HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-01-15 School Committee Packet School Committee Meeting
January 15, 2015
Superintendent's Conference
Room
Open Session 7:00 P.M.
t
Town of Reading
r-2 TMeeting Posting with Agenda
t,
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
School Committee
Date: 2015-01-15 Time: 7:00 PM
Building: School - Memorial High Location: Superintendent Conference Room
Address: 82 Oakland Road
Purpose: Open Session
Meeting Called By: Linda Engelson on behalf of the Chair
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Topics of Discussion:
AGENDA
7:00 p.m.
I Call to Order
II Recommended Procedure
A. Public Input(I)
B. Reports
1. Students
2. Liaison
3. Superintendent
4. Sub-Committee
5. Assistant Superintendents
6. Director of Student Services
C. Continued Business
D. New Business
1. FY16 Budget Presentation (I)
Athletics, Extra-Curricular, Health, and Districtwide Technology Cost Centers
Town and District Facilities
E. Routine Matters
1. Bills and Payroll (A)
2. Minutes (A)
January 8,2015
3. Bids and Donations(A)
4. Calendar(I)
• F. Information
G. Executive Session
III Future Business
This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed
at the meeting.However the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting.
Page I 1
Town of Reading
4 ,4 j F Meeting Posting with Agenda
I Informational A Action Item
All times are approximate and may change.
This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed
at the meeting. However the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting.
Page 1 2
John F.Doherty,Ed.D. Craig Martin
1r •Superintendent of Schools Assistant Superintendent
for Learning and Teaching
82 Oakland Road
Reading,MA 01867 Martha J.Sybert
Phone:781-944-5800 yf Director of Finance&Operations
Fax:781-942-9149
Reading Public Schools
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow
TO: Reading School Committee
FROM: John F. Doherty,Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
DATE: January 13,2015
TOPIC: FY2016 Budget
At our meeting on Thursday evening,Ms. Sybert and I will present the FY2016 Athletics,Extra-
Curricular,Health Services,Districtwide technology and Town/School Facilities cost centers.
If you have any questions,please contact me.
The Reading Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race,color,sex,gender identity,religion,national origin,sexual orientation,age or disability.
Districtwide Programs
This cost center includes the budgets for Health Services,Athletic Programs, Extracurricular Programs,
and Districtwide Networking and Technology Maintenance. These programs are grouped into the
Districtwide Programs cost center since none of the expenses can be allocated to either regular day or
special education. In other words,these expenses are for the benefit of both general education and
special education students. A summary by object of the FY'16 Superintendent's Recommended Budget
by Object is shown in Figure 88 below.
Figure 88: Districtwide Programs by Object
Actual Actual Actual Adopted Requested
Expended Expended Expended Budget Budget %
FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 Change
Professional Salaries 676,029 654,925 682,630 699,680 744,153 6.4%
Clerical Salaries 32,065 41,776 49,835 52,066 57,299 10.0%
Other Salaries 225,D32 228,126 255,364 298,372 320,314 7.4%
Contract Services 244,228 266,378 281,197 306,579 307,788 0.4%
Supplies&Materials 18,183 30,593 29,371 45,875 45,675 -0.4%
Other Expenses 52,187 89,156 75,795 107,076 107,026 0.0%
Grand Total 1,247,724 1,310,955 1,374,192 1,509,648 1,582,254 4.8%
Overall,this cost center budget is projected to increase by 4.8%. This cost center accounts for just 3.8%
of the total budget and has remained near this proportion for the last several years. While the
proportion overall has not changed significantly,there have been shifts between various programs
within this cost center. The Districtwide budget by individual program is shown below in Figure 89. The
largest program budget is for health services(39.8%),followed by athletics (29.1%),district technology
(27.9%);extracurricular is the smallest program budget at 3.0%of the total district-wide programs
budget. In total,the increase of$72,606 comprises just 7%of the total increase for FY'16.
Figure 89: District-wide Budget by Program
Actual Actual Actual Adopted Requested
Expended Expended Expended Budget Budget %
FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 Change
Health Services 511,881 523,020 543,697 581,783 630,104 8.3%
Athletics 432,033 427,345 416,737 485,404 461,110 -5.0%
Extracurricular 54,303 45,518 52,944 56,232 48,377 -14.0%
Technology 249,507 315,071 360,814 386,229 442,663 14.6%
G rand Total 1,247,724 1,310,955 1,374,192 1,509,648 1,582,254 4.8%
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Figure 90: District-wide Program Staffing
Budget Budgeted Actual Actual Budgeted Budgeted
FY12 . FY13 FY14 FY15 FY15 FY15 FY15 FY16 FY16
FTE FTE FTE FTE Salary FTE Salary FTE Salary
Health Services 9.5 9.2 9.3 9.3 546,433 9.3 559,837 9.3 594,754
District Administrator 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 14,509 0.2 15,900 0.2 16,377
School Nurse 8.8 8.8 8.8 8.8 520,005 8.8 532,018 8.8 566,101
Secretary 0.5 0.2 0.3 0.3 11,919 0.3 11,919 0.3 12,276
Athletics 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.5 93,582 1.5 96,234 1.5 100,038
Assistant Principal 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.5 53,435 0.5 53,435 0.5 55,015
Secretary 0.5 1.0 1.0 1.0 40,147 1.0 42,800 1.0 45,023
Extracurricular 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 26,718 0.3 26,717 0.3 27,508
Assistant Principal 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 26,718 0.3 26,717 0.3 27,508
District Technology 4.4 5.9 5.4 5.4 308,886 5.4 319,921 6.1 365,321
Computer Technician 3.5 5.0 4.5 4.5 229,000 4.5 241,000 5.3 283,038
District Administrator 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 64,655 0.7 63,690 0.7 66,595
Info Systems Specialist 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 15,231 0.2 15,231 0.2 15,688
Health Services
The Health Services program budget funds the salaries and expenses for servicing the medical needs of
the district's student population. Currently,each building has at least one full-time nurse. The Director
of Nursing is housed at the high school and provides additional support to its larger student population.
The Director receives clerical support from one of the central office Administrative Assistants who
spends 25%of her time supporting Health Services. Ninety-four percent of the health services budget
funds salaries.
The Health Services program budget is projected to increase 8.3% in the FY'16 Superintendent's
Recommended Budget. This increase is driven primarily by the step and COLA increases for nurses as
well as additional competency stipends they have earned. In addition, a small portion of the increase
funds higher pay rates for nurse substitutes. We increased the amount paid to substitute nurse in FY'15
from$75 per day to$125 per day. This was a necessary increase given market rates and the need to
ensure that we are able to attract highly qualified nurse substitutes and maintain high fill rates.
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Figure 91: Health Services Program Budget by Detail
Actual Actual Actual Adopted Requested
Expended Expended Expended Budget Budget %
FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 Change
Professional Salaries 472,572 488,090 500,275 534,514 582,478 9.0%
Director 67,790 69,048 71,110 72,545 81,885 12.9%
Nurse 404,782 419,042 429,165 461,969 500,593 8.4%
Clerical Salaries 15,005 10,510 11,673 11,919 12,276 3.0%
Secretary 15,005 10,510 11,673 11,919 12,276 3.0%
Other Salaries 9,075 8,625 15,754 15,625 15,625 0.0%
Substitutes 9,075 8,625 15,754 15,625 15,625 0.0%
Contract Services 7,934 5,895 8,180 9,000 9,000 0.0%
School Physician 7,859 5,895 8,000 8,000 8,000 0.0%
Professional Development 75 - 180 1,000 1,000 0.0%
Supplies&Materials 7,110 7,687 6,072 8,900 8,900 0.0%
Medical 6,738 7,487 5,834 8,400 8,400 0.0%
Office 373 199 238 500 500 0.0%
Other Expenses 185 2,214 1,743 1,825 1,825 0.0%
Equipment 95 2,031 1,731 1,525 1,525 0.0%
Postage 90 183 11 300 300 0.0%
Grand Total 511,881 523,020 543,697 581,783 630,104 8.3%
The district contracts with a physician as required under MGL,c. 71,§53-55 who provides medical
examinations to students as needed. We do not anticipate an increase to this contracted amount in
FY'16. The increased funding for medical supplies will be used to support the safety-centered activities
such as replacing expired items in each emergency medical bags and adding equipment, most notably
audiology testing equipment, as needed.
Athletics
The Athletics program budgets funds the salaries and expenses necessary to operate the High School
athletics program. The largest single line of the budget is for the salaries of the athletic coaches that
comprise 46.9%of the athletics budget. The next largest expense is transportation,followed by athletic
officials, and facility rental. The athletics budget is offset by user fee and gate receipt revenue that is
used as a direct offset to coaches'salaries. The FY'16 Superintendent's Recommended Budget proposes
an increase in the athletic user fees to offset the increased cost of living adjustments in coaching
stipends. User fees have remained unchanged since 2010. We are recommending that Athletic User
Fees increase to$250 per season(an increase of$35),with an increase in the family cap from $800 to
$950 and an increase in the individual cap from $500 to$600.
In addition the budget proposes increasing the revenue offset by$50,000. The revenue offset covers
95.2%of coaching salaries or 45.2%of the total athletics budget.
As Figure 92 below shows,the Athletics Program budget is projected to decrease by 5.0% in the FY'16
Superintendent's Recommended Budget. This is a function of the increased offset mentioned above and
a budget adjustment to the transportation line which appeared to be over funded. The rest of the
budget remained level funded. The FY'16 budget amounts appear reasonable given the three year trend
in spending.
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow Page 107
Figure 92: Athletics Program Budget by Detail
Actual Actual Actual Adopted Requested
Expended Expended Expended Budget Budget %
FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 Change
Professional Salaries 85,160 49,500 52,350 53,435 55,015 3.0%
Director 85,160 49,500 52,350 53,435 55,015 3.0%
Clerical Salaries 17,060 31,266 38,163 40,147 45,023 12.1%
Secretary 17,060 31,266 38,163 40,147 45,023 12.1%
Other Salaries 95,099 61,670 45,235 53,747 21,651 -59.7%
Coach 353,231 349,738 348,389 376,747 394,651 4.8%
Event Detail 6,868 4,933 4,846 7,000 7,000 0.0%
Revolving Fund Support (265,000) (293,000) (308,000) (330,000) (380,000) 15.2%
Contract Services 206,114 238,395 231,828 260,680 262,027 0.5%
Equipment Repair 1,015 13,139 12,706 15,000 15,000 0.0%
Facility Rental 57,207 60,677 60,512 66,000 66,000 0.0%
Field Maintenance 6,806 9,284 8,072 7,500 7,500 0.0%
Game Staff 4,756 8,207 18,025 9,000 11,680 29.8%
Officiating 55,343 65,748 54,263 66,200 68,186 3.0%
Transportation 80,987 81,340 78,250 96,980 93,661 -3.4%
Supplies&Materials 9,876 19,625 22,599 34,975 34,975 0.0%
Field - 440 - 4,000 4,000 0.0%
Office 509 2,910 1,471 3,260 3,260 0.0%
Team 7,235 4,622 10,228 12,715 12,715 0.0%
Trainer - 8,266 3,216 5,000 5,000 0.0%
Uniforms 2,131 3,387 7,685 10,000 10,000 0.0%
Other Expenses 18,724 26,889 26,563 42,420 42,420 0.0%
Awards 2,679 2,251 2,888 3,000 3,000 0.0%
Dues&Memberships 7,163 8,429 8,815 8,420 8,420 0.0%
Entry Fees 3,405 3,293 3,589 3,550 3,550 0.0%
Equipment 5,477 10,971 8,625 14,550 14,550 0.0%
Professional Development - 95 845 3,000 3,000 0.0%
Software Licensing&Support - 1,850 1,800 4,900 4,900 0.0%
Travel - - - 5,000 5,000 0.0%
Grand Total 432,033 427,345 416,737 485,404 461,110 -5.0%
The coach salary line does include an assumed step and cost of living adjustment for staff. We have had
a number coaching positions turnover with more veteran staff being placed by more junior staff placed
at lower steps and therefore lower salaries than those they replaced.
Event detail expense,which covers predominantly the cost of police detail at football, basketball,and/or
hockey games as needed,fluctuates from year to year depending upon the number of home games.
Next year,we have assumed the same number of home games. Equipment repair funding is used for
refurbishment of equipment, most notably football jerseys, helmets, and pads. Field maintenance funds
the labor to maintain the fields including striping as well as sweeping and cleaning of the turf fields.
Game staff includes employees who monitor the gate,sell and collect tickets, and count and monitor
game receipts. This figure fluctuates based on the number of home games;this number is expected to
remain the same in FY'16. Finally, software expense includes the cost of the Family ID system being
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow Page 108
used to manage all of the forms and miscellaneous paperwork required for athletics and extracurricular
participation.
Figure 93: Participation in High School Athletic Programs
SCHOOL YEAR 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
BASEBALL 50 52 52 52 51 54
BASKETBALL(B) 31 39 48 43 40 47
BASKETBALL(G) 38 33 32 40 42 42
CHEERLEADING 42 35 42 30 22 26
CROSS COUNTRY(B) 50 37 44 41 46 38
CROSS COUNTRY(G) 20 20 21 20 23 31
FIELD HOCKEY 55 51 52 51 51 49
FOOTBALL 87 101 94 97 99 100
GOLF 12 15 12 15 16 19
GYMNASTICS 13 24 21 19 18 29
ICE HOCKEY(B) 47 53 54 58 51 51
ICE HOCKEY(G) 20 18 24 28 26 23
INDOORTRACK(B) 94 86 84 87 83 74
INDOOR TRACK(G) 79 87 89 57 70 51
LACROSSE(B) 85 81 76 73 62 66
LACROSSE(G) 55 59 72 81 86 77
OUTDOORTRACK(B) 88 74 69 86 93 108
OUTDOOR TRACK(G) 74 70 74 62 66 53
SOCCER(B) 60 58 64 65 61 69
SOCCER(G) 41 55 60 64 72 65
SOFTBALL 46 42 43 41 40 41
SWIMMING(B) 17 20 20 23 29 27
SWIMMING(G) 26 24 25 29 29 30
TENNIS(B) 19 12 21 17 17 20
TENNIS(G) 10 13 16 15 16 17
VOLLEYBALL 38 34 37 41 41 43
WRESTLING 46 45 52 47 43 34
TOTAL 1,243 1,238 1,298 1,282 1,293 1,284
Extracurricular Activities
The extracurricular activities program budget funds the salaries, stipends, and a small portion of the
expenses necessary to offer extracurricular activities at the high school and the two middle schools.
These activities include the high school drama, band, and choral program;the middle school drama,
band, and choral program;and the operations of the high school after school fitness center program. As
with athletics,these programs are critical to the education of the whole child and provide opportunities
for students to grow, learn,and excel in activities that generate enthusiasm and passion outside of the
classroom. They also offer students the chance to develop confidence,character, relationships, and
leadership abilities.
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Figure 94: Extracurricular Activities Program Budget by Detail
Actual Actual Actual Adopted Requested
Expended Expended Expended Budget Budget %
FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 Change
Professional Salaries 38,361 26,578 33,436 31,845 24,377 -23.5%
Coordinator 35,852 24,750 26,175 26,718 27,508 3.0%
Stipends 27,509 32,328 48,761 47,127 48,869 3.7%
Revolving Fund Support (25,000) (30,500) (41,500) (42,000) (52,000) 23.8%
Contract Services 12,303 9,096 10,249 12,788 12,650 -1.1%
Equipment Repair - 1,256 1,169 1,250 1,250 0.0%
Professional Development 700 - 355 700 600 -14.3%
Transportation 11,500 7,840 8,125 10,238 10,200 -0.4%
Vehicle Rental 103 - 600 600 600 0.0%
Supplies&Materials 564 3,070 387 1,000 800 -20.0%
Performing Arts 564 3,070 387 1,000 800 -20.0%
Other Expenses 3,075 6,774 8,873 10,600 10,550 -0.5%
Dues&Memberships 870 685 845 650 650 0.0%
Entry Fees 600 1,550 1,335 1,500 1,400 -6.7%
Equipment - 3,729 3,943 6,000 6,000 0.0%
Royalties 1,605 810 2,750 2,450 2,500 2.0%
Grand Total 54,303 45,518 52,944 56,232 48,377 -14.0%
Seventy-six percent of the extracurricular program budget funds salaries and stipends including 25%of
the salary of the Assistant Principal for Athletics and Extracurricular Activities(representing the effort
required to manage this department),as well as the stipends for the various program advisors and the
wages for the fitness center monitors. This program budget is partially offset by user fee and ticket
revenues. The FY'16 Superintendent's Recommended Budget proposes an increase in the
extracurricular user fees to offset the increased cost of living adjustments in advisor stipends. User fees
have remained unchanged since 2010. In addition the budget proposes increasing the revenue offset by
$10,000.This revolving fund revenue offsets 51.8%of the program expenses,similar to the percentage
of program expense offset by athletics revenue offsets. The proposed increase for Extra-curricular User
Fees is to$125 for cast per show for drama (an increase of$50) and$75 for tech per show for drama (an
increase of$25). We are not recommending an increase for band because their fee is currently$175.
We are also recommending an increase in the family cap for drama to$550(from$450) and an
individual cap increase to$350 (from $250).
The Extracurricular Activities Program budget is projected to decrease 14.0% in the FY'16
Superintendent's Recommended Budget which represents a$7,855 decrease.This increase is due
primarily to increase in revolving fund support which increased by$10,000 of 23.8%over FY'15. Nearly
all non-athletic differentials increased significantly in FY'14 due to a restructuring of the non-athletic
differential salary schedule which was negotiated mid-contract(as stipulated in the collective bargaining
agreement)and went into effect this year.
All other increases/decreases,which may be large in percentage terms, are less than $500 and are used
to support the goals and initiatives of the extracurricular programs.
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow Page 110
Districtwide Networking and Technology Maintenance
The districtwide networking and technology maintenance budget funds the salaries and expenses
required to operate and maintain our technology infrastructure including our wide area network,
wireless networks,servers,computer hardware and peripheral devices,and telecommunications
equipment. The majority of this budget funds the salaries of the network administrator(34%of this
salary is charged to district administration), 5.5 FTE computer technicians,and 0.2 FTE information
systems specialist. The FY'16 Superintendent's Recommended Budget includes an additional 1.0 FTE
computer technician so support our technology needs at the elementary level.
Figure 95: Districtwide Networking and Technology Maintenance Budget by Detail
Actual Actual Actual Adopted Requested
Expended Expended Expended Budget Budget %
FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015. FY2016 Change
Professional Salaries 79,936 90,756 96,606 79,886 82,283 -17.3%
Manager 60,224 61,521 70,577 64,655 66,595 -8.4%
Technology Integration 19,712 29,235 26,030 15,231 15,688 -41.5%
Other Salaries 120,858 157,831 194,375 229,000 283,038 17.8%
Technician 120,858 157,831 194,375 229,000 283,038 17.8%
Contract Services 17,877 12,993 30,941 24,112 24,112 -22.1%
Consulting Services - - 18,000 1,980 1,980 -89.0%
Internet Services 1,620 1,743 1,861 2,112 2,112 13.5%
Software Licensing&Support 16,257 11,250 11,080 20,020 20,020 80.7%
Supplies&Materials 633 211 313 1,000 1,000 219.9%
Supplies 633 211 313 1,000 1,000 219.9%
Other Expenses 30,203 53,280 38,579 52,231 52,231 35.4%
Telecommunications 17,665 20,830 22,227 22,323 22,323 0.4%
Equipment 4,860 6,060 1,411 20,000 20,000 1317.9%
Professional Development - 7,666 6,541 5,000 5,000 -23.6%
Software 7,560 18,249 8,306 4,408 4,408 -46.9%
Postage 119 475 96 500 500 423.1%
Grand Total 249,507 315,071 360,814 386,229 442,663 7.0%
The districtwide networking and technology maintenance budget is projected to increase 7.0% in the
FY'16 Superintendent's Recommended Budget. The primary driver of this increase is the increase in
salary proposed for our computer technician staff and the addition of a 1.0 FTE computer technician. In
FY'15 the district was awarded a$1.5M School Transformation Grant to support our efforts on our
student's behavior health. The grant funds a .25 data analyst. A revenue offset of$15,000 was taken to
reflect the use of one of the staff to support the grant
This budget funds the districts purchases of technology infrastructure equipment. The district has made
a significant investment in technology infrastructure over the past several years and much of this
equipment is no longer covered by warranties. Therefore, it is necessary to budget a sufficient amount
($20,000)to cover the cost to repair or replace any equipment that fails. This could include servers,
wireless arrays, routers, hubs, or switches.
Figure 96 below shows the inventory of technology devices currently deployed throughout the district.
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Figure 96: SY'2014-15 Technology Inventory
By User Group
By Device Type
Location
Teachers Students Admin Total Laptops Desktops Tablets Total
Barrows 48 138 7 193 49 48 96 193
Birch Meadow 46 119 5 170 97 19 54 170
Eaton 42 158 6 206 100 18 88 206
K i l l a m 40 137 6 183 122 16 45 183
Wood End 40 155 6 201 99 57 45 201
Coolidge 71 334 10 415 194 155 66 415
Parker 73 336 12 421 231 125 65 421
RMHS 137 521 30 688 252 336 100 688
Central Office - - 24 24 9 4 11 24
Total 497 1,898 106 2,501 1,153 778 570 2,501
School Building Maintenance
The School Building Maintenance budget funds the salaries and expenses necessary to operate and
maintain our eight school buildings. This includes the salaries of the Director of Facilities,the Custodial
& Maintenance Supervisor,a full-time department secretary,a .4 facilities rental coordinator and all
custodial and maintenance staff. Salaries account for the largest share of the School Building
Maintenance budget at 35.4%of the total (net of offsets). Revenue from fees collected by organizations
renting our school buildings is used to support the School Building Maintenance budget. This revenue
offset represents 7.9%of the total budget. The FY'15 budgeted revenue offset equated to 5.9%of the
total budget. An additional$50,000 offset from the Extended Day Program was budgeted for in FY'16 to
support the school building maintenance budget as enrollment in this before and after school program
has grown to include over four hundred students across our five elementary schools.
Figure 97: School Building Maintenance Budget by Object
Actual Actual Actual Adopted Requested
Expended Expended Expended Budget Budget %
FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 Change
Professional Salaries 179,547 160,974 173,638 181,305 164,800 -9.1%
Clerical Salaries 37,571 37,168 39,087 41,074 55,204 34.4%
Other Salaries 777,338 810,276 913,013 918,275 902,199 -1.8%
Contract Services 312,690 320,728 340,174 355,026 377,064 6.2%
Supplies&Materials 110,532 110,673 84,098 105,249 105,601 0.3%
Other Expenses 1,361,091 1,400,054 1,395,364 1,568,389 1,561,984 -0.4%
Grand Total 2,778,769 2,839,872 2,945,373 3,169,319 3,166,852 -0.1%
The School Building Maintenance budget is projected to decrease 0.1%in the FY'16 Superintendent's
Recommended Budget. This is due in large part to departmental turnover and salary reductions as well
as smaller decreases in maintenance services and energy consumption. The decrease in maintenance
services is due to continued use of internal maintenance trade staff for routine maintenance in addition
to the efficient utilization of previously negotiated tradesperson contracts for routine and non-routine
maintenance. The decrease in energy is due to lower water&sewer rates and a budget correction from
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FY 14 to FY15.Additionally a highly competitive natural gas contract has kept our supply prices much
lower than current market rates in FY15 at$7.3 per dekatherm. This contract expires in June of 2015.
We are expecting to sign a new utility contract in March of 2015. For FY'16,we expect a significant
increase if current market conditions persist. Based on projections by our contract vendor,we are
expecting to see rates estimated to be$10.0 per dekatherm;a 37%increase in cost per dekatherm.
Figure 98: School Building Maintenance Budget by Function
Actual Actual Actual Adopted Requested
Expended Expended Expended Budget Budget %
FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 Change
360 School Security 955 6,541 6,224 2,385 5,455 128.7%
411 Custodial Services 1,075,254 1,110,045 1,178,924 1,207,170 1,182,260 -2.1%
412 Heating of Buildings 314,901 372,958 405,753 396,928 440,981 11.1%
413 Utility Services 594,712 606,299 630,569 738,922 676,907 -8.4%
422 Maintenance of Buildings 658,916 669,735 668,190 723,665 760,500 5.1%
430 Extraordinary Maintenance 134,031 74,294 55,714 100,249 100,748 0.5%
2,778,769 2,839,872 2,945,373 3,169,319 3,166,852 -0.1%
Figure 98 shows the breakdown of the School Building Maintenance Budget by Function. The largest
share of this budget is for custodial services (37%)which include custodial salaries,contract cleaning
services at the high school&Coolidge Middle School,and custodial supplies and equipment. Utility
services,comprising 21%of the budget, includes electricity, as well as water and sewer. This line is
projected to decrease from FY'15 levels as the FY'15 budget appears to be overstated based on the prior
three years of history. Electricity rates are projected to increase by 5%,this combined with moderate
consumption and the overstatement of the FY'15 budget allows funding in this line to be reduced
slightly from FY'15 levels. Water and sewer is supplied by the town through the Massachusetts Water
Resources Authority and we have assumed a 5% increase in water and sewer rates.
Maintenance of buildings is the next largest portion of the budget at 24%. This function includes testing
and inspections, preventative maintenance, and normal building repair and maintenance activities. This
line is expected to increase slightly due primarily continued aging buildings,facilities and systems that
require additional funding to maintain.
Heating of buildings accounts for 14%of the budget and represents the expense to heat all of our school
buildings. All of our buildings are heated with natural gas and many of our heating systems are either
relatively new or have been recently replaced or upgraded. Buildings that have not had any significant
investment in heating system upgrades in the past ten years include Coolidge Middle School. As was the
case with electricity, prior three years of actual history under performance contracting indicates that
FY'15 may be slightly understated. Of course, heating expense is susceptible to wide variation given its
weather dependency. However,we feel comfortable with the modest increase for FY'16 to allocate for
projected usage and increasing utility costs.
Extraordinary maintenance refers to expenditures for unanticipated or emergency repairs that are not
part of our normal or routine maintenance and repair schedule. In addition,for historical reporting
purposes, any projects funded through the capital plan are also recorded as an extraordinary repair. It is
for this reason that there is significant variation from year to year. The budgeted amount for FY'16 does
not include any capital project funds as those projects are selected as part of the larger town capital
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow Page 113
planning process and appropriations are not determined until Annual Town Meeting. The funding that
is shown for FY'16 is essentially a contingency for unanticipated or emergency repairs and this amount is
typically set at between 10-15%of repair and maintenance funding levels.
The budget for School Facilities is offset by an increase of$50,000 from our Extended Day program. This
increase is a result of an increase of space and utilities for our tuition-based before and after school
programs.
Figure 99: FY16 School Building Maintenance Expense Budget per Square Foot Comparison
Alice M. Birch Joshua J.W. Wood A.W. W.S. Total/
Barrows Meadow Eaton Killam End Coolidge Parker RMHS Average
Building Square Footage 53,750 58,500 56,000 57,000 52,000 96,000 97,800 300,000 771,050
0&M Cost Per Square Foot
Maintenance of Buildings 0.70 0.71 0.86 0.74 0.66 0.72 0.60 1.16 0.88
Extraordinary Maintenance 0.07 0.16 0.17 0.17 0.09 0.09 0.11 0.15 0.13
Heating of Buildings 0.65 0.65 0.85 0.72 0.57 0.98 0.09 0.49 0.57
Utility Services 0.73 0.52 0.61 0.85 1.00 0.80 0.84 1.00 0.86
Total Cost Per Square Foot 2.16 2.04 2.49 2.47 2.32 2.60 1.65 2.80 2.45
Rank(Highest to Lowest) 6 7 3 4 5 2 8 1
Figure 100: School Building Maintenance Staffing
Budget Budgeted Actual Actual Budgeted
FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY15 FY15 FY15, Budgete FY16
FTE FTE ' FTE FTE Salary FTE Salary FTE Salary
Facilities 25.0 24.5 24.6 24.6 1,178,178 25.0 1,159,875 25.0 1,206,630
Custodian 19.0 18.5 18.6 18.6 778,698 18.6 771,468 18.6 802,469
District Administrator 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 181,305 2.0 160,000 2.0 164,800
Maintenance Staff 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 177,751 3.0 176,384 3.0 184,806
Secretary
1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 40,424 1.4 52,024 1.4 54,554
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow Page 114
Figure 101: School Building Maintenance Budget by Detail
Actual Actual Actual Adopted Requested
• Expended Expended Expended, Budget Budget . %
FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 Change
Professional Salaries 179,547 160,974 173,638 181,305 164,800 -9.1%
Director 116,400 100,000 108,816 104,430 97,850 -6.3%
Manager 63,148 60,974 63,654 76,875 66,950 -12.9%
Employee Benefits - - 1,168 - - 0.0%
Clerical Salaries 37,571 37,168 39,087 41,074 55,204 34.4%
Secretary 36,921 36,518 38,437 40,424 54,554 35.0%
Employee Benefits 650 650 650 650 650 0.0%
Other Salaries 777,338 810,276 913,013 918,275 902,199 -1.8%
Custodian 611,220 570,205 740,134 778,698 802,473 3.1%
General Maintenance 89,611 78,981 78,983 49,123 53,600 9.1%
Licensed Maintenance 50,804 64,276 77,416 128,628 131,206 2.0%
Overtime 66,544 77,697 76,123 77,883 80,000 2.7%
Revolving Fund Support (120,000) (70,000) (125,000) (200,000) (250,000) 25.0%
Substitutes 72,547 82,556 54,467 79,328 80,000 0.8%
Employee Benefits 6,611 6,560 10,888 4,615 4,920 6.6%
Contract Services 312,690 320,728 340,174 355,026 377,064 6.2%
Alarm 4,884 21,379 3,991 5,006 5,006 0.0%
Architectural Services 1,000 5,793 13,365 8,000 8,000 0.0%
Cleaning Services 217,159 231,540 231,222 235,840 235,840 0.0%
Elevator 15,333 3,878 14,483 18,522 18,522 0.0%
Fire Suppression 12,263 2,229 10,610 17,183 17,183 0.0%
General Maintenance 1,268 2,138 1,846 8,494 8,494 0.0%
HVAC 35,012 31,187 30,888 28,812 49,850 73.0%
Other 21,537 18,352 28,425 28,131 28,131 0.0%
Software Licensing&Support 4,234 4,234 4,234 4,238 5,238 23.6%
Telecommunications - - 1,109 800 800 0.0%
Supplies&Materials 110,532 110,673 84,098 105,249 105,601 0.3%
Supplies 110,532 110,673 84,098 105,249 105,601 0.3%
Other Expenses 1,361,091 1,400,054 1,395,364 1,568,389 1,561,984 -0.4%
Alarm 24,414 19,501 19,513 16,403 16,810 2.5%
Electrical 53,938 59,577 20,017 31,248 31,249 0.0%
Electricity 498,870 494,302 515,351 590,508 552,831 -6.4%
Elevator 13,107 13,968 7,600 14,030 14,897 6.2%
Energy Management - 11,221 6,218 - - 0.0%
Equipment 8,297 8,427 12,878 11,877 13,876 16.8%
Extraordinary Repair 134,031 74,294 55,714 100,249 100,748 0.5%
Gasoline 8,858 9,955 10,430 11,624 11,623 0.0%
General Repairs 147,136 163,059 156,332 175,715 182,148 3.7%
HVAC 45,699 63,190 51,918 54,361 55,719 2.5%
Natural Gas 314,901 367,348 402,644 396,928 440,981 11.1%
Plumbing 14,926 5,320 20,230 16,201 16,194 0.0%
Professional Development - 1,394 1,970 1,500 1,500 0.0%
Software Licensing&Support 955 955 955 955 955 0.0%
Uniforms 8,975 11,112 13,024 10,800 10,800 0.0%
Water&Sewer 86,984 96,432 100,569 135,991 111,653 -17.9%
Grand Total 2,778,769 2,839,872 2,945,373 3,169,319 3,166,852 -0.1%
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow Page 115
Town of Reading
f
4 Meeting Minutes
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39'INCosto--,
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
School Committee
Date: 2015-01-08 Time: 7:00 PM
Building: School - Memorial High Location: Superintendent Conference Room
Address: 82 Oakland Road
Purpose: Open Session Session: General Session
Attendees: Members - Present:
Linda Snow Dockser John Doherty, Superintendent
Jeanne Borawski Martha Sybert, Director of Finance
Chuck Robinson Carolyn Wilson, Director of Student Services
Gary Nihan Craig Martin, Assistant Superintendent
Chris Caruso
Elaine Webb, arrived at 5:35 p.m.
Members - Not Present:
Others Present:
Adam Bakr, RMHS principal
Doug Lyons, Parker principal
Sara Burd, District Administrator of Support Services
Andrea Nastri, Student Representative
Chris Copeland, RTA President
Mark Dockser, Fincom
Reading Public Schools Budget Parents
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: John F. Doherty, Ed.D. Superintendent
Topics of Discussion:
I. Call to Order
Chair Caruso called the School Committee to order at 5:31 p.m.
Mr.Robinson moved,seconded by Mrs. Borawski,to enter into Executive
Session to discuss the discipline or dismissal of,or complaints or charges
brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual and to
return to open session at approximately 7:00 p.m. The roll call vote carried 5-0.
Mr. Robinson,Mrs.Borawski,Mr.Nihan, Mr. Caruso and Dr. Snow Dockser.
The meeting adjourned at 5:32 p.m.
The open session meeting was called to order at 7:06 p.m.
Chair Caruso welcomed guests and reviewed the agenda.
II. Recommended Procedure
Page I 1
A. Public Input(I)
Chair Caruso called for public input.
There was no public input.
B. Reports
Students
Student Representative Nastri reported that the Wrestling Team had an impressive
win and the planning for Mr. RMHS has begun. The event will be held in March.
Sub-Committee
Dr. Snow Dockser attended the recent T.R.R.F.C.C. assembly at Killam and
presented information on the upcoming Martin Luther King celebration that will
be held on January 19tn
C. Continued Business
Continued Discussion on Elementary Space Solutions
Dr. Doherty updated the School Committee on the kindergarten and space needs
for the 2015-16 school year. He reviewed the proposed timeline which will
hopefully end in a Special Town Meeting on February 23`d
Ms.Nastri left the meeting at 7:10 p.m.
Superintendent Doherty continued by saying that the School Committee will be
presenting the details of the modular classroom option to the Finance Committee
on January 14th and again at the Financial Forum on January 21St. The Board of
Selectmen will vote to authorize a Special Town Meeting at that time.
The Superintendent also said he was putting together the lottery guidelines in the
event that the funding is not approved. The tentative date for the lottery will be
on February 24th. Mrs. Borawski asked if all buildings will need to have a lottery.
Dr. Doherty said at this time Killam, Eaton and Barrows are the three buildings
with high enrollment numbers.
The Superintendent reviewed the current registration numbers and cautioned the
Committee that these numbers will increase between now and the beginning of
the school year: He went on to review the classroom needs for the next five years
based on current enrollment numbers and historical trends. He reviewed the
solution to the space issues if 4, 5 or 6 modular classrooms were used. Six
classrooms would provide adequate space for all kindergarten programs,the
Grade 1 classes at Joshua Eaton, and move music classes at Joshua Eaton and
Killam from the stage to a classroom.
If the modular classrooms are not approved and we have to hold a lottery,
approximately 80 families will not have access to full day kindergarten. These
Page 12
families may opt to attend private kindergarten and return to us as first graders.
This will also impact the FY16 budget decreasing the full day kindergarten and
extended day offsets.
Ms. Sybert presented information on the modular classroom cost, site options and
site preparation. She reviewed the possible locations for the modular classrooms
at Barrows, Joshua Eaton and Killam, sharing that this information is
preliminary. Mrs. Colon,Director of Facilities,met with George Zambouras and
Glen Redmond to review these options and due to code changes the locations at
the schools may be tricky.
Ms. Sybert and Mrs. Colon have reached out to Scott Dunlap,Ai-3,to discuss the
possible classroom locations at the three buildings.
The School Committee members asked clarifying questions regarding the
lifespan, cost, and safety procedures for the modular classrooms.
Mr. Robinson asked about the status of the modulars that the Sutton Public
Schools may have available. Dr.Doherty said they would be auctioning them
and has not heard when that auction would be held.
Mr. Caruso pointed out that this is a five+year solution and it will allow the
time that the Space Needs Working Group will need to develop a long term
solution.
Mr.Robinson moved,seconded by Mrs. Borawski,to direct the
Superintendent to pursue a short term solution that will requires the
purchase
or lease of 6 modular classrooms at an approximate cost of$966,000. The
motion carried 6-0.
Chair Caruso called a brief recess at 8:12 p.m.
•
The meeting was called back to order at 8:19 p.m.
D. New Business
FY16 Budget Presentation
Dr.Doherty thanked the administrative team and Ms. Sybert for their hard work
during the budget development process. He went on to present an overview of the
FY16 budget development process and calendar.
The Superintendent set the context in the development of this budget. He
reviewed the district vision which is a model of educational excellence in
preparing students for an ever-changing complex society. He next reviewed the
strategic objectives and district goals; all of which were a guide to the
development of this budget. He reviewed district enrollment trends which show
that our enrollment is increasing. He also reviewed the Special Education
enrollment and other high needs subgroups enrollments. He described two
scenarios: 2.5%base budget vs. 4.7%level funded budget. The budget being
presented is a 2.5%base budget as directed by the Finance Committee.
Page 13
Superintendent Doherty then provided a financial overview including discussion
on revenues, accommodated costs and per pupil spending information.
Dr. Doherty briefly reviewed Special Education spending and comparisons to
comparable communities. Our Special Education spending is lower than several
surrounding communities because we are investing in in-district programs when
possible rather than outplacing students. In many cases these programs are in the
best interest of the child and have been very successful.
The FY2016 budget drivers include increases in salaries, special education tuition
increases and anticipated increases in natural gas costs when our contract
concludes in June 2015. This budget does not account for any unanticipated
special education placements, additional paraeducators or special education
teachers.
Dr. Doherty went on to outline the increases and decreases represented in the
FY16 Superintendent's Recommended Budget. Salaries represent the largest
increase. Within this category there are 6.0 FTE restructured positions that will
require no additional funds and includes reduction in substitutes and regular
education paraeducator hours. Looking at Contract Services there will be a
reduction in Special Education Legal and Consultation Services, non-mandatory
bussing and grant writing services. One of the restructured positions will be for a
Board Certified Behavior Analyst which will allow for the reduction in the
consultation services. Reductions in the Materials, Supplies and Equipment areas
will result in a decrease in the building per pupil budgets. These funds will be
used for technology replacement. Reductions in district professional development
will allow funding for the K-8 Literacy and Math coaches and replacement of
technology hardware. This budget accounts for increases in special education
tuition and transportation due to increases in out of district placement costs, a
reduction in circuit breaker and special education transportation costs. Grant and
revenue offsets will be used to supplement energy and utility costs. Increases in
special education and RISE tuitions will be used to accommodate the decrease in
circuit breaker and the reduction in regular education paraeducator hours. FTEs
at the elementary level will allow for the addition of a Grade 1 teacher to
accommodate the large kindergarten class at Joshua Eaton.
Dr. Doherty reviewed the budget by cost center and category. He also reviewed a
list of unfunded budget requests and other items the budget is not able to address.
He pointed out that there are no staffing cuts in this budget but cautioned the
School Committee that if the FY17 budget has the same limitations, the district
will face staffing reductions.
Mrs. Webb asked about the increase in the number of students eligible for free
and reduced lunch. Ms. Sybert indicated that the state's data collection method is
better now and our numbers may have been that high but families were not
familiar with the process.
Page 14
Mr.Nihan asked about the cut in substitute teacher funding after increasing the
substitute rate in the current budget. Dr.Doherty indicated that this reduction will
not affect the need for substitutes due to illness.
Mrs.Borawski asked what percentage the circuit breaker funding covered for the
out of district placements. Dr. Doherty said approximately 70—75%and it had
been lower in previous years.
Dr. Snow Dockser is concerned in the proposed increase in athletic and extra-
curricular fees and has asked that participation rates be monitored. Mr. Robinson
added that the parents already contribute a lot financially supporting athletics and
activities.
Dr.Doherty said it was the goal of the administration to avoid major personnel
cuts in this budget.
FY16 Administration Cost Center
Ms. Sybert presented the Administration Cost Center. She outlined the major
administration initiatives for this budget which include the leadership for
implementation of the Common Core Curriculum,Educator Evaluation,
technology initiatives, common assessments, the development and
implementation of a long range plan to transition to full day kindergarten and
expanding the preschool program, address building issues at the Killam School,
develop a system to evaluate resource allocation and to re-allocate resources
based on student need, develop a system to measure performance and connect
expenditures to performance measures,review and revise personnel procedures
and policies and to strengthen the human resource systems to better support staff.
Ms. Sybert went on to review the staffing, cost center by function and object.
Budget drivers for this cost center include salaries, an increase in legal services
needed for ongoing personnel issues, a decrease in grant writing services,
decreases in supplies and materials due to a transition to a paperless environment,
reductions in dues and memberships,an increase in employee recruiting expenses
and an increase in employee benefits due to an increase in the number of
employees eligible for 403 (b) contributions and an increase in the match to $175.
III. Routine Matters
a. Bills and Payroll (A)
The following warrants were circulated and signed.
Warrant P1514 1.2.15 $1,448,587.91
Warrant S1527 12.24.14 $264,777.85
Warrant S1528 12.31.14 $195,550.54
Warrant S1529 1.8.15 $28,904.06
b. Minutes (A)
c. Bids and Donations (A)
Donations
Page 15
CMS Science Olympiad Support Group
Mr. Robinson moved,seconded by Mrs. Borawski,to accept the donation in
the amount of$1,000 from the Coolidge Science Olympiad Support Group to
be used to support the Science Team coach's stipend. The motion carried 6-
0.
MLK Celebration
Mr. Robinson moved,seconded by Mr. Nihan, to accept the donation in the
amount of$2,500 from the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation to be used
to support the MLK Day celebration activities. The motion carried 6-0.
d. Calendar
IV.Information
V. Future Business
VI.Adjournment
Mr. Robinson moved, seconded by Mrs. Borawski, to adjourn. The motion
carried 6-0.
The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.
NOTE: The minutes reflect the order as stated in the posted meeting agenda not
the order they occurred during the meeting.
Page 6
2014-2015 School Committee Meeting Date
School Presenting @ mtg.
Jan.l5th School Committee FY2016 Budget
Jan.21st FinForum 7:30 p.m. Sr.Center
Jan. 22nd School Committee FY2016 Budget-Public Hearing
Jan. 26th School Committee FY2016 Budget-Vote
Feb.2nd School Committee
Feb.9th School Committee Office Hours Caruso&Robinson
Feb.23rd Special Town Meeting
Feb. 23rd School Committee RMHS
March 9th School Committee Parker Office Hours
March 18th FY16 Budget Presentation Finance Committee
March 23rd School Committee Birch Meadow
April 6th School Committee Office Hours Webb&Snow Dockser
April 7th Local Election
April 27th Town Meeting
April 28th School Committee Killam
April 30th Town Meeting
May 4th Town Meeting
May 7th Town Meeting
May 11th School Committee RISE Office Hours School Choice/Borawski& Nihan
May 18th School Committee
June 1st School Committee Office Hours
June 15th School Committee
1.15.15
All meetings are in the Superintendent's Conference Room at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Dates and locations subject to change. (Bold indicates new or changed date or location.