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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-01-27 School Committee MinutesReading Public Schools Reading, Massachusetts SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING BUDGET MEETING JANUARY 27, 1997 CALL TO ORDER Chair Susan Cavicchi called the budget session to order at 7:35 p.m. in the Superintendent's Conference Room. All members were present with the exception of Robert Spadafora, Jr. Also present were Superintendent Dr. Harry K. Harutunian, Associate Superintendent Dennis Richards, Reading Town Accountant Richard Foley, Town Treasurer Beth Klepeis, Student Representative Marissa Freitas and a Chronicle representative. A member from the Board of Selectmen was expected to arrive later. ROUTINE MATTERS BILLS AND PAYROLLS The warrant for bills was as follows: January 21, 1997 - Bills - $222,450.69 January 27, 1997 - Bills - $331,769.69 The warrant for payrolls was as follows: January 24, 1997 - Biweekly - $137,666.25 January 16, 1997 - Teachers - $522,401.27 SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT • The Superintendent included a copy of Article 8 that the School Committee submitted for the Town Meeting warrant. • He shared the Massachusetts Department of Education Testing in Grades 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11 for 1996 -2000. BUDGET MEETING 2 JANUARY 27, 1997 • Dr. Harutuman said State Representative Bradley H. Jones stated he will continue to update the Administration of Governor Weld's proposal that must be approved by the House and Senate and then signed by the Governor. CONTINUED DISCUSSION OF FY98 BUDGET Dr. Harutunian stated he has discussed with the Administrative Council the port- able classrooms and the cost to install classrooms to be endured in the $21,579,025 budget for FY98 that includes two teachers at a cost of $66,000. The Town Manager had informed the Superintendent that there is no money in the 1998 capital budget to account for portables. The Town Manager also noted that we have never bonded for less than $100,000 and expressed concern over the empty room at Killam. He asked if we would dig into our $21M budget or ask the town to remove items from the their capital requests. Chair Cavicchi stated that the Fm* Com Capital Committee was disappointed we took the position we did. Money will have to come out of our operational budget. Mr. Stohlman said he would like to see a solution that works within the town so we won't have to bond for portables. Dr. Harutuman added he spent time on Friday night discussing the portables that now would be $85,000 each, 2 buses $33,000 or 3 buses $48,000. The site was looked at today by Mr. Debrigard, DPW and Mr. Bandini, Director of Buildings. The Administrative Council voiced concern over the $250,000 for 3 portables and $48,000 for buses. The Superintendent stated he heard from the Department of Education's Jim Anderson who noted any plan K -5 would seem a positive move in the State. The 2 portables at Killam and the 2 at Birch Meadow would have to be removed. If 5 portables are used at Barrows we may hurt our chances to get funding later. Dr. Harutunian asked for a decision as to how we can fund portables and transportation. BUDGET MEETING 3 JANUARY 27, 1997 Ms. Klepeis stated the portables would be treated as individual units. Dr. Harutunian advised that he met with the Administrative Council for 3 hours on Friday and that other things in the budget seemed more important than the portables. He stated that he thought School Conunittee wanted him to look at budget enrollment issues in the FY99 budget. Some of the ways to deal with this would be through redistricting, add teacher(s), 1, 2 combination at Barrows, and look at K -2 rather than grades 3 -5 alternatives. Mr. Twomey asked if the budget included the kindergarten transportation for students going to Killam. Dr. Harutunian replied 1 bus was built in not 2. Ms. Klepeis stated it is a sign of a desperate town if we bond for under $100,000. It would be harder to go for portables after the Capital Plan is in. The portable should come from an appropriation. Mr. Twomey asked if we could structure the 3 portables as 1 project? The total would not change the Capital Plan. Ms. Klepeis said the money should come from the school budget. Ms. D'Antona asked about going to SBAB and what is the time line? The Superintendent added the minimum to build a new building is 2 years. We could get 3 summers if we begin in July. It comes down to where the town puts this as a priority. Mr. Stohlman replied the Parker Middle School $13.928 M project was agreed on 3 years ago. If we want to add classrooms to Barrows Elementary and go for SBAB reimbursement it would be useful to try for the year 2002. He said School Com- mittee wants class sizes of reduced. BUDGET MEETING 4 JANUARY 27, 1997 Dr. Harutunian stated taking the Barrows kindergarten of 59 students and add in their 54 grade 1 students would make a 1, 2 combination difficult. It would re- quire a great deal of professional development for teachers K -2. The teachers would have to be willing to buy in. If we put an extra teacher in the classroom space would have to be larger than what we have now. His concern is about the 2 grade 4 at Barrows and the 1 grade 5 at Birch Meadow. The Superintendent stated there may be other options. A dual grade has never been a solution to solving an enrollment concern. He stated he has looked at 2 spaces to rent for kindergarten. They are not Reading school department locations. We would still have bussing concerns. He is looking at every available space for 2 years. Dr. Harutunian noted that OFC is the toughest on codes. School Committee members discussed the projected elementary enrollments for 1997 -98. Dr. Harutunian stated he would check on the third grade at Birch Meadow. He said he would keep smaller K -2 classrooms the highest priority. Chair Cavicchi asked if anyone was willing to vote for reconsideration of Mr. Twomey's motion on Friday, January 17, 1997. In response to a question from Mr. Twomey, Ms. Klepeis said we do not have FY98 $250,000 debt service. We could only borrow for a year. The payment for the high school would be FY99. If we put in for a Special Town Meeting the town would have to decide. Mr. Twomey said if there is a reasonable way to construct that whole issue he would like to pursue the option with FinCom. There will be 40 more children coming into the schools in FY99. Mr. Cummings advocated to go with the recommendation of the Administration. 1. Reasonable way to address next year. BUDGET MEETING 5 JANUARY 27, 1997 2, Message from FinCom was inconsistent with their policy. 3. Looking to add 60 -65 children to the smallest school without realizing the effect of the ancillary areas. Twenty -seven children in a classroom is not what the School Committee is striving for. Ms D'Antona moved to reconsider the School Committee vote for the 3 portables made on Friday January 17 1997 Mr. Cummings seconded the vote. Mr. Cummings stated to add 3 portables didn't make any sense when we have an empty classroom. The vote was 4 in favor and 1 opposed (Mr. Twomey). Mr. Twomey moved to adjust the RMHS Capital Plan of $1.85 M to $1.6 M and to put $250,000 for RMHS or at Barrows Elementary School. Mr. Stohlman seconded the motion. Ms. Klepeis added we should be specific. Bond issues can be changed in the warrant and suggested we do not have that much flexibility. Dr. Harutunian presented his options: 1, renovate high school relevant to the elementary schools, 2. portables, 3. rent, 4. take over the computer labs, make the Barrows library into a classroom, or make the Administrations' Conference Room into a classroom. Mr. Cummings asked what would come out of the operational budget? Dr. Harutunian stated he may have things in the school system to trade with a rental. He needs more information. Mr. Cummings asked if the Administrative Council would fund additional bussing? Ms. D'Antona said she would like to look at the cadre of other aspects. Dr. Harutunian's concern is if the $85,000 for a portable comes from the operational budget then the $21,579,025 budget would need some trimming. Chair Cavicchi urged the School Committee to reconsider Mr. Twomey's motion. BUDGET MEETING 6 JANUARY 27, 1997 The vote on that motion was 1 for (Mr. Twomey) and 4 opposed Mr. Twomey moved after more information is received from the direction of the Administration under the School Committee draft recommended budget to present a plan out of the operational budget for 1 portable and 1 teacher or 3 portables and 2 teachers to reduce classroom size. Ms. D'Antona seconded the motion Mr. Twomey asked what impact would happen to the education budget or what 1 portable, 1 teacher with extra bussing cost for the kindergarten to Killam? Dr. Harutunian proposed to the School Committee that represents the parents to direct the Administration with creative alternatives and a recommendation from the Administrative Council that includes his options. He noted that the teacher is most important but we need to discuss the space. The Town and School Committee budgets are looked at on February 3, 1997. Ms. Klepeis added that this may be the first year a budget turned in to the FinCom by the Town Manager is not balanced. Ms. D'Antona moved to amend the motion to include other possible situations that would relieve classroom sizes. Mr. Twomey agreed with the amendment The vote was 4 in favor and 1 opposed (Mr. Cumming The consensus of the School Committee was to wait until they meet on February 10, 1997 to vote on the bottom line of the budget. Mr. Cummings asked all scenarios include the costs for all ancillary and what changes and modifications would be recommended. FOREIGN LANGUAGE Mr. Twomey asked the Administration to come to School Committee with the cost of the Foreign Language program if it was dropped from grade 8 to grade 7. Dr. Harutunian stated the proposed program for staffing in 1998 -99 would be $70,000 and $7,000 for text books. In response to a question by Mr. Cummings, the Superintendent stated there are 18 periods that would not have SSR or independent studies, content area staff would then have to offer a tutorial BUDGET MEETING 7 JANUARY 27 1997 program. Presently the students are in Silence Sustained Reading (SSR) classes. Grade 7 students would be taking a foreign language every other day. Mr. Twomey commented that the grade 7 level is the weakest and does not under- stand why we can't get more content area down to that level. Dr. Harutunian said the other 3 periods of time would be team, preparation and SSR. He would like to extend periods in the content areas. According to contract teachers cannot pick up another teaching responsibility. Karen Burke, a parent in the audience asked about the language lab capability when classes are being doubled up now. The Superintendent added the foreign language lab could be a portable situation that moves from classroom to classroom. Mr. Cummings asked for a middle school explanation for staffing in 1997 -98 and 1998 -99 school years and the impact on staffing. Mr. Twomey said he would like to see what the impact would be on the budget if Foreign Language was in grade 7 full time and asked if we could provide the 1.25 position as a full time program. He also asked what the other 2 periods would be. Dr. Harutuman said there was not a lot of support from middle school principals to cut something else out of the middle school programs. He noted if teachers are doing 5 periods the other two periods would be travel and preparation time. A master schedule has not yet been built. He would have to come back with that explanation. INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIALISTS Dr. Harutunian said the Administrative Council asked him to advise the School Committee that they would like the 2 Instructional Specialists be put back into the budget for $66,000. He was willing to say the Administration would find an area to cut for these important positions. BUDGET MEETING 8 JANUARY 27, 1997 Mr. Cummings said he would like to know what would not be funded. The Superintendent asked for time to articulate conclusions by February 10, 1997. He informed Mr. Cummings that he would do the best he could to provide facts and figures the week before. School Committee meeting dates were decided: February 10, February 24, March 10, March 24, April 7 and April 28, 1997 ADJOURN Ms. D'Antona moved to adjourn at 10:38 p.m. Mr. Twomey seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Ms. Cavicchi Mr. Cummings Ms. D'Antona Mr. Stohlman Mr. Twomey spectfull ubmitted, L& Harry Harutunian, Ph.D. Superintendent of Schools