboratives to provide enhanced purchasing options to provide special education requirements at a reasonable expense.

Franklin, MA: budget workshop

Whalen said the budget workshop will delve into the town's state and local revenue sources and unfunded mandates like special education funding.

School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy urges the public to attend.

"People are typically surprised when they learn about the scope and number of state and federal mandates applicable to school budgets," he said.

 Read the full article in the Milford Daily News by clicking on the link below:

Franklin officials to strategize on town budgets

from The Milford Daily News News RSS




Thursday, October 15, 2009

Town Council Candidate - Glenn Jones

Glenn and I had the opportunity to sit together a couple of times (1) to discuss his candidacy for Town Council and (2) to discuss the four questions that follows. 



Franklin Matters:
1. - What is Franklin’s big issue? What steps should we take to resolve it?


Glenn Jones:
Franklin’s biggest issue is the budget. Every year Franklin tries to balance a budget of almost 100 Million dollars to support some 33 thousand residents.  It’s a daunting task.  Services are bare bone, schools are struggling to provide on less each year, and our residents are facing one of the largest un-employment rates in years.  If we intend to provide exemplary services to our residents it’s going to take a viable, well thought out, long-term plan. A plan needs to be presented to Franklin residents with hard understandable facts.  It should be the Town Councils goal to reach out to the people of Franklin and highlight the options that will help Franklin stay on track to a sustainable future.




Franklin Matters:
2. - What is your position on the proposed Charter Revisions?


Glenn Jones:
The Charter is Franklin’s Constitution and sets the guidelines for our form of government. For that reason alone any revisions to the Charter need to be taken very seriously.


The Charter Review Committee has noted several recommended changes. These potential changes are presented to the Town Council for review and if acceptable gets forwarded to the State Legislature for approval, it can then be presented back to the Residents of Franklin for their final approval.  


One of the many recommendations presented in a minority report is to change the position of ‘Town Clerk’ from an elected position to an appointed position.  I personally feel that the ‘Town Clerk’ should remain as an elected position.  The ‘Town Clerk’ is the main interface between the people of Franklin and the Town’s Administration. When you interact with our ‘Town Clerk’ you are truly talking to a person whose whole heart is for and from Franklin, MA.  She is not a cog in the Town’s administration; she is the face of all the residents of Franklin. It’s true our Town Clerk requires a certain level of expertise that our current Town Clerk has acquired during her tenure, but with diligent tutoring and proper procedures, any well intended intelligent Franklin resident can repeat her contributions and execute the job of ‘Town Clerk’.


One other potential change is that of ‘Town Treasurer’ from an elected position to appointed position.  On this issue I feel the “Town Treasurer” is not so much a public position as it is a professional one. So, with that being said, the position of “Town Treasurer” should be an appointed position.  However, I feel there should be a stipulation that all appointed positions should be offered to Franklin residents first.


“Staggered terms for our elected officials” is also a topic that has come up during the charter review.  All Town Council members should be able to sit no longer than 3 years before having to be re-elected.  Maintaining continuity in our government is paramount and some restructuring is probably necessary in the future in order to better meet the needs of the Town of Franklin and its residents. A workable plan will need to be efficient and effective in order to preserve the stability of our form of government.




Franklin Matters:
3 - What use do you envision for the Open Space Fund?


Glenn Jones:
With potentially millions of dollars in our Open Space Fund, we as a Town should be concerned about the preservation of any open space we can acquire.  Franklin has seen enough development in the past 2 decades to make anyone’s head spin. So, if we have the means and funding to keep a reasonable amount of open space in Franklin we should. However, since the Open Space Fund is a capital fund, many people have wondered if that money could be better spent on other important, under prioritized, capital issues in town, such as the school facilities, roadways, library, and other town assets. It will be a large responsibility of the new Town Council to review all available funds and decide which items are more of a priority than others. The people of Franklin should indeed voice their opinions on these matters and require transparency and accountability of their new Town Council to act in their best interests. If elected to the Town Council I will be honored to help shoulder this responsibility and bring the topical results back to the people. 


Franklin Matters:
4 - What is your position on the Financial Planning Committee report?


Glenn Jones:
First off, let me say the Long-Range Financial Planning Committee (LRFPC) has done a tremendous job of trying to bring all of the major issues that do and will affect our community to the citizens of Franklin.  I think Franklin as a whole greatly benefits from superb municipal services with a comparably low tax burden. As the report indicates we are the #1 recipient of State Aid to schools, comparable to 31 peer towns, and that aid amounts to a large portion of our budget. Without this aid, we would be in a considerably difficult place. That being said, it is well known that the Massachusetts is also having some of the most difficult budget issues that it has ever had and as the trickle down effect dictates we would chance to lose a good portion of our state aid. That is a portion of our budget we can not afford to lose. We will, as the data suggest in the report, have to maintain a minimum level of school spending in order to meet state mandates. We as a town will have to find that money or the services we enjoy everyday, like plowed roads, clean town, and public safety will start to deteriorate. That is a serious shock. 


This all leads back to my further point of a ‘plan’. We lack a viable, sustainable plan that holds our government accountable to the decisions that it makes. I feel that there should be no further tax increases until such a plan is in place. In these trying times it will take all of the hard working citizens of Franklin to step up to the plate and decide what ‘we’ want our standards to be and how ‘we’ intend to get ourselves thru some of the most trying times in our history. 


I want to be the voice for these citizens and this is why I chose to run for Town Council. I always express a certainty to my young children: “Never give up, never give in”. Together the people of Franklin will persevere.




Biographical Info:


My Campaign Slogan: “Leadership through Teamwork”


Parents: William and Mary Jones
Youngest of 4 children


Wife: Nicole
Children: 4


Age: 39


Born: Cambridge, MA
Raised: Watertown, MA
Franklin Resident: 11 years


Education:
Watertown High School
Northeastern University – Electrical Engineering


Profession: 
Electrician and Sr. Engineering technician


Specialties: computers, energy management, audio/visual and automation


Volunteering:
Franklin Youth Soccer – Coach
Franklin Youth Softball – Coach
New England Chapel – Facilities Team Leader
Davis Thayer Elementary School PCC events and activities


Website: www.glennfjones.com




Thursday, July 2, 2009

Administrator's Message - Sep 17, 2008

A Message from the Administrator


Before you know it, fall will turn into budget season. Next year’s budget continues to hold many challenges. The Town Council has appointed a special adhoc committee to look at the next 3-5 years and try and predict the town’s fiscal plight. The committee plans to hold public hearings and ask for citizens’ input into the age-old question of services versus taxes. While we have been blessed with very generous amounts of state aid over the last 15 years, (thank you Representative Vallee) we cannot rely on the State for the same commitment in the future. Our choices are: ask the legislature to allow for local option taxes, change the tax laws to escape the over reliance on the property tax, or ask the citizens to increase their commitment above the Proposition 2 ½ limits allowed by law. I can already hear folk’s saying, “What about living within your means?” “Why can’t the town live within the revenue available?” “Why do you always ask us for more money?” Well, we can live within our means if you want a lot less “local government”. I have pointed out many times that we don’t control the cost of energy, health insurance premiums, or pensions. Collective bargaining, public bid, prevailing wage laws, and unfunded mandates all drive up the cost and size of government and make it difficult to control costs. There is little support for regionalization of services or consolidation of governments. Federal and State education mandates drive up the cost of education. Also, we can’t ignore our aging infrastructure. We have to update the nearly 40-year-old high school and some of the other schools, the Library needs repairs, and our roads and sidewalks constantly need repairing and updating.


There are no easy answers. We hope for citizens’ input. As we struggle to define the balance between taxes and services, we reach out to the citizens to give us their opinions and help us to decide what is best for all. This is your government. We need your participation at public meetings and hearings and on every Election Day. Your quality of life, protection of property values, and commitment to the next generation is in your hands. Please don’t sit on the sidelines. Watching on TV, reading newspapers, commenting on blogs & websites is fine, but your local government is a “contact sport” and we need to see you and hear you. We ask for your participation in defining what kind of community that you wish to belong to. Please call, write, visit or email me with questions and comments.


Sincerely,
Jeff Nutting
Town Administrator



“As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence” – Benjamin Franklin.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

McGovern running late

The good news is that there are people out to meet and talk With Congressman Jim McGovern today.

The bad news is that this has him running vary late. He arrived Franklin Library at 10:10 (not the 9:30 he was scheduled for).

I left after talking with him about 11:10. He is due in Wrentham at 11:30. Given the number of folks remaining to talk with him in Franklin, I would estimate that he would not arrive before noon time maybe not before 12:30. Note: these are my estimates.

As for my time with the Congressman:
  • I talked with Congressman McGovern about collaborating with communications on his various issues and initiatives. You, the readers of Franklin Matters, should hear what he has to say in the matters that affect us. And given the current state of affairs, there is little that doesn't affect us. He listened, he liked to offer and claimed to follow up.
  • I also talked about No Child Left Behind and other Federal unfunded mandates upon education. I pressed him that if the government is going to require something to be done, then fund it appropriately. Or take away the requirements. There are sufficient requirements at the state and local level to provide a good quality education to all the children of Franklin.
  • After my time with the Congressman, I stayed to provide morale support for Ted McIntyre of the Franklin Area Climate Team. Ted wanted to invited the Congressman to participate in the Franklin event being put together for 350.org on October 24th. He also wanted to discuss the pending legislation on carbon trading. We were also joined by Steve Deredarian in this effort. Steve also took the opportunity to talk with the Congressman on the health care issue.

Monday, April 27, 2009

live reporting - Doug continues

example of state unfunded mandate - wind instruments are now required to be professionally cleaned before reuse.

How has Franklin responded?
  • reduce head count and cut employee benefits
  • streamlined operations
  • enhanced revenues
  • spent cash reserves ($7.5 million)

Impact of current problem
forecasted deficits are structural, not directly due to the recession

FY 2010 forecast was for a deficit of 4.5 million
With other one time items, the deficit currently is $750,000

Where does this leave us?
  • We depend more upon state aid than other towns
  • Our property tax burden is less than other towns
  • Our cash reserves are stable and at the right level
Where are we now?
Town expenses
  • Franklin ranks 27th out of 31 comparable peer towns in per capita municipal spending
  • Recent capital projects have minimal effect on operating budget
School expenses
  • spending per pupil 22% less than state average
  • net school spending rapidly approaching state minimum
  • teacher compensation remains "middle of the pack"
  • Schools have cut non-teacher costs sharply
Town spending
slide of comparison to the other 31 towns

School spending
slide of numbers directly from the State Dept of Education web site

Net school spending slide
the long curve is going the wrong way

Impact of capital projects on Town Budget
  • Capital dollars can not be used for operational expenses
  • Capital debt burden is about 2% of the total Town budget
Where we are headed
state aid grow of 3% - 8.5 million deficit
state aid flat - 12.1 million deficit
state aid declines 3% - 15.3 million deficit

What can we do about this?
  • Agree on the problem
  • Develop a comprehensive multi-year plan
  • Improve transparency and accessibility if information
Continue to improve operational efficiency
  • explore regionalization in addition to Library, recreation
Influence the legislative process
  • preserve state aid
  • address unfunded mandates
  • pension reform
Ensure salaries remain competitive

explanation of steps and lanes on teacher side of the compensation

Increase tax revenue
  • find revenue from non-Franklin resources
  • assess need for override and debt exclusion - 5 year horizon
  • look to soften impact for low or fixed income households
Improve transparency and accessibility of information
  • assign ownership for improving the flow of info
  • communicate more effectively with citizens
  • preserve credibility
final thoughts
recap of previous topics

stay tuned for Q&A