Meeting funds come up short for schools
Published on October 25th, 2006
STONEHAM, MA - Town Meeting approved two warrant articles sponsored by the Stoneham School Committee earlier this week, but for a total dollar figure under what the committee had originally hoped.
At its meeting last week prior to Town Meeting, the School Committee discussed the requests for funding. Article #14 asked for $250,000 for badly needed capital repairs to the high school and middle school buildings. The money was originally earmarked for the ongoing roof replacement program at the two schools, but with the most dire areas of roof disrepair addressed in the first four years, the School Committee decided to put a moratorium on that project for one year and instead appropriate that money to other repairs.
The $250,000 will be enough, the committee hopes, to cover repair or replacement of the high school front doors, clock system, sub soil drainage problem, main electrical board and 12 x 12 ceiling tiles, as well as locker repainting. At the Middle School the money will hopefully address repair or replacement of auditorium seating and lighting, and lockers. Systemwide, there is a need to address a boiler problem. The repairs looks to total over $309,000, but School Superintendent Dr Joseph Connelly advised that the bidding process is likely to induce competitive pricing and come in around the $250,000 mark.
"This is what is considered to be the most necessary repair work."
If the work exceeds the $250,000 appropriation, the School Committee will need to prioritize projects to stay within the budgeted figure.
Article 15 originally called for $150,000 to restore five custodians and a full time technology aide at the Middle School. However, that figure was reduced to $44,000 once the town's free cash position became known.
With less money available, only two custodian positions will be restored, to be effective December 1, not November 1 as originally hoped.
"Clearly, we continue to believe that we are in desperate need of five custodians. We believe we are at least five custodians below the minimal level to keep the schools safe and clean. But the town does not have the money," Connelly said.
"We'll use these two custodians and put them to very good use but it doesn't really address the total problem," he added. "It will be a very difficult year with only two additional custodians."
What the two positions do address is the ability to keep the schools open past 7 p.m. on weeknights for local youth and sports groups to use without paying a fee. This was a particular troubling concern for the School Committee since the four new elementary schools were built to be community buildings.
"I'm glad to see that just getting these two custodians would take away the charge to community groups. They're already paying for sports, they're already paying for extracurricular activities, and higher lunch fees. This will alleviate one more expense that's passed along," Russo said.
The reduction in available funds also forces the School Committee to hire a part-time Middle School technology aide rather than a full time one.
Administrator of School Finance
In other news, the Stoneham School Committee squared off with the three finalists for the Administrator of School Finance position in public interviews last Thursday.
The position, left vacant since the departure of former Business Manager Greg Zammuto last month attracted a pool 28 candidates. The School Committee had not made a decision on whom to offer the position following a lengthy executive session. It is hoped that the position will be filled in early November prior to the start of FY2008 budget development.
STA
The Stoneham Teachers Association packed the house last week as they confronted the School Committee with a large box of petitions requesting successful contract negotiations.
30 year Stoneham resident and Woburn Teachers Association member Rosemary Solomon supported STA president Marlene McArdle and teachers in their quest for candid discussions during contract negotiations.
"We're here as professionals and knowing how hard these people work to ask you to deliver, as soon as possible, a fair and equitable contract for them," Solomon said.
Academic Excellence Award
Stoneham High School Senior Jonathan Berkman just garnered another distinction to add to his college applications.
On Thursday, Berkman was awarded the 2006 Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Academic Excellence Award. He closed out his junior year with the highest grade point average in his class. Berkman is also President of the National Honor Society, a member of the math team, tennis team and volunteer at the Stoneham Library.
The award is presented each year to a high school senior whose GPA topped the class at the close of junior year. According to Connelly, this timing allows the recipient to boast of the accomplishment to prospective colleges.
High School Accreditation
Stoneham High School is gearing up for the arrival of a team of people who will decide on the accreditation status of the high school program.
November 5 kicks of the 3 and one half-day visit of the accreditation team, which will include panel discussion, interviews with staff, students and parents as well as tours of the school, and class participation by the reviewers. SHS staff and the accreditation steering committee have been working very hard on preparing for the report according to principal Thomas Ryan.
"It's a fairly thorough process," Ryan said. "It's an assessment of how well the school functions under what we say we're functioning under, where we are now...Hopefully they'll see us as we see ourselves."
Round Table
The Stoneham School Committee hosted the first of what it hopes to be of many round table discussions with School Committees from surrounding communities.
Last week, members of the School Committee met with their counterparts from Wakefield and Melrose in what chairperson Kristin Russo called an "extremely informative and beneficial" session. The Reading School Committee could not attend the session but plans to in the future.
Russo said that discussing issues common among the area's school committees along with ideas for improvement and resolution is a win-win for all involved. Some of the issues to be taken up at these meetings include Special Education, Chapter 70 funding, bringing down the high school drop out rate, and collaborative buying power.
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