School Committee may cut teachers to balance budget
Published on March 20th, 2002
STONEHAM, MA – Budget discussion took on a morose tone last week as the difference between what the schools say they need and what the Town says it can afford was highlighted in terms of deep cuts to crucial areas.
According to School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly, the latest budget draft approved by the School Committee must be cut by about $650,000 in order to align with Town budget numbers.
A few weeks ago, the School Committee approved a fiscal year 2003 draft budget of $21,797,884, a 7.9 percent increase over the current year. However, Town Administrator David Berry has said that the best the Town can do for the schools is $21,146,847, which reflects a 4.7 percent increase.
Dealing with the difference in the two numbers is a difficult job, and Connelly presented proposals to bridge the gap on Thursday.
“I have to emphasize...this was a collective effort to identify the least harmful ways to reduce the budget by almost $700,000,” Connelly said of his administrative team’s efforts in developing a list of potential cuts. He also emphasized, however, that while he knows the budget needs to be cut due to the economic climate, he does not support the cuts as being beneficial to the school department.
Fifteen personnel reductions were put forth, totaling a potential savings of $468,856. Since support staff had already been sheared a few years ago, the only personnel left to cut are teachers.
Among the positions potentially to be cut are three full time teachers at the Middle School, four at the high school including two new positions added to the budget draft to accommodate projected enrollment increases, one grade five teacher - also a new addition to the budget draft - special education teaching assistants, elementary library media specialists, library media aids at Robin Hood and Colonial Park, a teaching assistant at Central School, kindergarten staff, and five coaching positions
“The high school would be down four full-time teachers in a school year where they’re facing a 60 student increase,” Connelly said, highlighting the impact of one of those moves. Larger class sizes will be inevitable.
Losing teachers at the middle school level would be detrimental too, said Vice Chairman Jeanne Craigie.
“We fought for years for getting team (teaching) back into the Middle School...Those kids don’t need an increase in class size. I’m adamantly opposed to that.”
Other proposed cuts included the elimination of 50 percent of the Middle School intramural and extracurricular programs, reduction of classroom general supplies by 20 percent across the board and elimination of the grade five Instrumental Music program.
Increasing some fees, such as high school athletics user fees, and imposing others such as a student activity fee for grades k-8 are also on the table.
“Instead of dying by one big stab wound, we’re dying by a thousand pin pricks,” said Chairman Marie Christie of the impact the budget moves.
While all the moves appear harsh, Craigie cautioned the Committee not to lose sight of the importance of protecting the classroom.
“I think we should look at continuing the same philosophy of keeping the classroom central,” she said, adding that cuts furthest from the classroom should be considered first.
Some alternatives she offered included implementing a full user fee busing program, delaying new textbook adoptions and eliminating the elementary guidance position.
Committee member David Sheils concurred with Craigie that looking outside the classroom for cuts is important.
“We need to make sure we can provide teaching services as opposed to transportation and after school programs,” Sheils said.
According to Craigie, the Town has money in a Stabilization Account for rainy days. Allocating some of this to the schools may be necessary.
“It’s starting to rain,” she said.
Discussion moved to the more long range outlook as Committee members agreed that the fiscal crunch is not likely to go away with balancing the current budget.
Craigie will not be in office when the numbers are finalized but she did not hesitate to voice her opinion on the state of the schools going forward.
“I can say it because I’m not running for re-election. Sooner or later, folks, there is going to have to be a 2 1/2 override in the town of Stoneham... 2 1/2 percent over the revenue of any town... is not going to fund what we need to provide for kids in the 21st century,” she continued.
But this may be a hard sell to a town that just approved another $6 million to the school building project days earlier, said Committee member Marc Grimaldi.
Grimaldi and Committee member Daniel Moynihan supported the idea of looking into other areas for generating revenue as is done in the private sector, and they suggested that it is incumbent upon the School Committee to become more creative and resourceful. Selling advertising space on ball field fences was one example.
“I’m glad I’m going. We’re selling our schools to the highest bidder. Government is a nonprofit organization. We’re not here to make a profit. We’re here to provide a service,” replied Craigie.
But despite Craigie’s impassioned rejection of the idea, Moynihan and Grimaldi stood firm in their support of finding out what can be learned from the private sector.
“Our job is to be resourceful... If we do something and make a profit, so we don’t have to lay off teachers, then we’re doing our job,” Grimaldi said.
“I’m looking at a budget this year that is far from the projection, that is looking to cut 15 positions. I’m going to look at the private sector for ideas rather than lay off a teacher,” said Moynihan, who serves on a subcommittee to research additional revenue sources.
Moynihan also stated that it is necessary to impress upon the Board of Selectmen the severity of the cuts.
Committee members and Connelly will continue to wrangle with the numbers and are expected to present this information to the Selectmen this week.
The next School Committee meeting is scheduled for March 28.
Subscribe and get Home Delivery of The Independent
Save 36% off the newstand price — that's like 18 FREE issues!