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See the Ledger PA
Dr.K is taking all his 'extra' cash, his new money and putting it into the payroll. Once again the physical plant takes a back seat, as well as any extra for a rainy day, just keep doling out those raises. Someone should make him take an accounting course.
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school contract answers
Before I get to your question, everyone is welcomed to email me or call me if they have any questions, especially relating to something I said. My email address is listed here as well as on the town website (and my number is in the book). I don't have all the answers, but I will always try to get an answer for you.
As to the school contract, it is my understanding that it is state law that dictates we treat school contracts differently than others. I am not a lawyer, but I believe it is Chapter 105E (section 7b) and Chapter 71 (section 34) that spell it out.
Obviously any contract settlement needs to be funded (i.e. needs money to pay for any increases). My understanding is that the difference with a School contract is that they do not need to get appropriation approval from the legislative authority (in our case, Town meeting) for the contract to be binding. That is related to the law that states Town Meeting votes on the total amount of the appropriations requested by the schools (not broken down by line items) and cannot place any restriction on such appropriations.
With that fact, but not trying to speak for anyone else, I want to say that I feel the School Committee and the Superintendent have a tremendous amount of respect for the role Town Meeting plays. State law as it is, I know school officials do not feel as if they are above Town Meeting.
One of the reasons this is an issue this year is because we did not set aside any additional monies for contract settlements, so when a contract was settled funding became an issue. In this case, the school department has some funds available within their budget that they can utilize for the funding of the contract. So, since they do not need TM approval to start funding the contract, we've decided it is best to wait until May and have the school committee utilize these other funds until then. If Town meeting says no to additional funds in May, the School department will have to absorb the additional expense in their current budget.
I hope that helps. It is not always easy explaining such things in writing. Again, please feel free to email or call me if you have any additional questions.
Take care.
-Ted
By Ted Langill
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School officials seek $983,000
By Tom Gorman 1/12/05 Braintree Forum
School officials are seeking nearly a $983,000 increase for the next school year to help cover increases in salaries, materials and operating expenses.School Superintendent Peter Kurzberg outlined a preliminary fiscal year 2006 budget during Tuesday's school committee meeting.
Officials are seeking an increase of about $983,000 over this year's $37.5 million budget to fund increases in personnel, materials and support. This increases covers the level service budget that provides for no new staff or programs. Kurzberg explained that the recently approved teachers' contract that provides for salary and step increases along with longevity and transfers will require about $785,000 over this year.
This includes a savings of some $271,000 because of the retirement of 12 staff members. Increases in utility costs in addition to the need of replacing equipment and purchasing new textbooks and teaching supplies adds up to an increase of about $432,000.
Officials are seeking an additional $744,000 for next year to cover increases in support personnel salaries, bus fuel, travel expenses, a bus lease contract and transportation for special needs students and athletics.Kurzberg is also proposing to hire five special needs paraprofessionals and develop a preschool special needs program.
He explained that 12 preschool students have been identified as requiring specialized therapy that the new program would accommodate. Two paraprofessionals would be needed to staff this program. By having this in-house class, the town will actually save money as opposed to sending them to private programs. ''There will be a savings if these students had to go to an outside district,'' Kurzberg said.
Five paraprofessionals are being eyed to provide support for special needs programs throughout the school system.
Kurzberg said that figures may change during upcoming budget discussions.
Officials are also proposing an additional $690,000 to fund the hiring of more teachers, technicians for heating/ventilation, computer repairs and a school resource officer and purchasing more library books.
''We're trying to restore some services that were eliminated,'' Kurzberg said.
Last year, some 50 staff positions were cut due to a drastically reduced budget. This resulted in a number of programs being dropped. Officials are looking to hire 12 teachers - four each for the elementary, middle school and high school levels. They are also considering hiring a technician to maintain the system's heating and ventilation systems. These hires would cost about $580,000. Also, $25,000 is being proposed to buy more books for the school system's libraries; $35,000 for a computer repair technician and $50,000 for a school resource officer.
Kurzberg said the additional teachers are needed to help reduce class sizes. He noted that there are about 30 students in two grade 4 classes at Flaherty while another grade 2 class will be needed at Liberty School. The high school has some science labs with 30 students.''We need to figure out how to fix that next year,'' he said. ''We will look at enrollment figures thoughout the system and we could shift personnel.''Kurzberg said East and South middle schools are in need of remedial math and writing teachers while the high school needs one teacher each for science, math, English and social studies.
By THO
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So what you're saying is
that since the school department got some money from the state that is supposed to be used for something else and without any guarantee that the money will be there next year, they can use it to give their employees raises this year and worry about next year later. How is that considered responsible budgeting?
Doesn't this create an unfair burden on the Town's tax dollars when budgets are prepared next year and in fact punishes the other departments who have been struggling to keep a level services budget, like they were told to by the FinCom and Finance Director this year? Why is this extra money allowed to stay within the school budget instead of coming back to the general fund? Has the school department ever returned money back to the Town that was in excess of their budget like other departments do?
How are the schools going to provide a level services budget next year when they have added to it in the form of the pay raises this year? Oh yeah, they'll need a bigger share of the smaller pie that we are all eating from.
Why isn't the FinCom outraged at this ploy? I saw their meeting the other night on cable tv and couldn't believe the ''wonderful'' comments from the woman who is on the schools subcommittee. Give me a break already, It ain't for the kids, it's for the pocket books.
I wish there was one member on the FinCom who had the jewels to set the record straight. Where's Jay Mullen, Bob Kimball and Bob olson on this issue? The silence is deafening.
Thanks for nothing Ted, you let the school department ignore the direction of your committee as well as the Finance Director's to feed the teachers with money that isn't available.
By Reader
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