MINUTES
OF BUDGET MEETING –
PRESENT: Chairperson Anne Larner, Vice-Chairperson Dori Zaleznik, Gail Glick, Patricia Kellogg, Marc Laredo, Nancy
Levine, Reenie Murphy, Mayor David Cohen
ABSENT: Susan
Heyman
OPEN SESSION
At
MOTION: It was
moved, by roll call vote, to convene in executive
session for the purpose of discussing matters related to
collective bargaining. If passed, the
Committee will reconvene in open session at
.
(Heyman - Levine)
8 – 0 – 1
Absent
for vote: Mayor Cohen
ROLL CALL VOTE BY WARD:
Ward I, "yes" (Glick); Ward II, "yes" (Murphy);
Ward III, "yes" (Larner); Ward IV,
"yes" (Levine); Ward V, “yes” (Heyman);
Ward VI, "yes" (Kellogg); Ward VII, "yes" (
Chairperson Anne Larner called the meeting
to order at
Superintendent Jeffrey Young read into the record the following
statement regarding the Grand Jury’s Action on
“Today, a Middlesex Grand
Jury returned indictments against Norman Swerling, an
employee of the Newton Public Schools.
The charges are rape, indecent assault and battery (5 counts), and assault and battery (2
counts). The victim was 16 years old at
the time the alleged misconduct occurred.
The incidents are alleged to have taken place in
Anne Larner
asked the Superintendent if he would give his recommendations for where to
spend the additional $700,000 that the Mayor allocated to the schools.
Jeff Young reiterated the
gratitude of the entire staff to the Mayor for augmenting the school
budget. Given the uncertainties around
state and federal aid and to err on the side of caution, the proposal will
expend $600,000 and will hold the remaining $100,000 as a defense against any
necessary adjustments. His
recommendation for the $600,000 is to restore staffing. While there were other important areas that
were discussed, such as technology, textbooks, maintenance, etc., it was
determined that the most significant impact for the dollars would be in
restoring full-time equivalencies (FTEs).
This amount will be split among the three levels and enable them to add
back approximately 13 teaching positions systemwide. While it is premature to give any specifics
at this time, they will not have to have any K-1 combination classes and class sizes
should be slightly lower. They will also
be able to add back funds for the special subject teachers. At the middle schools, they expect to be able
to decrease team sizes. At the high
schools, while the principals will determine the best place for these funds
depending upon enrollments, he is recommending reinstating the .5 cut in
culinary arts and restoring that to a full-time position.
Marc Laredo understands
the priorities around staffing, but is still concerned about the future of
technology and charter maintenance, as they continually under-fund these areas.
Patty Kellogg stated that
she is a very strong proponent of the need for additional funds for
technology. However, with severely
limited funding, she supports the recommendation to place it all in staffing.
Anne Larner
suggested they hold further debate on this issue until the straw vote, which is
the more appropriate place for these discussions.
Regular
Instruction
Elementary
Jeff Young began the
discussion by noting that the average class size at this level was 18.8 this
year and has bumped up to 20.5 in the budget, but they are anticipating that
the additional funding will help somewhat.
Judith Malone Neville,
Assistant Superintendent of Schools, noted that because of enrollment changes,
they were slated to lose some classrooms at this level. However, being able to add back FTEs allows
them to reconsider the notion of combination K-1 classes. That configuration existed in
Dori Zaleznik asked about the
decision-making process around increasing the number of aides while decreasing
classroom teachers.
Sandra Guryan,
Assistant Superintendent for Business, Finance & Planning, replied that the
increase represents steps and not FTEs.
Judy Malone Neville added
that although there are no increases in FTEs in aide positions this year, it is
important to comment on the responsibilities of these staff members. Many work in both the office and the
classroom, depending on where they are needed on any given day. A large number have been in the system for
quite some time and many are certified teachers who prefer to work as
aides. The principals feel strongly that
aides are valuable in the day-to-day operation of the schools and their effort
this year was to maintain this staffing as much as possible.
Gail Glick noted that the
assignment of aides, unlike teachers, is not necessarily related to particular
classroom enrollments, as they are situated throughout the school for a variety
of functions.
Susie Heyman
noted that parents have expressed concern about the cuts in the smaller
elementary schools, which have resulted in the libraries not being opened all
day.
Fran Zilonis,
Director of Information Technology, stated that adding back one FTE will allow
the libraries that would have been slated for four days of service to now have
five. However, the smaller schools may
still have to share librarian time.
Susie Heyman
wondered if there are any creative ways to keep libraries open using other
methods.
Fran Zilonis
stated that some school systems use volunteers, but she has found that to be
problematic. While they can be helpful,
they do not have the same commitment that a paid staff member would have and if
someone does not show up there is no one to staff the area. Other situations have occurred where libraries
were open but left unattended and materials were found to be missing. Also, the technology in today’s libraries
requires people to be available that are trained in its use.
Anne Larner
asked if it is their expectation that students will have access to the library
primarily on an assigned period of the week only.
Fran Zilonis
stated that there will be time for additional opportunities to utilize the
libraries, but they will be limited in some schools in comparison to what was
in place in the past.
Nancy Levine requested an
outline of what the services will look like next year at each elementary
school.
Jeff Young asked the
principals to talk about how the additional funding will ameliorate some of the
cuts that had been anticipated at this level.
John Jordan, Principal of
Brown Middle School, stated that at his school the priority will be addressing
the sixth grade team size, which they anticipate to have approximately 10 more
students next year. The funding will
also allow them to keep from having to eliminate some programs.
Murph Shapiro, Principal of Oak Hill Middle School,
stated that at his school this will mean that world language classes will be in
the mid vs. high 20s. This may also be
true in fine and applied arts.
Judy Malone Neville spoke
on behalf of Paul Stein, Principal of Day Middle School, and Marie Doyle,
Principal of Bigelow Middle School, who could not be available this
evening. The additional funds will allow
for more reasonable team sizes and lower class sizes in world languages at
these schools, which is most challenging at Bigelow, since
it is the smallest of the four schools.
Susie Heyman
asked if the add-backs will help in allowing teachers to teach in their area of
specialty.
Judy Malone Neville stated
that this will be a great help at Bigelow, although many of the teachers are
certified in more than one area.
Dori Zaleznik commented on
the large cuts in music and arts programs and asked what might not be available
next year in these areas.
Murph Shapiro replied that every student will continue
to have some amount of art and music as part of the regular program. However, some electives will not be offered,
such as computer art, cartoon, and beginners’ guitar.
Anne Larner
noted that this is the second year in a row that the art and music areas have
been impacted by cuts.
Murph Shapiro agreed that they have had to whittle away
at the offerings and focus more on the general program.
Judy Malone Neville stated
that this is true at Day as well. The
fine arts program at Brown fortunately will not change, but other areas, such
as world language, will be impacted.
Jeff Young commented that
each school manipulates the structure in their building to preserve program as
they see best.
Marc Laredo asked if they
could share the philosophy behind the differences.
Judy Malone-Neville stated
that originally there were only two middle schools and then a third and fourth
were added. Programs and needs change
over time and depend upon the particular school community.
Murph Shapiro stated that the middle schools are
actually more consistent than different, particularly around the academic
program. It is in the areas of electives
and scheduling where there is some difference, but they see that as a strength of the uniqueness of the schools.
Marc Laredo asked if there
is a cost impact to uniformity vs. individuality and how they weigh the two.
Judy Malone Neville does
not believe there is a cost difference associated with the structure. There are a certain number of hours and academic
subjects that have to fit into the timeframe, so it ends up being a wash no
matter what the offerings are in each school.
She mentioned the Triple E program, which is available in all middle
schools and offers a rich array of activities.
Susie Heyman
noted that she respects building based decisions, but is concerned that for the
second year in a row they are nibbling away at the breadth of program at the
secondary schools, which is one of the distinctions that makes Newton so
special. They need to guard against this
and do the best they can in difficult fiscal times.
Jeff Young asked the high
school principals to speak about what the additional money will allow them to
do, as well as what areas will still feel the impact of cuts.
Jennifer Huntington,
Principal of Newton North High School, thanked the Mayor for the additional
funding, which will help maintain program.
They are particularly happy that they will be able to restore the .5 cut
to the culinary arts position, as the Tigers Loft is such an integral part of
their school. It is difficult to pinpoint
the particular areas that will be impacted at this point, as registration is
not complete. Once that process is
finished, they will look carefully at the numbers. As they have done this year, electives that
fall below 15 will probably not be offered.
Class size will receive attention and the focus will be on safety first.
Michael Welch, Principal
of Newton South High School, talked about the lack of space for their art
department, which is currently crammed into a modified science area. Next year they will have sufficient space and
he anticipates adding staffing in this area in order to meet the needs of the
increased enrollment. He would also like
to add some staffing to the Wise Individualized Senior Experience (WISE)
program, which has established a good foothold and is increasing in
numbers. One out of seven students participate in this program.
Unfortunately, this will mean looking at cuts in other areas, such as
minimizing the number of courses with enrollment under 15, increasing numbers
in some classes, combining different levels, and any other creative solutions
they can consider. It will be a
continuous struggle to maintain classes under 25, which is their ultimate
goal. He is very grateful to the Mayor
for this additional money, but worries about the future and constraints on flexibility
if the fiscal situation continues along this vein.
Jeff Young asked Yvonne
Spicer, Career & Technical Education Director, to address the return of the
.5 culinary arts position.
Yvonne Spicer thanked the
Mayor for the funding and the administration for restoring the .5 position,
which is critical to the program. The
students involved have spoken passionately around this subject. They have talked about the opportunities that
would be lost for future participants, as well as the ripple effect this would
have throughout the school in terms of students having to choose other
electives. The restoration of the cut
will ensure a safe and successful program.
Susie Heyman
asked if there was any consideration given to adding some funding to the
guidance area.
Jennifer Huntington stated
that while she knows the counselors work extremely hard, the current ratio is
favorable compared to many other communities and her primary focus was on class
size.
Mike Welch stated they
always want to have the ratio as low as possible, particularly given the loss
of other community services. However,
South’s enrollment next year does not warrant a decrease at this time given the
other priority areas he feels need to be addressed first.
Susie Heyman
remains concerned about the class sizes next year even with the additional
funds and would like to be kept abreast of these numbers as the registration
process evolves.
Mike Welch stated that by
mid to late April they should have a good picture of the class sizes. At that point they will establish their rough
cut of fall staffing, which can change from that point until the opening of
school if there are unanticipated enrollments.
Dori Zaleznik noted the
potential for increased numbers of classes above 25 next year, given that there
will be more students and the fact that that the additional funding does not
eliminate all the staffing cuts. She
asked what goals/priorities will be used in their decision-making process.
Jennifer Huntington replied
that they might have to cut an elective in order to reduce the class size of a
main subject. Newton North was scheduled
to lose 6.6 FTEs and the add-back is 2.3, so there is no doubt that there will
be some large class sizes.
Mike Welch commented that
as they teach more sections at different levels and try to serve students
better by targeting their needs, scheduling becomes more complex. They will need to focus on reducing the
number of classes with 15 or fewer students, as well as the ones with 25 or
more, but it will not play out to the degree to which they would like.
Dori Zaleznik asked about
other creative avenues, such as offering one course for students from both schools or lectures for larger groups with smaller
break-out sessions.
Judy Malone Neville stated
that a number of students from Newton South take their Career & Tech Ed
classes at Newton North. There is also a
Russian course that is comprised of students from both schools.
Jennifer Huntington stated
that she has already had discussions with department heads about the
possibility of offering lecture type classes at the honors level.
Mike Welch added that this
was something that was being considered during the Override period. While some students can function well in the
larger settings, there are many who would not get the individual attention and
support they need. Personally, he does
not feel it provides the same caliber of instruction as the traditional model,
although he is open to exploring the option, if necessary. His main priority is not to abandon the
students who are struggling. One of the
main problems with sharing courses between the schools is the incompatible
schedules and transportation issues, which the teachers work very hard on to
overcome.
Nancy Levine asked if
there have been any conversations around aligning the high school schedules in
order to accommodate more sharing of courses.
Mike Welch stated that he
would be more than happy to continue these conversations, which began a few years
ago with the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) and which were helpful in making
the Russian program work. As they begin
to look at the work around the smaller learning communities grant, they can
think about ways to create innovative programs and hopefully provide more of
these type of opportunities.
Anne Larner
mentioned some data she had been working on with Tom Scott, Education
Collaborative (Edco), for an upcoming forum. One piece of information that was very
compelling is that in the last three years the number of high school classes above
25 has grown larger across many of the neighboring school systems. Middle school enrollments appear to be very
different among the systems and elementary schools have been kept at a fairly
stable level. It is obvious that many
communities are struggling with similar situations. It is one thing to experience it in one year,
but another to see it as a trend.
Mike Welch agreed. Cuts at the elementary level show an
immediate impact, while at the high schools it is more of a whittling away of
programs and opportunities and increased class sizes.
Program
Adjustments
Per
Pupil Allocation
Dori Zaleznik asked what the
3% increase will buy back for the system, given this area was cut by 18% last
year.
Judy Malone-Neville stated
that the increase will provide schools with sufficient materials, such as
cartridges, toner, and other office supplies, which were in short supply this
year. The impact is felt a bit more at
the smaller schools, but everyone has been willing to share their materials
with one another. The individual schools
decide how to allocate these funds for their particular needs. While everyone would like to see more funding
in this area, there was unanimous agreement that adding back FTEs was a
priority.
Anne Larner
is troubled that they have to make decisions around staff vs. materials. She would like to know what the minimum
amount would be to provide necessary supplies at each building, so that this
does not turn into another area where they are constantly under-funding.
Sandy Guryan
admitted that the 3% increase is basically to cover inflation and will probably
not allow for additional purchasing, but rather simply level funding what is
now in place. However, the funding from
the Override has allowed them for the past two years to infuse money into the
schools for the purchase of textbooks and instructional supplies; taking the
pressure off having to use the per pupil allocation for curriculum areas. They are currently working on a survey of
other communities around spending on supplies and materials and she hopes to
provide the Committee with some comparative data within the next few
weeks.
Anne Larner
appreciates the data-gathering information but is more concerned strictly about
Jeff Young commented that
last year’s 18% cut in this area was not a number developed scientifically or
philosophically, but rather was an amount necessary to balance the budget.
Gail
Glick asked what economies result from having less of a per pupil expenditure.
Sandy Guryan
replied that they are in a source reduction mode, so copying is all done
double-sided. In addition, they are
doing more electronically and striving to use less paper.
Judy Malone Neville added
that they are attempting to be as efficient and conservative in their use of
materials as possible and to live within certain constraints. She reiterated that not having to depend on the per pupil allocation to fund textbooks and curriculum
supplies has allowed them to use this account for more incidental items.
Dori Zaleznik asked if they
are part of any consortiums that allow them to purchase items at less cost by
buying in bulk.
Sandy Guryan
replied in the affirmative. Their
participation in Edco is one example. They also have the purchasing power of the
city and state for certain areas such as furniture and supplies.
As there were no further
questions on the budget, the Superintendent stated that they will have a more
well-defined document for the straw vote on how the additional funds will be
spent, as well as some impact statements regarding these decisions.
The meeting was adjourned
at