School committee broaches several subjects
Published on September 18th, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - In addition to the South School principalship, Nicholas Leonardos might want to add television star to his resume as he showed off his chemistry with the camera in a cable televised tour of the South School last week.
Leonardos came to Stoneham this summer, replacing Dr. Paula Sline in the principal’s office at South Elementary School. His pride in his new job location shines through as his tour makes its way from the front door of the state of the art facility and on through classrooms, the computer lab, library, gymnasium and cafeteria.
"We have a great staff here at South...It’s really a great place for kids to come to school every day...I’m thrilled to be here," he said.
That tour can be seen on cable access channel 9 as a lead-in to the School Committee meeting of September 12 which was held at the South School.
The School Committee plans on taking their meetings on the road this semester when possible. Its next meeting on September 26 will resume at its regular location, the Stoneham High School Library. After that, the new Central School will host the October 10 meeting, and the old Central School, which is home this year to both Robin Hood and Colonial Park Schools, will host a Tuesday night School Committee meeting on October 22. Tuesday night is a diversion from the School Committee’s regular meeting night of Thursday, because Fall Town Meeting is scheduled for October 21 and 24. The Middle School will have its turn as host to the School Committee on November 7.
September 11
Stoneham High School acknowledged the anniversary of September 11 last week with a student run assembly for all staff and students that Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly called "very appropriate and tasteful." All schools in the districts acknowledged the anniversary to some degree, he added.
Budget Projections
Preliminary projections show that the 2002-2003 budget is running in the black with a surplus of about $46,000.
School Business Manager Michael Musto presented the projections to the School Committee on Thursday with the caveat that such an analysis done this early in the year is "very preliminary."
Projections are presented to the School Committee and Finance Board four times a year for the purpose of estimating the where the school budget will be at the end of the year. In addition, the updated information makes it possible for the system to make informed decisions throughout the year.
The four key areas of the budget reviewed for this analysis are salaries, special education, transportation, and health insurance.
Of note, the heat and utilities account was purposely underfunded for the year with the expectation that an appropriation of $113,000 will be approved by Town Meeting next month. This appropriation will be contained within the town’s article for a budget adjustment.
Musto advised that the Stoneham school system is working with other towns to investigate advantages and cost savings of purchasing commodities, such as heat and electricity, as a collaborative. Reading, Wakefield, Melrose, Saugus, and Stoneham hope that group purchases of such commodities will translate to greater volume discounts.
Town Meeting Warrant Articles
The School Committee is expected to sponsor three articles at Town Meeting beginning on Monday, October 21.
The first article calls for returning $43,000 to the general budget with replacement of a boiler at the East School nearly complete. The project was given the go ahead and $65,000 last spring, but the work is being completed with far less money since it was realized that the old boiler did not have to be removed.
Now it looks like the East School’s slate roof needs to be replaced, however, and the second School Committee sponsored article calls for $32,000 of that $43,000 being returned, to be appropriated for a new roof.
"It’s an $11,000 return for the town and the school is getting a new roof. It’s really something to be highlighted," said School Committee Chairman Dan Moynihan in support of the two articles.
The East School is leased to the SEEM Collaborative and is expected to bring in about $92,000 in rental revenue this year.
The third article calls for $70,000 to cover vacation liability for staff. This article is the last installment of a three year plan to satisfy this liability. The School Committee initially agreed not to sponsor the article this year due to the expectation that the town’s free cash position will be significantly lower than usual. However, School Committee member Marie Christie suggested that the article be added to the warrant. If the free cash position is better than expected, then the School Committee can continue with its request to Town Meeting. If free cash comes in low, the School Committee can indefinitely postpone the article on Town Meeting floor and bring it up again at a later date.
School Committee Goals
School Committee Goals are now published and have been shared with all building principals.
"This is pretty much the game plan for the whole year," Connelly said of the composite list of goals developed by each School Committee member for 2002-2003. "These are the issues we’ll be dealing with all year."
Connelly told the committee that it can expect an update in March of which goals have been met.
It is already known that some of the goals will not be accomplished this year, such as full-day Kindergarten, due to budget constraints.
Other goals concern MCAS and have already been put in place with grant money covering remedial programs for upper grades aimed at helping students pass the high stakes 10th grade exam. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Joseph Casey explained that the thrust in the lower grades is on literacy and numeracy in the regular curriculum and recent textbook adoptions help make this possible.
Class Sizes
South School parent Nina McGrath asked the Committee for help with the large fifth grade class sizes at South School. There are three fifth grade classes this year at South with 25, 26, and 27 students in each.
"I have a real concern...If it was a younger grade, I’m sure more parents would be speaking up about it," she said.
Connelly advised that there is no written policy regarding class sizes in Stoneham but the system has worked hard to develop district lines that allow students to attend neighborhood schools while keeping elementary class sizes to between 22 and 25 students.
The large fifth grade classes at South represents a bubble in the enrollment that happens from time to time. If a new student moved into the district during this year, however, he or she would be urged to enter a fifth grade out of the district.
Connelly acknowledged that South School is currently the only elementary school in the district that has the larger classes.
"Otherwise, I’m, very pleased with class sizes town wide."
Connelly stated that he would defer to the principals and teachers for viable solutions.
School Committee member Cheryl Walsh reminded the audience that the Central School has been adopted by StonehamBank and a homework club has been established there through the Adopt- A-School program. She urged other businesses or organizations to do the same at South School to give students more support.
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