The live reporting from the Financial Planning Committee meeting held 3/26/98
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Live reporting - Financial Plng cont'd
let's get to the "what we can do about this"
One point was to prove that we have been fiscally responsible. It has been done, the recent bond rating proves that point as well. We should continue to manage in the fiscally conservative manner as we have done.
Should add "reduction in property value" as a bullet? This is a big fear of a lot of folks.
the compensation package for employees needs to be sustainable as well as competitive
discussion on splitting the focus group into two, one group comes at 7:00 and one comes at 8:00.
April 2 -
- If we don't provide funding, the quality of education and services will go down.
- We would need to look the inherent cost structure of salaries and benefits.
- We would need to look at the unfunded mandates.
One point was to prove that we have been fiscally responsible. It has been done, the recent bond rating proves that point as well. We should continue to manage in the fiscally conservative manner as we have done.
Should add "reduction in property value" as a bullet? This is a big fear of a lot of folks.
the compensation package for employees needs to be sustainable as well as competitive
discussion on splitting the focus group into two, one group comes at 7:00 and one comes at 8:00.
April 2 -
Live reporting - Financial Planning Committee 3/26/09
Attending: Ogden, Zollo, Kelly, Hardesty, Bartlett, Trahan, Cameron
Missing: Whalen, Nutting, Roche, Wilschek
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Note: I am joining meeting late as I was participating in the Steering Committee for the School District Strategic Planning process. I'll catch up to the earlier points when I have had a chance to listen to my recording.
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Reviewing the current deck and providing feedback on the contents and positioning of the slides
There needs to be an explanation of the difference between operational and capital dollars.
Missing: Whalen, Nutting, Roche, Wilschek
---------
Note: I am joining meeting late as I was participating in the Steering Committee for the School District Strategic Planning process. I'll catch up to the earlier points when I have had a chance to listen to my recording.
---------
Reviewing the current deck and providing feedback on the contents and positioning of the slides
There needs to be an explanation of the difference between operational and capital dollars.
New Cafe Dolce sign
Cool interview with Dave and BJ at the soon to open Cafe Dolce here in Franklin, originally uploaded by shersteve.
I spent a few minutes Dave Purpura and BJ Carlucci this afternoon at the soon to open Cafe Dolce coffehouse here in downtown Franklin.
The results of the interview and additional pictures will be posted in a day or so.
Teacher salary freezes are not the solution to Franklin's financial issues
Disclosure: Mrs Sherlock teaches kindergarten at the Oak Street School. Our two daughters are the product of Franklin's school system, both graduated from FHS and (#1) is out in the working world and (#2) is working to complete her college studies.
The financial issues here in Franklin have been brewing for many years. Jeff Nutting, our fantastic Town Administrator, has worked very well to operate within the constraints provided by the Franklin voters. The Franklin portion of the overall Town budget has declined from about 70% to 50% as we benefited from political connections and the generosity of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The real issue that will require action is the unfunded Federal and State mandates that drive the costs up. The impact is seen mostly on the school side but there are almost equal restrictions on the Town side.
The time has come to understand the mandates that have been imposed upon us and to take on the Don Quixote approach to go tilting the State House and other government bodies to get these mandates changed.
A listing of the mandates driving the school budget is being posted on Franklin Matters. This listing was compiled by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. The listing can be found here: http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/search?q=%22state+education+mandates%22
Let's not make the teachers the scape goat because you think they are an easy target.
Let's focus our energy on getting the systemic changes made so we not only get this resolved once but for all.
I am ready to charge the ivory towers to get unfunded mandates changed. Will you join me?
Flickr photo credit
"thought that I better get out just in case"
GHS
FRANKLIN —
The boiler room of Franklin Paint Co., at 259 Cottage St., suffered structural damage when it caught on fire at about 1:30 p.m. yesterday, said Fire Chief Gary McCarraher. No one was hurt.
The fire was quickly contained, though firefighters tore at the building from the roof to ventilate it and check for fire inside the walls, McCarraher said.
The fire appeared to be accidental, McCarraher said. It broke out after some employees were doing work in the boiler room. The fire was under control about half an hour later, he said.
"Raw materials in the boiler room caught on fire and damage spread to the roof," McCarraher said. "The structure of the boiler room has a lot of damage, and there is light smoke damage throughout the room."
Read the full article about the fire in the Milford Daily News here
"asking employees to take the brunt from a lack of planning"
GHS
FRANKLIN —
Responding to the School Committee's plea for a salary freeze to save teachers' jobs, the head of the teachers' union is saying it's unlikely.
"I'm particularly concerned that they're looking at teachers to bail people out, because it's just such a tough place to be," said Franklin Education Association President Chandler Creedon, who is a school psychologist at Horace Mann Middle School.
The district is facing a worst-case scenario of a $2.9 million budget deficit.
Agreeing to freeze salaries will save $800,000 and only 15 or 16 teachers, Creedon said.
If everyone also stayed frozen in their lane and step, Creedon said, the town would save $1,760,000.
"I don't even want to consider the lane and step freeze," Creedon said.
Part of the reason teachers receive such pay increases is to offset the cost of obtaining a master's degree, which is required for educational licensure within five years of hire, he said.
The average teacher must invest $38,000 to keep their job, he said.
"We'd like to talk about options and not giving up a negotiated pay raise," Creedon said.
Read the full article about the complicated situation in the Milford Daily News here
"the situation got out of control"
GHS
FRANKLIN —
Police have charged a 17-year-old from Wrentham with raping a 17-year-old Franklin girl behind Town Hall earlier this month.
Following questioning on March 18, police charged Brian K. Poirier, of 510 Franklin St., Wrentham, a King Philip Regional High School student.
Police learned about the alleged rape when Franklin High School Assistant Principal Joseph DiLorenzo told Officer Donald MacLean on March 17 that the victim, a Franklin High student, needed to talk to him, MacLean wrote in the police report.
The girl told MacLean that Poirier, who worked with her, had been pursuing her via text messages. On March 6, she agreed to go with him to McDonald's during their work breaks around 7 p.m., MacLean said.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
State Education Mandates - Part 5
From time to time, particular around the budget period, reference is generally made to Franklin Public Schools having to support "unfunded mandates." I managed to find a listing of such compiled by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. This is Part 5 in the series:
The full listing is available here (DOC)
Home Schooling
The district must monitor and document all home-schooled students. This includes identifying families and reviewing detailed home schooling plans for compliance with state guidelines. Though school districts are required to provide this oversight there are not funding or reporting requirements to or from the state.
MCAS Testing
MCAS testing is required annually in grades 3 through 10. Students must pass the grade 10 testing in math and English in order to graduate from high school. All students must be proficient in English/Math by 2014, requiring needed extra help and extra time on task to meet this goal. District must continually upgrade the curriculum to keep up with the testing.
• Districts must provide special tutoring for students who do not do well in the testing and must track and contact non-graduates if they fail MCAS. This requires guidance time and mailings.
• The costs for instructional time and funds associated with the preparation for, documentation for, administration of, and reporting about the multiple assessments in grades 3-10 are difficult to quantify.
The full listing is available here (DOC)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
"That would be wonderful,"
GHS
MEDWAY —
Medway Public Library is on the verge of certification, after being outside the Minuteman Library Network for nearly three years, said Robert Maier, director of the state's Board of Library Commissioners.
"Everything I've heard from (Medway Board of Library Trustees Chairwoman) Wendy Rowe suggests, if Town Meeting approves a (sufficient) budget, the library should be cued up to come back to the program and have certification," said Maier.
While there are three major requirements that Medway must meet to rejoin, the biggest variable is getting a qualified library director - and sharing Franklin's library Director Felicia Oti a few days a week will do the trick, he said.
Oti works a total of 35 hours per week in Franklin. If the sharing agreement goes forward, she will spend about 14 of those 35 hours in Medway. Oti's annual salary is about $80,000. Medway would cover about $32,000 of her salary, explained Rowe who is acting director of Medway library.
"If Medway makes an arrangement for a part-time director, that will meet the requirement of the (certification) program. ... It's my hope it works out that way for Medway, it's been a long time," Maier said.
Read the full article about the combination of the Franklin and Medway libraries in the Milford Daily News here
"Last night's proposals are not the final word"
GHS
FRANKLIN —
Faced with the prospect of cutting 62 jobs, the School Committee last night urged teachers and other staff to take a pay freeze that could save $1 million.
Reading from a prepared statement, School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy officially asked the 600-member Franklin Education Association to voluntarily take a pay freeze.
"Time is of the essence," Roy said.
Besides teachers, the association represents teachers aides, nurses, secretaries and van drivers.
Superintendent Wayne Ogden also appealed to residents to call state Rep. James Vallee, D-Franklin, and state Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, to pressure them to stop the state's supposed plan to renege on its offer of $448,381 in stimulus money to Franklin schools.
Read the full article about the budget cuts in the Milford Daily News here
You can also read the live reporting from the meeting summarized here
State Education Mandates - Part 4
From time to time, particular around the budget period, reference is generally made to Franklin Public Schools having to support "unfunded mandates." I managed to find a listing of such compiled by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. This is Part 4 in the series:
The full listing is available here (DOC)
McKinney-Vento and Costs Associated with Homeless and Transient Students
This component of No Child Left Behind requires that schools accept any homeless student who wishes to attend the public school. In addition, McKinney-Vento requires the school district to transport any homeless students living in town to the schools in their old home district.
Services to English Language Learners
Provides required ELL services to all students who are not fluent in English. Specially certified teachers must provide this service. There are educational materials and testing costs associated with the ELL services that are provided.
• All classroom teachers who service ELL students in their classrooms must have ten hours of training each year until they fulfill a requirement of 50 hours of training.
• All communications that need to be sent to the homes of all students (not just ELL) whose parents do not speak English as their first language must be translated into their native languages.
• ELL training is required even when only one (1) student in the district is an ELL student.
• Districts are required to provide Sheltered English Immersion services for students whose first language is not English. Districts are responsible for developing procedural manuals, forms, parent outreach, interpreters, and translation of documents. Districts are also required to provide Sheltered English Immersion training in Categories 1, 2, 3, and 4 for all staff who work with English Language Learners. All levels and types of services as provided for English-speaking students must be provided for ELL students in their primary language. Every student whose first language is not English is required to be assessed, to determine language proficiency upon registration and admission to the public school; stages of language acquisition need to be determined in order to identify the level of services required for each student. Students must also be supported by staff members in order for them to participate in Massachusetts English Language Acquisition – Oral (MELA-O) and Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment (MEPA) in reading and writing as well as the MCAS assessments.
The full listing is available here (DOC)
Kindergarten Information Night Schedule
FRANKLIN - Parents of children who will be attending kindergarten in the fall are invited to attend the Kindergarten Information Night at their particular school.
Following are the dates and times:
J.F. Kennedy Elementary, Wednesday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m.;
Parmenter Elementary, Tuesday, April 14, at 6:30;
Jefferson Elementary, Wednesday, April 15, at 6;
Helen Keller Elementary, Wednesday, April 15, at 6:30;
Davis Thayer Elementary, Thursday, April 16, at 6:30
Oak Street School, Wednesday, April 29, 6:30.
Originally posted online at WickedLocal/Franklin Gazette here
Franklin's Earth Day Celebration
Franklin's Earth Day Celebration
Saturday April 18th, 2009
Beaver Pond
Starts at 9:00 AM
Volunteer to clean up targeted areas and assist with planting flowers and shrubs around Franklin.
- Please bring your own water bottle.
- Please bring your own gloves and rakes.
- Community service certificates will be issued.
- T-shirts to the first 200 volunteers.
- Clean up goes to 1:00 PM
Get some Eco-Info at Beaver Pond:
- Water conservation kits and rain barrel display.
- Mercury thermometer exchange for digital thermometers.
- Recycling tips and composting information.
- Energy conservation tips.
- Much more ! ! !
You can register on the Town website here
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