Franklin Matters

Friday, March 25, 2011

Bay State Greenway Northern Trail Advances

For those following the efforts of the Franklin Citizens Rail Trail Committee, there is news on a similar rail trail development effort through Saugus, Lynn, and Methuen.

Bay State Greenway Northern Trail Advances

by Klark Jessen

Prior posts on the Franklin Rail Trail
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/03/franklin-rail-trail-committee-meeting.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/02/franklin-citizens-rail-trail-committee.html

Franklin, MA

In the News - electronics recycling, YMCA registration

Electronics, appliances recycle day planned in Wrentham on March 26

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Hockomock YMCA registration starts next week

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Franklin, MA

Preparing for I-495’s next boom

I am just catching up to this article from the Boston Globe West edition from Thursday. The article doesn't specifically mention Franklin but I would assume we are indeed one of the communities involved in the planning effort.

Planners in 37 communities along I-495 recently embarked on a $300,000 state-funded study organized by the quasi-public Metropolitan Area Planning Council to map out where residents might best channel new development, preserve open space, and build more on infrastructure. The study is due to be completed by the end of this year.

The regional planning council is also working with the 495/MetroWest Partnership, a nonprofit public-private collaboration based in Westborough, and other local organizations on the effort.

“This region is the state’s economic engine,’’ said Paul Matthews, the partnership’s executive director. “Because there is no central city, it tends to be overlooked a bit. Let’s make sure we have our ducks in a row as the economy picks up again in terms of development. What development do we want accomplished? Those are major questions for us to sort out."

Preparing for I-495’s next boom

via Boston Globe -- Globe West by John Dyer, Globe Correspondent on 3/24/11

Franklin, MA

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Citizens Against Waste: Substitute pay questions

How much total pay is made to substitute teachers?

$485,509 in FY10

Our teachers are invested in being in school to work with students. They are committed to providing an exceptional educational program and they understand that includes attendance. As per the contractual bargaining agreement, a teacher may be absent from work due to illness, family illness, or for a personal day. Also a teacher may be requested to participate in a professional development program as a requirement by the district administration which necessitates absence from the classroom. When teachers are not in the classroom, substitutes are required to provide instruction to students.

This budget provide compensation for substitutes who cover day to day absences and for teachers who are on long term leaves of absence ( e.g. medical leave, maternity leave)

I was surprised to see the number of substitute people and some of the amounts are pretty high. Are teachers paid straight salary?

Substitute teachers are not paid a salary and they do not accrue benefits.

Daily rates for sub teachers are: $60/day, college students; $80/day, non-certified; $100/day, certified; $125/day for long-term sub.

How is leave handled?

When a staff member is unable to work due to a medical condition, a paid leave of absence may be requested. The request is made to the superintendent and is accompanied by the appropriate medical documentation. If all documentation is in order a leave is granted in accordance with requirements outlined in the contractual bargaining agreement.

Is excessive teachers absence accounted for?

Absences for all school personnel are recorded and accounted for by Human Resources and the Payroll Office. Attendance data is recorded and updated on the pay stub for all employees.

My thanks to Maureen Sabolinski, Superintendent of Schools, for providing the answers to these questions.

If you have a question about Franklin's budget, please use the form to ask it. I'll get you a response.

The collection of Citizens Against Waste questions can be found here

Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: Express Line v2 #3-1

Franklin's Express Line newsletter has just been published.

Express Line Volume 2 - Issue 3-1

Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to read the document.

You can subscribe to your own copy of the newsletter by signing up on the Franklin website here. You will have four choices:

News and Announcements
Police News and Announcements
Recycling News
The Franklin Connection

This newsletter is the first option "News and Announcements"

Franklin, MA

"You can't stop people from shopping on Memorial Day"

"The attendance is very sparse, and it's sad," Vallee, a former JAG officer who serves in the National Guard, said yesterday at a hearing on legislation that would ban retailers in Massachusetts from opening on Memorial Day. "It saddens me because it is a very important day in our history and our culture."

The 44-year-old Franklin Democrat said after the hearing that he supports the bill, sponsored by Sen. Michael Knapik, R-Westfield, but is unsure about its prospects on the Veterans and Federal Affairs Committee, of which he is co-chairman.