Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Live reporting - FY 2010 Discussion

Salary a big chunk
Health care, Transportation, and Out of district tuition account for the bulk of the remaining amount.

Elementary level $210
Middle Schools $225
High School $355

This is the apportionment of the budget on a per pupil basis
Some of the budget line item changes can be directly attributed to these amounts flowing to the schools

Overall reducing 42-25 positions with this budget

High School
Asst Principal, Secretary, Librarian, and four teachers = total of seven positions

Class sizes can remain manageable with a change in the schedule from 7 period rotating to a 6 period schedule. 60 minute per period.

Middle Schools
2 grade 6 teachers
4 grade 7 teachers
4 grade 8 teachers
2 music
1 librarian
1 Math curriculum enhancement teacher

Class sizes remain significantly high

Elementary Schools
18.5 classroom teachers
2.5 librarians
1.2 specialists

Class size will be much increased, 21 of the 30 class groupings will exceed School Committee guidelines

User Activity Fees
As announced previously, the fees will increase over the next three years to bring the fee revenue into a 50/50 support level with the budget assumptions

Athletic fees, pay-to-ride, extracurricular fees are the three areas covered.
Page 9 depicts the fee schedule for the next three years

A calculation of the fees shows a "typical" family with students at the High School could amount to $3,000 per year. This would be about 60% of the average property tax amount.

The budget reduction targeted 3 million has come within 1,489,233.
The Senate budget differs significantly from the House and Governor's budget. That amount is not reflected in the numbers shown here.

Summary
  • No late bus
  • High school scheduling changes
  • Split teams at the Middle Schools
  • Larger elementary class sizes
  • Programing changes (Music, library, PE/Health)
  • Fewer extracurricular activities

Live reporting - FY 2010 Budget

This is the budget document from the packet for the meeting this evening


Live reporting - Cafeteria takes deferment

The cafeteria workers voted to take the wage increase deferment for this year.

Live reporting - School Committee 5/26/09

Attending: Armenio, Cafasso, Kelly, Mullen, Roy, Rohrbach, Trahan
Missing: none

1. Routine Business

Citizen’s Comments - none

Review of Agenda - remove warrants from the agenda for tonight

Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the May 12, 2009 School Committee Meeting. Motion to approve, passed 7-0

Payroll Ms. Armenio

FHS Student Representatives

Correspondence: 1. Letter from Ms. Barbara Hiss

live reporting - presentations

Mary Cole - high school track athlete broke the 2 mile record at 11:31

(pictures later)

"teaching does not end at the bell"

Milford Daily News
Posted May 25, 2009 @ 11:10 PM

FRANKLIN —

With the fate of at least 16 jobs resting on whether the School Committee and teachers union can agree on a proposed wage deferral, teachers' benefits, workloads and contracts have lately become matters of public debate.

Online comments about some recent Daily News stories on the situation have implied teachers are living "the good life," with three months of vacation, six-hour days that end at 3 p.m., and salaries that burden taxpayers.

Others insist teachers are working 80-hour weeks for low pay, and just don't get the respect from the School Committee they deserve for providing an invaluable service.

This differing views have led to the question: What, exactly, is in that 140-page teachers contract?

It is a complex document, said School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy.

Read the full article on the teacher's contract in the Milford Daily News here

Note: The article is incorrectly reporting on the teacher "demands" (Bold for my emphasis)

" ... the permanent removal of the requirement for teachers to attend one of five floating after-school meetings."

My analysis covering the back story can be found here


Dedication Program

If you'd like to review the program for the Memorial Day Dedication of the Iraq/Afghanistan monument on the Town Common, you can do that here.




If you missed the ceremony or would like to listen to a replay, you can find the audio for the complete ceremony here

School Committee - Agenda - 5/26/09

Call to order Mr. Roy
Pledge of Allegiance
Moment of Silence

1. Routine Business


Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the May 12, 2009 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills Mr. Kelly
Payroll Ms. Armenio
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: 1. Letter from Ms. Barbara Hiss

2. Guests/Presentations
a. FY10 Budget
b. Mary Cole – Track Star

3. Discussion Only Items

FY10 Budget Hearing
First Reading – Acceptable Use Policy

4. Action Items
  • I recommend to amend the preamble of the existing agreement of the Bi-County Collaborative to include the School Committee of the Town of Walpole, MA.
  • I recommend approval of the Parmenter Primary Learning Center field trip to Roger Williams Park, in Providence, RI on June 2, 2009.
  • I recommend approval of the 2009-2010 School Committee Meeting Schedule.
  • I recommend approval of the budget transfers as detailed.
  • I recommend acceptance of the donation of $5,000.00 to the FHS Science department in memory of Mr. Donald Redpath from the Sanofi Pasteur Company.
  • I recommend approval of the request of Peter Light to declare the attached list of additional FHS Library books as surplus.
  • I recommend acceptance the following checks for the Franklin High School Scholarships as listed:
1. $500.00 from Alan Guidrey for the Susan E. Guidrey Memorial.
2. $500.00 from Carla & Richard Guidrey for the Susan E. Guidrey Memorial.
3. $500.00 from Philip & Jennifer Guidrey for the Susan E. Guidrey Memorial.
4. $500.00 from Nancy Lovely for the Susan E. Guidrey Memorial.
5. $500.00 from Janet Guidrey for the Susan E. Guidrey Memorial.
6. $5,000.00 from Jessie Lo & Michael Johnson for the Michael N. Johnson Alumni.
  • I recommend approval of the RMS Gr. 8 Science field trip to Roger Williams Park Zoo on June 8, 2009 as detailed.

5. Information Matters

Superintendent’s Report
a. Honorary Diploma
b. Retirements

School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business

To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Executive Session

Contractual Negotiations

8. Adjourn

Monday, May 25, 2009

Channel 5 Coverage

Hundreds gathered in Franklin Monday to support two families at the dedication of a memorial honoring their sons.

"Their names are inscribed on that monument, and we want people to understand the sacrifice that was made by Shayne and Robert and the sacrifice of their families," said veterans agent Bob Fahey.

For months, three Franklin High School seniors collected hundreds of dollars at lunch. Workers donated materials and their time, and the garden club created a beautiful setting.

Lance Cpl. Shayne Cabino, 19, and Staff Sgt. Robert Pirelli, 29, were both killed in Iraq. They were honored by a community that will never forget their sacrifices.
Read the full article on the Channel 5 site here

FM #40 - Memorial Day 2009

With no intro/closing music this time, we jump directly to the ceremony on the Franklin Town Common May 25, 2009.

This is the annual Memorial Day remembrance and the dedication of the new Iraq/Afghanistan monument inscribed for Lance Cpl. Shayne Cabino, and Staff Sgt. Robert R. Pirelli.

You can navigate to a specific section of the ceremony with the listing below.

Time: 48 minutes, 28 seconds





MP3 File

Numbers listed refer to the minutes/seconds of the recording
  • Opening Statements
  • Invocation – Rev Charles Eastman 00:40
  • National Anthem – FHS Band 2:00
  • Bob Fahey 3:30
  • Chris Feeley 8:30
  • Rep Jim Vallee 9:23
  • Sen Scott Brown 12:43
  • Cabino/Pirelli parents escorted 14:38
  • Monument unveiled 15:44
  • Moment of silence 17:00
  • Jodi Cabino/Nancy Pirelli 19:35
  • Story of the monument 23:20
  • Dave Roche 25:46
  • Monument Committee introductions 30:40
  • Dedication – Rev Carol Rosine 33:00
  • Placement of wreaths 37:00
  • Reading the list of Franklin heroes 41:44
  • 21 gun salute 44:25
  • Taps 44:45
  • Final thanks 46:15
  • Benediction – Rev Abraham Waya 47:30

Town Common Memorials


Town Common Memorials, originally uploaded by shersteve.

The blue cover of the new memorial will come off during the ceremony immediately following the parade later this morning.

The parade is scheduled to begin at 10:45 AM.

The unveiling should begin approximately 11:15 AM.

Franklin: Oak St Memorial Day performance

Parents, grandparents, family and friends of Oak St gathered on Friday to hear the Memorial Day performance by the entire school.

"much of the school budget is still in the air"

Milford Daily News
Posted May 24, 2009 @ 08:51 PM

FRANKLIN —

The School Committee will begin its public hearing on the budget tomorrow with no idea what the state will award the district, said Superintendent Wayne Ogden.

As of Friday afternoon, the state Senate budget gives Franklin $1.7 million less than the governor's budget, and schools are slated to take about half of that hit.

In total, $1.5 million - including $800,000 in savings from a prospective wage concession from the teacher's union - is in flux in the school budget, Ogden said.

Ogden, School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy, and committee member Ed Cafasso said they were surprised at the Senate slashing Franklin's aid.

The meeting will reflect the recent changes in those numbers, Roy said.

Read more about the school budget in the Milford Daily News here

The opportunity to provide direction to the school committee on what you'd approve of for increases in fees and cuts in services begins with the budget hearing opening Tuesday night.

Tell the School Committee what you think.

more teens caught drinking

Milford Daily News
Posted May 24, 2009 @ 08:47 PM

FRANKLIN —

More than a dozen people were arrested Saturday night after police raided a party on Charles Drive, police said.

After receiving a call on Saturday at 11:25 p.m., about loud youths in the area, police responded and arrested 14 people between the ages of 18 and 23.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

It wasn't so long ago that FHS hosted the wonderful presentation on teen drinking and substance abuse (Dec 2008). That evening's message appears to have been wasted.

Events in the schools this week

ASMS - Class of 2009 Reunion (Cafetorium) 5/26/09 4:00 PM

Oak - Kindergarten Information Night 5/27/09 6:30 PM

Keller - Fun Fair 5/27/09 4-6:30 PM

Keller - Kindergarten End of Year Performance (Café) 5/28/09 9:00 AM

JFK - 4th Gr. Expo 5/28/09 8:30-10:30 AM

FHS - Sophomore Banquet (Café) 5/29/09 7-10:30 PM

JFK - 2nd Gr. Family Day 5/29/09 All Day

Check each school website for additional information on these events.