Wednesday, May 6, 2009
"will meet on Tuesday to make final decisions on what areas to cut"
Milford Daily News
FRANKLIN —
The Finance Committee unanimously approved the School Department's $50.3 million, level-funded budget, as recommended by Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting, though school officials are banking on getting up to another $3.5 million to help keep pace with rising costs.
The budget does not reflect the School Department's final budget, as the School Committee is expecting at least $1.5 million worth of revenue from state and federal funds, and possibly another $800,000 from wage concessions by the teachers union, said Chairman Jeffrey Roy.
The School Committee is aiming for a level-service budget, at just over $53.8 million, and is still optimistic about closing the budget gap between the two versions, Roy said. "We've been targeting a level-service budget since the beginning of this process," Roy said.
The budget has been a moving target, with so many unanswered questions about funding, such as how much Franklin schools will get from state aid and the federal stimulus package, he said.
Read the full article about the Finance Committee meeting in the Milford Daily News here
In addition to what the article references, the Finance Committee also approved the Information Technology budget. The coverage of the complete meeting can be found here.
"Let us put an end to this public squabble"
Milford Daily News
FRANKLIN —
In what has grown into online crossfire between school leaders, new teachers union President Robert McLaughlin posted a two-page letter on a Web site yesterday picking apart statements made in the School Committee's two YouTube videos.
In the letter, posted on franklinteachers.org/joomla, McLaughlin said he was heartened to hear School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy use the word "partner" in reference to contract talks with the union, but concluded the School Committee "certainly has not even met us halfway in attempting to resolve this stalemate."
The School Committee has asked the Franklin Education Association to defer its negotiated 2.5 percent wage increase until fiscal 2011 to save about 16 teachers' jobs.
"As always the members of the FEA were glad to pitch in and do their part," said McLaughlin.
Read the full article about the teachers response to the School Committee in the Milford Daily News here
Treesavers: Paul Barcelo
Paul Barcelo, author of The Sweet War Man
Will be appearing at Treesavers Books to sign his new book, The Sweet War Man.
Paul Barcelo completed Army Infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia, then rotary wing training at Fort Wolters, Texas and Fort Rucker, Alabama. He flew one tour as a UH-1 pilot in Republic of Vietnam. He resides in Franklin, Massachusetts with his wife and four children. This is his first novel.
May 16, 2009 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Finance Comm 05/05/09
The budget hearings held by the Finance Committee covered IT, Tri-County and the School budget on Tuesday May 5th. The live reporting sessions are:
Live reporting - School District
Maureen Sabolinski, Jeff Roy
Formal budget discussion scheduled for 5/26/09 School Committee meeting
School District has been targeting a "level funded" budget since the beginning
Differences between level service and level funded budget described
revised $53,291,773
Increases in revenue currently anticipated
If FEA wage concession comes in, the deficit will be approx. $700,000
Decisions coming in SchCom meeting on Tuesday (5/12/09) on ways to cut the gap
Public hearing on budget scheduled for 5/26/09
Roche - thanks for the information an numbers provided this year
offsets are visible here
Same dollars as last years budget
Town has legal authority over the one line item
School Committee has legal responsibility for all the details
Level funded number $50,297,820
There is no text book line item in the budget
There is a workbook for K-5 Everyday math that is a consumable and required yearly
One vendor, we are at their mercy. To adopt another text book series is a huge effort.
The transportation line item had been the subject of the forensic audit
We have been trying to increase the transportation line item to avoid that issue
We have a total bottom-line item for the overall budget
the fee schedule has not been set yet, stay tuned for Tuesday night (5/12/09)
Field house banners were sold and the money is going back into the athletic budget
Athletic Director Sidwell is using the funds to minimize operating osts
We have applied for several grants and we turned down for several
We are not as diverse a district as we could be to benefit from the grants
The grants have primarily been Federal, several of the State level grants have been cut
One grant for 90,000 this year is only 5,000 and next year goes away
Contractual services private?
Tuition to private schools and residential placements
We can not provide the services for those Special Ed students
We provide as much as we can
Every school district in the Commonwealth has some cost in that line item
Franklin has 71 students in the Special Education
Wellesley has double the number of student for a district half the size of ours
Is Professional Development a problem with the teachers?
The PD budget has been centralized and removed from each individual schools
The final budget will have that spelled out
Our final budget may look significantly different
We have not determined how to flow the stimulus funds across the budget
Using the revolving fund for School Choice was the equivalent of 2.5 teachers
We could not leave that just sitting there
We like to be about 14 percent, this budget could be about 1-2% above the minimum
Legal increase - had a residency case this year
hard to predict the utilization of these funds
generally a one time cost, end result did not pick up the tuition of a student who did not officialy reside in the town
Discussion on validity of voting for a budget tonight
Tuesday May 12th, school detail discussion on fees, and other cuts
Tuesday May 26th, formal vote on final budget
Motion to approve $50,297,820 - passed 11-0
Any old business - no
New business - recommended budget to be published and go to the Council for June 10/11
Next Finance meeting 6/2, may hold until 6/9, but that is still dependent upon the Commonwealth and where the numbers are at that time
Requesting an increase in Building Inspector's of $4400
to cover use of individual's personal vehicles
Inspection Acct 240
total of $369,006
Money to balance this comes from "Other Available Funds"
Technically still part of the budget hearing
Approved 11-0
Formal budget discussion scheduled for 5/26/09 School Committee meeting
School District has been targeting a "level funded" budget since the beginning
Differences between level service and level funded budget described
revised $53,291,773
Increases in revenue currently anticipated
- Increase in circuit breaker revenue
- State stabilization fund
- Federal stimulus package
- Extraordinary relief package
- School Choice revenue
If FEA wage concession comes in, the deficit will be approx. $700,000
Decisions coming in SchCom meeting on Tuesday (5/12/09) on ways to cut the gap
Public hearing on budget scheduled for 5/26/09
Roche - thanks for the information an numbers provided this year
offsets are visible here
Same dollars as last years budget
Town has legal authority over the one line item
School Committee has legal responsibility for all the details
Level funded number $50,297,820
There is no text book line item in the budget
There is a workbook for K-5 Everyday math that is a consumable and required yearly
One vendor, we are at their mercy. To adopt another text book series is a huge effort.
The transportation line item had been the subject of the forensic audit
We have been trying to increase the transportation line item to avoid that issue
We have a total bottom-line item for the overall budget
the fee schedule has not been set yet, stay tuned for Tuesday night (5/12/09)
Field house banners were sold and the money is going back into the athletic budget
Athletic Director Sidwell is using the funds to minimize operating osts
We have applied for several grants and we turned down for several
We are not as diverse a district as we could be to benefit from the grants
The grants have primarily been Federal, several of the State level grants have been cut
One grant for 90,000 this year is only 5,000 and next year goes away
Contractual services private?
Tuition to private schools and residential placements
We can not provide the services for those Special Ed students
We provide as much as we can
Every school district in the Commonwealth has some cost in that line item
Franklin has 71 students in the Special Education
Wellesley has double the number of student for a district half the size of ours
Is Professional Development a problem with the teachers?
The PD budget has been centralized and removed from each individual schools
The final budget will have that spelled out
Our final budget may look significantly different
We have not determined how to flow the stimulus funds across the budget
Using the revolving fund for School Choice was the equivalent of 2.5 teachers
We could not leave that just sitting there
We like to be about 14 percent, this budget could be about 1-2% above the minimum
Legal increase - had a residency case this year
hard to predict the utilization of these funds
generally a one time cost, end result did not pick up the tuition of a student who did not officialy reside in the town
Discussion on validity of voting for a budget tonight
Tuesday May 12th, school detail discussion on fees, and other cuts
Tuesday May 26th, formal vote on final budget
Motion to approve $50,297,820 - passed 11-0
Any old business - no
New business - recommended budget to be published and go to the Council for June 10/11
Next Finance meeting 6/2, may hold until 6/9, but that is still dependent upon the Commonwealth and where the numbers are at that time
Requesting an increase in Building Inspector's of $4400
to cover use of individual's personal vehicles
Inspection Acct 240
total of $369,006
Money to balance this comes from "Other Available Funds"
Technically still part of the budget hearing
Approved 11-0
Live reporting - Tri-County RVTHS
Tri-County Regional Voc Tech High School
Introductions around
Tri-County is well aware of the needs of the feeding towns
A required minimum amount was budgeted for
The required minimum amount was set by the State
Assessment is down by approx. 269,000 dollars
Enrollment down from 192 to 159 students
Roche - we appreciate your efforts in that regard
In order to get our budget down, we prioritized keeping teachers
We reduced administrative staff, by one curriculum coordinator
Due to retirement of one individual took the opportunity to change that position from full year to school year and reduce salary level
We rely heavily on instructional supplies, did cut supplies
any further cuts will come from teacher salaries
Reduced 181,000 in instructional equipement
eliminated renovation projects
eliminated virtual high school
Budget for next year is 2% less than the current operating budget
The minimum amount is done on a district level
For Tri-County it is determined by the eleven sending districts
Offset by Chapter 70 funds
Will reduce our currency for one year, will be fine for this year
Equipment does take a lot of use when used by the student
Franklin's legal commitment is the same as other communities
There is no debt at Tri-County so there is a benefit there
results in a zero for capital
Applications year-to-date don't indicate that the drop is a trend
A similar drop did occur several years ago and then picked up the following year
Changed their Special Ed approach, teachers assigned to grades and subjects
teachers will address the students as required to meet their needs
the classrooms are mainstreamed (all inclusive)
Most Special Education teachers are dual certified,
have 8 teachers to meet the 37% of the students have IEP's
Transportation for a regional school is different from local schools
the reimbursement rate is higher
They absorbed the difference between the actual transportation and the reimbursement rate rather than billing it out to the sending districts as they did prior
Motion to approve budget - Passed 11-0
Introductions around
Tri-County is well aware of the needs of the feeding towns
A required minimum amount was budgeted for
The required minimum amount was set by the State
Assessment is down by approx. 269,000 dollars
Enrollment down from 192 to 159 students
Roche - we appreciate your efforts in that regard
In order to get our budget down, we prioritized keeping teachers
We reduced administrative staff, by one curriculum coordinator
Due to retirement of one individual took the opportunity to change that position from full year to school year and reduce salary level
We rely heavily on instructional supplies, did cut supplies
any further cuts will come from teacher salaries
Reduced 181,000 in instructional equipement
eliminated renovation projects
eliminated virtual high school
Budget for next year is 2% less than the current operating budget
The minimum amount is done on a district level
For Tri-County it is determined by the eleven sending districts
Offset by Chapter 70 funds
Will reduce our currency for one year, will be fine for this year
Equipment does take a lot of use when used by the student
Franklin's legal commitment is the same as other communities
There is no debt at Tri-County so there is a benefit there
results in a zero for capital
Applications year-to-date don't indicate that the drop is a trend
A similar drop did occur several years ago and then picked up the following year
Changed their Special Ed approach, teachers assigned to grades and subjects
teachers will address the students as required to meet their needs
the classrooms are mainstreamed (all inclusive)
Most Special Education teachers are dual certified,
have 8 teachers to meet the 37% of the students have IEP's
Transportation for a regional school is different from local schools
the reimbursement rate is higher
They absorbed the difference between the actual transportation and the reimbursement rate rather than billing it out to the sending districts as they did prior
Motion to approve budget - Passed 11-0
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