Schools outline override budge cuts
Published on March 31st, 2004
STONEHAM, MA - If the town passes a partial proposition 2 1/2 override, then the latest list of budget cuts for the School Committee to mull over is down to just $700,000.
While that list includes many items that the committee does not want to see go, it could be a lot worse if the $2.9 million override sponsored by the Board of Selectmen last week fails with voters.
Throughout the last few months of budget discussions, the School Committee has said that it did not support cuts to what it referred to as its maintenance level, bare bones budget. The committee's draft 2 budget is just that, it says, standing at $23,096,155. That figure includes a recent change to the bottom line caused by an increase in the health insurance line item of $104,000 due to higher than expected premiums for next year.
However, the Selectmen have said that the town can only afford a school budget of $20,941,284, producing a gap of $2,154,871 between the two sides that the School Committee hopes taxpayers will help bridge.
Based on that wish, School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly presented the list of $700,000 worth of permanent reductions that will result even with an override.
"The School Committee did not want to see any cuts but we recognize that the town is in a crisis," Chairman Marc Grimaldi said.
The cuts include one Middle School teacher, one Special Education teacher, one elementary physical education teacher, the Elementary Curriculum Administrator, an Elementary Curriculum half time secretarial position, a 10-month secretarial position at the Middle School, two Middle School scheduling stipends, and four elementary lead teacher stipends.
In addition, other anticipated revenue or savings earmarked for FY05 budget offsets include increased high school athletic user fees, rental revenue from the Old Central School building, profit from the after school child care program, $144,000 in Circuit Breaker funds that, although received in FY04, will be applied to next year, and one or two anticipated teacher retirements.
Connelly urged the School Committee to take the list under advisement until its next meeting, and welcomed any alternative ideas.
"This is not an easy task," he said.
By law, the School Committee must hold a public hearing on the budget before Town Meeting. A final budget is not required for that hearing
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Joseph Casey has distributed a letter to all School Department employees reminding them that discussion and activity regarding the override issue must take place on the employee's personal time. School department email addresses and telephones must not be used to partake in discussion or opinion of the issue, nor should School Department materials or any of an employee's time at work used for such.
Thursday night also witnessed the School Committee outlining terms of the Superintendent's contract for 2004. Connelly's base pay was reported at $122,064. On top of that is a longevity payment up from $700 to $2,500, and a 403B retirement annuity increase from $7,400 to $10,000. Connelly's contract does not contain health insurance benefit and has eliminated a car allowance.
School Committee member Marie Christie pointed out that rumors floating around about Connelly's pay increase are grossly inaccurate.
"This contract that Dr. Connelly got was only a 4.8 per cent contract, not 17 or 20 per cent that has been (bandied) about."
Other nonrepresented administrative contracts for FY04 have been finalized as well and are retroactive to July of 2003 including that of the Assistant Superintendent Joseph Casey with a 2 percent base increase, and Administrator of Pupil Personnel Robert McArdle also with a 2 percent base increase. Administrator of Elementary Curriculum Marie Funk will receive a 1.25 percent increase as well as step increases. Building principals, with three year contracts, will now receive 2 percent increase for year 1, 2.5 percent increase plus $500 for year 2, and 2.75 percent increase plus $250 for year 3. Car allowances have been eliminated and the principals, like the teachers, have agreed to give up three professional days.
In other news, finding a traffic pattern that fit the new Central School was not an easy thing, but found it they did and now that all is going well, it might have to be changed.
The traffic pattern that has been working out and keeping students in the congested area safe came about by creative thinking on the part of parents, staff and School Committee member Cheryl Walsh. The current plan involves using the railroad right of way as an exit out to Central Street. However, since that hard top area used as a driveway is really the wetlands buffer zone, it falls under the jurisdiction of the town's Conservation Commission and from that board, the School Committee won approval for its use during the Central School construction project.
In fact the traffic flow along the roadway has worked so well, no one remembered that its use was supposed to be temporary.
"It's an oversight on our part because the scheme had worked so well for the past two years," Connelly said. "We have an absolute need to continue using that for the safety of the children, the parents, and staff."
The move now is to convince the Conservation Commission of that need and to show it that no impact has resulted to the wetlands from the roadway's use. That roadway will also be part of the Tri Community Bike Path once that is completed. Connelly stated that he will contact Cameron Bain of the Bike Path Committee "to see if both activities can co-exist."
Finally, last Thursday's meeting was committee member Dan Moynihan's School Committee swan song as his term comes to a close. Moynihan decided not to seek reelection to the board, citing family and work priorities that will now have the lion's share of his attention.
"I want to thank Dan for three very strong years and a lot of great contributions to the School Committee," Grimaldi said.
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