School Committee's focus is on the middle
Published on October 29th, 2003
STONEHAM, MA - Middle School students have been the focus of a lot of hard work around town of late to the pleasant surprise of the folks who had the unpleasant task last year of slashing many of the programs the kids once enjoyed.
Last week, the School Committee, which met at the South School, received an update on the work that a group of parents took on last June to reinstate the Middle School programs lost to budget cuts. Middle School parent Judy Katz reported that many of those programs are up and running once again, thanks to a community that has pulled together through the tough times.
"It does take and entire community to educate a child and I see that Stoneham has really stepped up to the plate."
Katz, along with her husband Joel and a group of like minded parents and business leaders who wouldn't take the news of budget cuts lying down, organized themselves and solicited outside funding to give the programs back to the kids (Stoneham Independent Oct 1). On Thursday, Katz reported that many of the after school activities have now been made available to students.
Thanks to StonehamBank, the Math team has not only been reinstated, but it recently participated in its first competition. The Middle School Web Page Club has been brought back thanks to the generosity of RCN, S.R. Weiner (Redstone Plaza Management Group) and Stoneham Ford. QSP Publications has helped bring back Student Council and The Great Books Club is on its way back thanks to Deb and Dan Sullivan of The Book Oasis on Main Street and Stoneham Public Library.
Julie Kramer and the Stoneham Boys and Girls Club have been tireless in their dedication to the cause and have successfully brought back intramural indoor soccer and floor hockey, as well as painting and arts & crafts. Parent volunteer Liz Arno, with the help of the Stoneham Recreation Department has the Drama program up and running at the Town Hall. For more information on these programs, contact Julie Kramer at the Boys and Girls Club and Christine DelRossi at the Rec Department.
Katz also reported that a fundraiser at Boston Market yielded $530 and Stoneham resident Donna Weiss recently donated $1,500 to the effort.
Katz' group, Community Partnership for After School Programs (CPASP), continues to meet twice a month and concentrates on the programs that have yet to be reinstated. It is well aware, Katz said, of the potential do it all over again next year as the budget climate is expected to worsen.
Upcoming events include a fundraiser at My Brother's Place on November 21-23 and a special evening in March for which details are still being worked out. An entertainment discount card will soon be available for sale that will allow shoppers and diners to enjoy savings as they patronize local businesses.
"Your efforts are amazing," School Committee Chairman Marc Grimaldi told Katz. "You're a bright flower amongst a very dark valley with regard to these financial issues...We're grateful and hope this continues to catch on and hopefully your efforts will continue to be prosperous."
FY05 Budget
Budget discussions never go away and last week the School Committee again immersed itself in discussion of how to cope in the current tight fiscal climate as well as looking ahead to another dismal economic forecast for fiscal year 2005.
School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly told the committee that the budget process has begun and that all school department budget holders have been given the same guidelines as they have for the past several years - to level fund or go below last year's budget.
But he provided a caveat to that dictate, saying that while the budget holders will continue to not build into their budgets anything over current year spending, unless necessitated by enrollment, new programs, or special education mandates, he warned, "that can't go on."
"We must be realistic that we can't, year after year after year, expect our budget holders to come in with a level funded or less budget. At some point in time, we have to give them a chance to develop a budget that realistically meets their needs."
But for now, Connelly assured the committee that the budget holders will adhere to the guidelines provided. Any budget request over and above this year's level must be accompanied by a detailed explanation of the need.
"You will get a bare-bones, basic needs budget from every single budget holder."
Finance Board Chairman John Warren agreed with Connelly, explaining that the town as a whole is experiencing budget woes and to illustrate the magnitude of this year's problems, he explained that typically the town faces a $1 million shortfall heading into fall Town Meeting. This year, due to a variety of factors including drastic cuts to state aid and a Retirement Board assessment, Stoneham's shortfall is in excess of $4 million.
"The budget this year is very, very different than the budget last year." With revenues falling short of expenses, Warren continued, "we'll have to reduce what we're providing...Class sizes will go through the roof."
Grimaldi questioned whether a proposition 2 PI override would be the only viable solution to this problem which could see layoffs and further cuts in addition to skyrocketing class sizes.
Warren stated that that approach could be the simplest and quickest response and advised that last year's formation of a Revenue Generating Committee has come up with various ideas to build revenue, but not all have panned out. He encouraged participation at Town Meetings in order to support such initiatives.
Grimaldi also encouraged the audience to participate at Board of Selectmen meetings.
"We're just a department, a budget holder. They (the Selectmen) hold the purse strings."
Committee member Marie Christie moved to transfer $3 million from the current year's legal services account and put $2 million into the Professional Development account and $1 million into Employee Appreciation/Bereavement.
An increase to the Professional Development account would allow School Committee members to participate in seminars and conferences.
"It is vital in this time of state reductions, if we don't know what's going on, how can we expect to pass it on to others?"
Regarding the latter, Christie noted that a number of employee's spouses have died recently and there has been no money in the budget to send tokens of condolences.
"That's totally wrong...We should have something in place to send flowers..."
Connelly explained that a School Committee decision to not attend every collective bargaining session, has resulted in a substantial savings in legal costs, and called the move a "safe bet."
"That is a very legitimate observation on Marie's part," he said.
The School Committee unanimously approved the motion.
FY05 budget development continues for the next several months with a final budget expected in April.
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