An Open Letter to Longmeadow

The following editorial was featured in the Longmeadow News on March 26, 2013

As residents of Longmeadow, we have heard the phrase “eyes on the child” used to describe the philosophy of the Longmeadow public schools. But what does that mean? To me, and my fellow School Committee members, it means making informed decisions in the best interests of our students and the Longmeadow community. Every vote we take, every policy we approve, every contract we negotiate, is done with students and the community in mind.

As a school committee in Massachusetts, we are legally charged with a very specific set of functions - to set the policy and budget of the school district. Our charge is important, and we take it seriously because we know that the most important investment we can make as a community is in education. But as an elected body representing the community at large, we also have a responsibility to make prudent financial decisions.  With that in mind, when the FY’14 budget was presented by Superintendent Marie Doyle to the School Committee, it featured a total bottom line increase of $604,714, equating to a 1.8% increase over the current fiscal year. This increase includes a 2% cost of living increase as provided in the contracts we negotiated last year with our unions, step increases, and salary advancement for continuing education. Together, these total $794,560.

This next fiscal year, the school district is also facing an increase in the costs of operating our lunch program, as a result of a necessary contractual change with our food service provider.  Based on this change, we had to budget an additional $100,000 to cover any losses we may have in operation of the lunch program.

The most important addition to this budget, however, is to fund key positions to build capacity to serve certain high needs students in district. At the elementary level, we have added a transitional program. This program will enable the district to work with students who have behavioral issues that impact their ability to successfully integrate with the larger school community. Without this program, most of these students would need to be placed in costly out-of district-programs.

The approved budget also includes a new Life Skills program at the High School. This program also allows the district to work more effectively with high needs students, teaching them important life skills that prepare them for independence outside of school. Without the addition of these two programs, the district would be faced with bills for out-of-district tuition for between $200,000 and $400,000.

In an effort to limit the amount of FY '14 increases, the budget approved by the School Committee also includes more than $700,000 of carefully considered reductions from the FY'13 budget.

Ultimately, the budget as approved by the School Committee and presented to the Select Board for inclusion in the Town's FY 14 budget totals the amount necessary to fulfill the mission of the school district as set forth in its strategic plan. The School Committee also understands that we do not budget or operate in a vacuum. We understand that the Select Board has different priorities than we do and our continual budgetary debates are a result of those differences.

Yet, notwithstanding multiple sessions during which members of the School Committee and representatives from the school district have repeatedly answered all questions thoughtfully and completely, the Select Board has approved a Town budget that includes a 0% increase, and in fact a reduction of $90,000 from our FY’13 budget, resulting in an overall reduction of $706,000 from our approved FY 14 budget.

This presents us with a devastating budget scenario that we simply cannot support. Approval of the Select Board's budget at Town Meeting will result in actual positions being cut, and the impact to students will be real.  The district will have to reduce up to 15 positions, including some classroom teachers. Class sizes will necessarily increase and the student achievement levels the district has worked hard to increase will be put at risk.

Our fervent hope is that there exists a fair compromise position between the budgets as approved by the Select Board and the School Committee. To this end the School Committee has made a number of overtures to the Select Board seeking a compromise. More recently, members of the Select Board and School Committee have begun to enter into direct negotiations to reach a compromise. These negotiations, however, carry with them no guarantee that a majority of Select Board members would support what ever compromise budget is proposed. 

As a result of this uncertainty, the School Committee believes that should a compromise not be reached between boards, it will be necessary for us to offer an amendment to the Select Board's budget on the floor of Town Meeting. We recognize the impact that this would have on the entire community and we see this option as a last resort.

It is our duty as representatives elected by the residents of Longmeadow to advocate for a budget that enables the school district to continue to deliver the excellent educational opportunities our community has come to expect. In this case, we believe that our approved budget is not excessive and very appropriate.

Thank you for the opportunity to inform the residents of Longmeadow as to the status of the FY 14 budget for the Longmeadow Public Schools.

Update: As of Tuesday, April 16, 2013 the Longmeadow Select Board voted to not accept the compromise negotiated with the School Committee. As a result, the School Committee has no option other than to offer an amendment on the floor of Town Meeting. In keeping with our commitment to the community, the School Committee will offer amendments that replicate the compromise budget.

Sincerely,

Michael Clark

Chair, Longmeadow School Committee

Flawed School Committee Judgments

There was a discussion of FY2013 capital needs at the School Committee meeting last Monday night (Sept. 26).  The current year capital needs list (FY2012) included replacement of the Williams Middle School lockers (cost = $70K) at a very high priority.  At last week's meeting Michael Clark recommended to the SC that this locker upgrade again be ranked at a high priority behind the upgrade/replacement of the fire alarm/security systems at GMS and WMS (#1 priority) and upgrade of the WMS ventilation system (#2 priority).  School Superintendent Marie Doyle strongly supported the high priority ranking of the WMS locker upgrade.

Interestingly enough, Adrian Phaneuf, Facilities Director- who reports to Mike Wrabel voiced quite a different opinion as to the need to position this locker upgrade as a high priority capital project.  Listen to short video clip from this same meeting (courtesy of LCTV) for his thoughts.



Question: Does the School Committee (including the School Superintendent) even listen to our town professionals who have greater expertise to make these judgments?

Note: I have to congratulate Mr. Fitzgerald in asking whether or not the window upgrade at WMS for energy savings and improved student comfort should be ranked higher than the locker upgrade project.

This is not the first time that the SC and Ms. Doyle have been involved with factually inaccurate assessments of conditions at WMS and GMS.  The Select Board and School Committee had lengthy discussions in January 2011 when "updated" SOIs were being submitted to the MSBA (see related Buzz posts).

With such faulty judgment, I seriously question some of the conclusions and recommendations made by Mr. Clark and Ms. Flynn during the earlier Middle School Study presentation on the condition of WMS and GMS.  Given the above inaccurate assessment concerning the WMS lockers and the earlier SOI submission episode, I question the objectives and motives of the SC.  Are we simply setting up to go through the same "playbook" as was used for the high school?  Make the conditions appear to be as deplorable as possible so that residents will be easily convinced that we have no choice but to tear down and rebuild new.

On Monday night, at a joint meeting of the SB and SC two new members will be appointed to the School Committee.  Hopefully, the selected candidates will bring some improved fact gathering and decision making skills to the School Committee.

Some Tough Choices for our Schools

The Longmeadow School Department and School Committee face some difficult staffing and program decisions in order to meet the expected budget reductions requested by the Town Manager. I attended the Public Forum on the School Department budget that was held this past Monday (2/08/10) to gain a better understanding of the upcoming school budget and its consequences.

Jahn Hart, Longmeadow Superintendent of Schools presented the public forum with a detailed overview of the proposed FY11 school department budget.

Here is a link to the proposed FY11 school dept. budget.

Some of the highlights from this budget presentation included:

• The proposed FY11 total school budget is $30.09 million which is a decrease of $1.55 million dollars from FY10. Because of reduced special revenues and mandated increases, total reductions to the school dept general fund were $1.86 million.
  
• A total of 35.35 positions would be eliminated which is a reduction is ~ 8% of the total staff.

One of the areas for reduction was the elimination of the “pull out” instrumental and choral music program at the elementary school level and elimination of the orchestra music instruction at the middle school level. There was also a reduction of music related staff at the high school which would decrease the number of course offerings. District-wide there would be a total reduction of 2.2 music related positions (out of a total music staff of 10.3).

Most of the public comments during this forum including impressive presentations by numerous middle and high school students as well as parents of music students centered upon the reduction in the music program and related staff. Suggestions by students and parents of a “fee based” music to allow its continuation were rejected by the School Dept since this portion of the music program (different from general music classes) is not allowed because it is a core offering. Obviously, eliminating instrumental and choral music programs elicits a strong emotional reaction.

Below is a video excerpt of the one of these comments that was representative of the objections voiced:

Perhaps, offering of such programs through the Longmeadow Parks and Rec dept as an after-school fee based programs could replace the “pull out” music and choral offerings. In this week’s Reminder, there was an advertisement for the following after school program. Perhaps, we could hold onto these important music related programs through “non-school dept” offerings.

I raised a question about prioritization of cuts and was told that the School Dept and School Committee had developed a priority list of cuts but was not going to make it public. Given that state aid to cities and towns is in flux and subject to change, I think that this information should be publicized so that the public could provide some input to the decision making process. Below is the related Q/A on this subject.

This is only the beginning of a long final budget formation process for FY11. Stay tuned to Longmeadow Buzz for the latest developments and insights.

[video clips provided courtesy of LCTV]

Finance Committee Public Forum

On April 7 I attended a Finance Committee Public Forum about the FY10 budget in order to get a better understanding of the financial difficulties that our town is facing. I was pretty disappointed with the poor attendance for this forum. In addition to the Finance Committee members and Rob Aseltine representing the School Committee, there was a total of two town residents including myself in attendance.

While there was not a formal presentation or overview of the FY10 budget, a number of specific subjects were discussed that provided me with a clearer picture of the financial issues facing the town of Longmeadow.

Below are some highlights from this meeting…

• One of the largest and fastest growing segments of the town budget is the money allocated to Special Education (SPED). According to Rob Aseltine, approximately $10 million out of a total FY2010 budget of ~ $52 million is spent on SPED services and these costs are escalating at a rate of ~ 8-10% year. This increase in SPED costs every year pretty much consumes the allowable 2½% increase in revenues from property taxes. For FY2010, increased property taxes (limited by Proposition 2½) amounted to ~ $1 million over FY2009 vs. $800,000 increase in SPED costs.
  
• Mr. Aseltine summarized the status of the federal stimulus money that was recently announced by Governor Patrick (see Springfield Republican article). The town of Longmeadow will be receiving approximately $418,000 for use with SPED. According to Mr. Aseltine, 50% of this money must be used for SPED program enhancements while the other 50% could be used for direct SPED costs. According to the news article, 50% of this money was to be disbursed to the towns by the end of April and other 50% in the Fall 2009.
  
• At this point in the meeting there was considerable debate led by Chair- Mark Barowsky suggesting that at least a portion of this federal grant be allocated to town services since a signficant portion of the SPED program is funded by money from the General Fund. Mr. Aseltine argued that a major portion of this money be “invested” to improve the efficiency of delivering SPED services through the implementation of a new program called “Response to Invention”. RTI is a method of academic intervention used in the United States designed to provide early, effective assistance to children who are having difficulty learning. The ultimate goal would be to at least significantly reduce the rate of change for delivering SPED services.
  
• It is interesting to note that Robin Crosbie, Town Manager made a similar recommendation about the cost of SPED services in a LongmeadowBuzz commentary last year and was soundly rebuked by members of the Longmeadow School Committee.
  
  Here is an excerpt from her posting....
  "Now that I am on the topic of special education, let me say that residents, including parents of special needs students, have expressed concerns to me about the effectiveness and costs of the special education program. No one doubts or disputes the intentions and commitment of the school department to serving these students and families. But it may be time for the town to fund an outside managment study of the organization and effectiveness of pupil services. System assessments, whether of human or capital infrastructure, can be very helpful in seeing the big picture, developing specific remedies and recommending long-term planning and funding.” Robin Crosbie, Town Manager
  
• Combine the increase in SPED costs + the significant reduction in state aid for Longmeadow for both the current FY2009 as well as FY2010, there is no room for salary increases for the town’s 650 employees without a significant reduction in town services. With most of the town employee labor contracts still being negotiated, there is considerable uncertainty about the level of town services for FY2010.
  
  There are no cost of living adjustments (school or town) included with the FY2010 budget to be voted on at next week’s Annual Town Meeting. With town employee and school department teachers contracts expiring in June and August, there is a potential increase in overall costs of $300,000 with every % increase in COLA.
  
  The Longmeadow School Committee is meeting next Monday night (April 27) in executive session to discuss “strategy with respect to collective bargaining”. Is it possible that all or a portion of the $417,000 in federal stimulus money will be used by the School Committee will be used to provide a COLA adjustments to the teacher’s contract?

I am hoping that the teachers and town employee unions will agree to a 0% COLA for at least one year. We need our town employees and teachers to help maintain the quality of life and education in our town. We also need to recognize the difficult financial circumstances that lie ahead and plan accordingly.

Everyone should plan to attend the Annual Town Meeting on Tuesday, April 28 at 7 PM in the Longmeadow HS gymnasium.

Big-ticket schools prompt a scolding

Boston Globe- May 22, 2008

Below are some quotes from this timely article posted today on the Boston Globe's website.

“State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill complained yesterday that some Massachusetts communities are embarking on excessive, McMansion school construction projects that neither the towns nor the state can afford.”

“… Cahill also said that school communities should not be making decisions for a community. He argued that even the wealthiest towns have residents who cannot afford the tax increases needed to fund such projects.”

Longmeadow faces the same difficult economic decision as many towns in Massachusetts. Building a new high school (or undertaking a major renovation) in Longmeadow is an important financial decision. Let’s make sure that we balance our needs. It makes no economic sense to build a new high school and then realize that we have to layoff teachers to afford it. As Cahill is quoted in this article … “teachers are far more important than bricks and mortar”.

Let’s make sure that whatever decision is made that we can ensure the quality education of our children. This should be our #1 priority.

It is worth the time to read this Boston.com article to compare our Longmeadow's situation with other towns in Massachusetts.