Additionally, the city, working with the school department, has identified some areas that might result in lower costs next year, including electricity, costs for one of the health plans, and worker’s compensation. If the rates and usage all fall favorably, another $600 – $700K would be added back to the budget, completing the $1.8 million shortfall.

With the caveat that there might be a need to reconsider the budget if the above changes do not appear, the School Committee voted unanimously to approve the $25 per semester increase in the 4th grade music fee. Then the School Committee voted unanimously to accept the Superintendent’s proposed FY11 budget as amended on March 25, 2010.

The Superintendent commented on the topics that the public discussed at the public hearing on Monday, with the School Committee reviewing the topics afterwards. In particular:

• BCBA Proposal for Special Education, especially the question of whether the new staff would have enough hours to meet the demand: The Superintendent said that all the IEPs (individual education plans) were reviewed based on students’ needs to determine how many staff people would be required. He also said that the analysis would go on year-round. The School Committee added that all changes have risks, and that it might not be possible to realize all the savings in the first year, if student needs turn out to be greater.
• Communications: The open position in the Business, Planning and Finance department has a certain amount of communication as part of its new job description. Some specific needs would be addressed by the use of a consultant, giving the new incoming Superintendent some flexibility and the ability to determine how to continue in the future.
• High School Librarians: The Superintendent supported this cut, adding that if the librarians were restored another staff position would need to be cut instead. He added that if more money were available, this staff would be added back. Later discussion by the School Committee also suggested that any additional funds be at the disposal of the high school principals and Shelley Chamberlain—either to add back a librarian or use in the “digital” area.
• ELL Program: The Superintendent noted that while there were NO cuts in ELL (English Language Learners) program; however, the concern is that the number of ELL students in rising without a similar increase in staff. If the need arises, it will be possible to take a reserve staff position to support ELL.
• Music Fee: The Superintendent supported the $25 increase per semester in the 4th grade music fee. Later comments by School Committee members asked that the number of students enrolling in the program continue to be monitored to be sure that the “tipping point”—the point where the fee deters students from entering the program—hasn’t been reached.
• Secretarial Reduction: The Superintendent supported the decrease in the secretarial staff, with the School Committee noting that this cut was specifically about increased efficiency.
• Summer Compensation: The Superintendent reiterated that it was important to deal with the salary inequity across the various summer programs, where staff are paid differing amounts for the same job, depending on the program. He did add that they would look at the different level of service and expertise required. Overall, this is not a budget issue, but does concern parents on how the total amount is divided up.
• Food Services: The Superintendent said that it is important to bargain in good faith with the union, and that since this money is not used directly for education, the amount needs to be carefully reviewed. The School Committee added that if the efficiencies aren’t found, there would be cuts in other staff (probably teachers), which would be difficult for the students, and that our fiscal times mean making tough choices.

The final comments were about the items that were added back (including Creative Arts & Sciences), with the “found” money from the early handover of the old Newton North High School. If the remaining $1.8 million in revenue is not available, either from the state or from other City revenue, these restorations would need to be reviewed as well as other cuts that have not yet been fully discussed.

Found Money: Savings of $97K were identified since the city will be taking possession of the current NNHS one month earlier than is in the school budget. The school is such an energy hog that significant savings can be added back to the budget. Additionally, at the last SC meeting, the Superintendent mentioned that the cut to the high school drama stipends was added to the budget book by accident, and that the money needed to be added back to the budget.

In particular, the Superintendent recommended that the money be divided as follows:

• Restore Creative Arts $17,214
• Correct Drama Stipend $10,000
• Science Aid to Full FTE $12,678
• Add reserve position for teaching, aides, ELL $54,000
• Benefits $3,227
• Total: $97,119

Discussion: The rest of the meeting was a deeper discussion and clarification related to questions the School Committee members had at the last meeting. The questions and the full written responses should be posted on the SC website tomorrow (Friday). In brief:

• Student Services Summer Positions: The Ed Center intends to restructure the pay scales, so the same summer positions in different programs will have the same compensation.
• New BCBA (Board Certified Behavioral Analysts) Positions: By bringing approximately 60 hours of contracted services in-house, Student Services hopes to increase teacher support and deliver services proactively.
• Technology: Shelley Chamberlain is working on a plan that would identify the amount of money needed for technology, how it could be funded and how it would be spent.
• Communications: The open position in the Business, Finance and Planning department is being restructured to provide interface between the BF&P and the Technology departments. A certain amount of communication responsibilities are included in the job description. However, the SC felt that communications should be the primary responsibility of one part-time person. The SC asked the Superintendent to create a proposal for this position and how to fund it.
• Maintenance: The discussion of how much money is needed led to the conclusion that the SC cannot catch up using money in their operating budget. Additional resources will be available this year, even though maintenance is level funded, since the new NNHS will be so much more energy efficient. The new school will free up approximately $100,000 in the budget for other purposes. The concern about moving forward with the facilities plan and to not invest too much in buildings that will either be replaced or substantially renovated was mentioned.
• Class Size: Kindergarten screenings are taking place currently. The proposed budget uses numbers based on the January enrollment book projections to determine how many teachers and classrooms are needed. At least one school (Zervas) was mentioned as having larger numbers of children than expected. This is due to the increase in home purchases in Newton.

Straw Vote: All seven School Committee members present voted to support the proposed budget with the add-backs mentioned above. One recurring theme to the comments was that although this seems relatively painless due to the marshalling of resources in the classroom, there were going to be difficulties this year. There is not enough money for new technology or professional development; class sizes are too high; the quality of the buildings is continuing to fall; and next year will be significantly more difficult without the federal stimulus money.

March 15, 2010

This budget meeting focused on the following non-instructional areas: School Committee; Central Staff; Human Resources; Operations; Transportation; Business, Finance & Planning; and Food Service.

School Committee: The overall budget amount increased 6.6%.
The legal assistance line item specifically covers the costs of collective bargaining and waiver and employment issues. The increase is related to the major ongoing negotiations in FY 11. [NOTE: all other legal matters are handled by the City of Newton law department.] The consulting budget item is lower this year than last, but is still higher than FY09.

Central Staff: This budget area is level-funded, and shows no change in any line item.

Human Resources: This budget area is increased by 4.5%, which is made up of several changes. First, the pay structure of long-term substitutes (i.e. those who cover for teachers on maternity leave) has been changed (reduced) to be more in line with other similar communities. At the same time, the number of ISS staff (basically short-term substitutes) has been increased to offset cuts in building aides. Next, health insurance costs have increased 5.6%, a modest amount compared to recent years. Finally, unemployment expenses are increased to cover expected changes in FY11. [NOTE: This amount was substantially underbudgeted for FY10.]

Operations: Line items related to the Operations office, custodial needs and maintenance are essentially level-funded. The move toward preventative maintenance will continue, with the addition of those buildings that are part of the ESCO program. There will be savings in utilities due to these ESCO projects, as well as the move to the far more efficient new Newton North High School.

Two risky areas are:
• The potential increase in maintenance costs as the Public Buildings Department experiences budget (and personnel?) cuts. This could potentially lead to an increase in the use of more expensive sub-contractors.
• The lack of contingency cash for major repairs. Today’s flooding and the expected related repairs and expenses are examples of the necessity of shifting dollars away from charter maintenance in times of unexpected damage.

NOTE: This led to a very depressing discussion about what is NOT being done to keep the schools in good condition due to lack of financial resources. On average, Newton Public Schools spends $1 per square foot for maintenance; the industry standard is between $2 and $4 per square foot.

Transportation and Business, Finance and Planning (BF&P): Recent retirements have led to a substantial restructuring in these departments to better meet the needs of the school system. Overall the savings total $65k, and create a stronger Transportation department and more efficient reporting and analysis within the BF&P department.

The transportation budget also shows a reduction in two buses for private school transportation–without a cut in service, as well as reduction in costs for summer staff.

Looking into the future:
• The increase in middle school students over the next two years will most likely lead to an increase in the number of buses needed.
• If grant opportunities present themselves, it might be possible to use a consultant.
• The increased parking fee at Newton South has pushed students to park along Brandeis Road, creating potentially dangerous situations. A look at the parking fee in the future was requested.

Food Service: In the past, the Ed Center has subcontracted out the management of food services, but not the labor. Five years ago, more changes were enacted in the way food was delivered. Last year, 75 lunch attendant positions were eliminated. Yet the food service area is still predicting a $993K loss. The FY11 budget calls for this subsidy to be reduced by approximately $500K.

This can be accomplished in two ways:
• Renegotiate the labor contract to significantly reduce labor expenses;or
• Subcontract out the entire management and operations, but still retain oversight.
The department has an obligation to negotiate with the union, and is hoping to have a solution in place by July 1.

Special Education: Eight changes in the FY11 budget were discussed tonight:

• Continue the alternative high school (Central High)
• Add 5 more integrated classrooms at 4 elementary schools (Memorial-Spaulding, Bowen, Mason-Rice, Countryside)
• Add two Special Educators at Bigelow Middle School to more fully integrate classes in all three grades
• Fund 2.5 social workers in the elementary schools (since the grant that funded the current 3 social workers runs out this year)
• Add a reading specialist
• Add two board certified Behavior Analysts
• Add two more SPED interns from Lesley College
• Reduce the number of aides

ELL (English Language Learners): The ELL budget proposal shows a 4.6% increase (approximately $110K). This reflects the increased number of ELL students, particularly at the elementary level, which has increased by 15% since 2008. If the numbers continue to grow (especially at the K-2 level), staff might be shifted from the middle and high schools to the elementary schools. Overall, there is no substantial change in this program.

Career and Tech Ed: The budget proposal shows a .7% increase with very little change in the program.

Curriculum and Instruction/Professional Development: While overall, this area is level funded, there are several changes in the budget book, including: the addition of 3 math coaches to complete coverage at the remaining elementary schools and the middle schools; the reduction in the Creative Arts & Sciences Director position to a .2 FTE; the reduction of theatre stipends at the high schools by $10,000; and the reduction of professional development expenses for high school department chairs and curriculum coordinators.

According to the discussion, these changes focus on building capacity to provide professional development (PD) within the system. This type of PD is site-based, sustained over time, and job-embedded. Examples include math coaches and literacy specialists.

The reductions were aimed at maintaining class size, which currently represents the best balance according to the presenters. An increase in class size to increase the PD budget would mean “backtracking” on class size at the elementary level; teachers teaching outside their subject at the middle school level; and a reduction in class offerings at the high school level.

The cuts that the presenters felt could be sustained without completely impacting the programs were in travel and conference expenses for department heads and curriculum coordinators, the mentoring program, and the Creative Arts & Sciences program.

Overall, the Superintendent discussed the centrality of the classroom as a guide in creating the budget. In particular, the budget is based on five main areas of focus:

1. maintain FY10 class size
2. keep strong commitment to maintaining breadth of programming
3. continue initiatives
4. build on efficiencies and restructure operations for savings
5. have an innovative approach

The Superintendent and his staff started the process by looking at the School Committee’s budget guidelines and collaborating with the Mayor. They developed plans at several different revenue levels, considered enrollment trends, and prioritized system needs that focused on classroom teaching, teaching support and professional development.

In defining the magnitude of the problem, the Superintendent said that a maintenance of effort budget–doing the same thing this year as last year–would require a $7.4 million increase over last year’s budget. This is made up entirely of mandated costs–contracted staff costs and benefits, as well as increases in SPED tuition and transportation costs. However, the additional allocation from the Mayor was only $1.7 million. The Superintendent could not get to a budget that served the children of Newton with only $1.7 million more than last year. After meeting with the Mayor and his staff, they found a one-time reduction in the cost of health insurance that totaled $1.4 million. This new total of $3.1 million was the number that the proposed budget was built on–a 2.1% increase over FY10.

This leaves a gap of $4.3 million, of which $2.5 million will be found through efficiencies, new fees, some restructuring, and program initiatives. The remaining $1.8 million gap will hopefully be covered by state funding. If this amount is not received from the state, more revision of the budget will need to be made, meaning cuts in remaining areas. At the back of the budget book are changes that were already considered and rejected.

The Superintendent went through the list of proposed changes–I would add a link here, but I can’t seem to find the document online yet. In general, the savings at the elementary and high schools were from administrative reductions–mainly building aides at the elementary level, and reductions in assistant principals and executive secretaries at the high schools. There are small shifts in staff at the elementary and middle schools to reflect enrollment changes. The math coach program is being expanded at both the elementary and middle schools.

Regarding student services, 10 SPED aides and 3.5 Pre-K aides were cut, but the integrated program was expanded. Social workers and the Lesley University intern program were increased as well. There were many other changes in SPED, which will be discussed at the Thursday, March 11th, meeting.

Three fee programs were discussed: the increased use of school buildings for the international language schools; the increased fees for the 4th grade instrumental music program; and a new fee-based program called Early Morning Drop Off, where for $8 per student per day, parents can drop off their child at 7:30 am at their school. This last program is budgeted to bring in $189,000 next year.

Changes to the food service program leading to approximately $500,000 in savings were predicted. The Superintendent warned that reliance on these savings, as well as the income from the Early Morning Drop Off program, both of which are only estimates, is risky. If these numbers change, it is possible that more cuts will be necessary.

Liz and I will keep you updated as the School Committee reviews every aspect of the budget in far greater detail.

Many, many thanks for all your help and support during this long campaign. Whether it was hosting a coffee, accepting a lawn sign, writing Dear Friend cards, making a donation, or any of the other activities that were so important to my campaign, I cannot express how much I appreciate it. Without your support, I would never have made it through two long years of campaigning.

While I wish I could thank you all individually, I do want to single out just a few people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in my campaign with their constant support and valuable assistance and advice: Ellen Gibson (my campaign manager), Ira Morgenstern (my campaign treasurer), Nathan Gibson, Susie Heyman, Anne Larner, and Gerry Chervinsky. And of course I could not have spent one day on the campaign trail without the unconditional and unwavering support of my husband, Chris Hill, and our children, Sophie, Althea, and Lucy.

While I am disappointed that the majority of voters did not choose to elect me to the School Committee, I do want to congratulate my opponent, Matt Hills, as well as the other members of the new School Committee: Geoff Epstein, Reenie Murphy, Kurt Kusiak, Jonathan Yeo, Sue Rosenbaum, Claire Sokoloff, and Margie Ross Decter.

As for my future, I expect to continue working throughout Newton for parents and children to improve public education in Newton, and encourage you all to stay involved in our schools and be informed of the difficult choices we must make in the next few years. I hope to continue as a source of information, especially since we are beginning another budget season.

Just some logistics to help us wrap up the campaign: if you have a lawn sign, please leave it either standing as is or lay it flat on your lawn. Our sign team will be by in the next two days or so to pick it up.

If you held a sign at the polls or some other event and still have the sign, please let me know so that we can pick it up at your house.

Please accept my sincerest thanks for your vote and for all you have done to help with my campaign. I look forward to working with you all in the future!

Sincerely,

Sue

Dear Editor:

I urge all Newton voters to join me in voting for Sue Flicop for Ward 7 School Committee on November 3rd.

I first met Sue when I was PTO co-president at Lincoln-Eliot Elementary School — she was the PTO Council president at the time. Sue met with PTO co-chairs each year to hear what issues were important to us as parents at each school. Sue was and still is a valuable resource to parents trying to navigate through the Newton School System. She has a deep understanding and knowledge of our schools as well as a willingness to engage with parents. Most recently, Sue met with parents from Lincoln-Eliot this past spring and again in the fall to talk about our concerns regarding equitable distribution of resources and large class sizes.

Sue has been representing Newton parents for several years—she has worked on the new strategic plan for the public schools, on space issues at the Bowen school, and on advocating for energy efficiencies through the use of ESCOs. Add to that her strong leadership skills her analytical background—she has an MBA and has performed university-level research in the area of international business.

Sue will be a responsive, thoughtful School Committee member that we as parents need in our corner. Please vote for Sue on November 3rd!

Andrea Boucher
Newton

1. Hiring an exceptional superintendent
2. Long-range financial planning
3. High-quality teaching
4. Strong communication with the public

Hiring An Exceptional Superintendent: We must have a school system that is led by someone with a high level of expertise in teaching and learning. No matter how attractive a prospective candidate might look on paper, Newton is not the place to hire a superintendent with no previous experience managing a school system. The new superintendent must know what it takes to hire and support high-quality teachers—the most important element in our children’s education.

Our school system is large–11,500 students, with a budget of $165 million. The new superintendent must also be able to manage a large organization and a budget that reflects our community’s educational priorities and values.
Newton’s schools need a leader who is a strong communicator and a good listener, someone who is responsive to the needs of all the stakeholders in our schools–students, parents, staff, and the community at large.

Long-Range Financial Planning: I strongly support the CAG’s recommendation to implement a long-range financial plan in Newton’s schools. We must shift the system from a year-to-year budget process to a system that commits to and supports various programs and innovations over time. Work in this area has already begun, but it still requires a substantial commitment not only from the administration, but also from School Committee members. They must be an integral part of financial and budgetary planning, helping to determine the success of programs, presenting results to the community, and making information readily available to the public.

High-Quality Teaching: As a member of the Strategic Planning Committee for the Newton Public Schools and Workforce of Tomorrow working group, I learned about and researched how a school system can develop, support, retain and evaluate high-quality teaching. I have strongly advocated for developing a 360-degree review process. This process would include input from all those with whom a staff person comes in contact. For example, a teacher’s review would not only include input from his/her supervisor and curriculum coordinator, but also from peers, other staff, parents and students. Developing this system will be a large undertaking, requiring much discussion, collaboration and negotiation among staff, the School Committee and the teachers’ union. The result, however, will be a strong evaluation tool that engages all stakeholders and improves teaching quality.

Strong Communication with the Public: Improving communications was one of my priorities as co-president of Newton PTO Council and of Bowen PTO. It is critically important to be open, honest, and consistent when providing information.

The School Committee itself has worked hard to be more open by holding interactive comment sessions at School Committee meetings and visiting schools during the budget season. This can go even further, for example by having meetings at schools throughout the year (not just during budget season), and increasing the number of open forums.

In addition to increased “in-person” time, the website needs to be improved—at all levels, including the central administration and individual schools. Information should be current, useful, and thorough. For example, each year, parents and community members ask the same questions, such as, “What do the curriculum coordinators do?” A website can provide answers to these regular, predictable questions.

The School Committee must work diligently to meet with the public through a variety of methods (in person, online, in the TAB, at meetings and forums, etc). It will take patience and consistency to improve community engagement, but this will have great value for our schools and for Newton.
I am a passionate advocate for the public schools, and I would like to continue being a leader for our students, parents, and the community. I ask for your vote on November 3rd.

For more information about my background and other opinions regarding our school system, please go to www.SueFlicop.com.