School Notes
Published on December 19th, 2001
STONEHAM , MA - Thursday night's School Committee meeting covered topics as far ranging as putting in place principals and hockey teams to grappling with money woes.
New SHS Vice Principal
The School Department named Donna Cargill, a 14-year math teacher at Stoneham High, as a new Assistant Vice Principal at the school.
Sline retires early
The South School is facing the imminent retirement of its headmaster, Dr. Paula Sline. Sline planned on retiring at the end of the school year but, according to School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly, she has pushed up her retirement due to personal medical reasons.
Sline is now expected to retire on Feb. 1 and the School Committee has to act fast to find someone to fill her shoes.
Connelly presented three options to the committee to deal with this task, including appointing an acting principal from within South School, a teacher who would leave the classroom to do the job in the front office. An obvious drawback to this, of course, is the disruption to students.
Another option presented was to hire an acting principal from outside the system. The Massachusetts Elementary Principals Association maintains of list of retired principals who are prepared to fill in for short term projects.
While no classroom would be disrupted with this option, two major drawbacks include the learning curve one with no experience with Stoneham's system would need to work through, and the cost of about $27,000 to hire such a person.
The Committee ultimately voted in favor of a modified version of the first option with a South School teacher filling the role of acting principal, without leaving the classroom completely. Instead, a co-teacher would be hired to assist the teacher and would be particularly crucial when the acting principal is out of the classroom to attend to principal business.
The disadvantages to this alternative is that this assumes there will be an interested teacher at South School who will want the job, while some disruption to the classroom will be unavoidable.
The Committee's considerations of cost and the degree of impact on a classroom led to its choice.
Under this scenario, the search for a permanent principal for South School would continue as originally planned with a search beginning in March and a permanent replacement by July.
According to Connelly, Sline also felt this was the best option.
"Paula feels South School is running so well now, she is confident that (this) option ... will work," Connelly said.
He added that the support of the South School staff will lend to the success of this option.
"The teachers are not going to let that acting principal be out there on his or her own ... it's a team effort."
While he expressed disappointment for Sline's earlier than expected departure, Connelly praised her for her action.
"She knows that she's facing some medical problems ... She did not want to be a principal who is out on a consistent basis. She is putting the school and her love of Stoneham first. That's to be commended."
It wasn't all bad news regarding the budget last Thursday, but much of it was.
School budget update
Finance Board Chairman Richard Gregorio reported that concern is looming regarding the amount of state aid that Stoneham can expect for next year.
He stated that while the town's fiscal conservatism will benefit the budget for this year, the picture for fiscal 2003 is considerably more questionable.
"There is no question that the state is in a recession. It's doubtful that the recession will turn around overnight ... The question is going to be how much the state will dip into its reserves to help towns," Gregorio said.
Another problem for next year's budget is the expected increase in health insurance costs. Some estimate this area to rise as much as 20 percent.
Gregorio said budget models are used to plug in the latest information regarding the economic situation. A five percent increase in the school budget is used in estimating the fiscal picture for fiscal 2003.
Connelly summarized, "A five percent increase might be something we can hope for, but any more than five percent might not be realistic at this point in time."
The state is expected to release state aid numbers in late January. Connelly will present the first draft of the 2003 school budget to the School Committee in January.
Revision of the school's five year capital plan includes adding up to $65,000 of possible expenditures to the first two years.
Connelly reported that according to Building Inspector Gene Argiro, the High School and Middle School HVAC systems require an extensive evaluation.
"Unfortunately, it's a very expensive process," Connelly said, adding that to overhaul or replace parts that the evaluation may call for is also expensive.
The evaluation itself is likely to cost about $10,000, and the Committee approved adding that to next year's capital plan. In addition, repair work, if needed, could total about $50,000. The Committee authorized $25,000 for this in next year's plan, with another $25,000 in fiscal year 2004.
Building project update
A meeting between Stoneham and the Department of Revenue (DOR) is scheduled for this week regarding additional money the School Committee says it needs for the elementary school project.
The School Committee plans to ask Town Meeting to fund millions of dollars more for the rebuilding project that is running overbudget.
In 1997, the town approved $39.8 million for the project. That was not enough, the School Committee contends, but by how much is not yet known.
Previously, Stoneham sent a letter to the DOR requesting that the amount it thought it needed, $5 million, be covered in the Proposition 2 1/2 override of 1997. The DOR said yes.
Since that time, however, review of costs suggest that the amount needed to complete the project is more like $6.5 million.
But an unwritten policy of the DOR, Connelly explained, suggests that only one request of that type is allowed and it appeared that Stoneham used its chance when asking for the $5 million.
Town Counsel William Solomon was "extremely effective" in getting the DOR to agree to a meeting in which Stoneham can plead its case, Connelly said.
With the help of Solomon, Berry, School Building Committee Chairman Dan Hogan, a representative from the School Committee and the architect, Connelly said, "I think we can make a very convincing argument."
Girls hockey
Finally, Stoneham High School Athletic Director Mike Lahiff garnered School Committee support for a girls’ hockey team activity for this year.
With prompting from Stoneham High School Senior Andrea Richardson, Lahiff advised that considerable interest in the sport has been expressed.
"This sport has exploded in Massachusetts this year in high schools," Lahiff said.
The plan now depends on the level of interest going forward. This year, Lahiff said the sport will be run as a school activity at the cost of about $3,300. If interest continues to grow, it can run as an exploratory program next year for about $9,000; as a junior varsity sport in 2003-2004 for $13,000, and possibly as a varsity sport by 2004-2005 for $26,000.
Busing concerns
Janice Lane resident Jill Kennedy told the Committee that she is extremely disappointed in the user fee busing program this year.
In addition to schedule changes, Kennedy also has concerns about the her children's bus driver "who continues to have the bus in motion with children not being seated."
The committee vowed to address Kennedy's and other's concerns regarding the buses in executive session.
"I apologize it has taken two to three weeks to get this resolved but it will be resolved," Connelly assured.
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