Selectmen back review of funding formula for state's
school districts
Kerry O'Brien
News Staff Writer
TEMPLETON —
The Board of Selectmen is asking the Massachusetts Municipal Association to
lobby lawmakers to create a committee to evaluate the state’s formula on how
education is funded.
“I believe
it’s important to see where the MMA — an entity that is supposed to look out
for the cities and towns — to see where they stand on this, if they will state
that, and what they’re going to do on Beacon Hill to try to move things forward
to help cities and towns,” said selectmen Chairman Jeffrey Bennett. “It’s not
only to see where MMA is on the issue, but to try to address this even up to a
federal level. We’re trying to get an acknowledgment that there is a problem. It’s
unsustainable the way the funding goes.”
At an Oct.
15 ballot, the selectmen will be asking voters for a $620,000 Proposition 2 1/2
override to fund a $551,000 increase in the town’s assessment to the
Narragansett Regional School District for the current fiscal year. Town
officials have presented 30-percent cuts across all departments as the only
other option to pay the additional funding if the override fails.
“I think
(getting the attention of the MMA is) one step toward trying to look at the
calculation and look at the funding of education in Massachusetts, instead of
pitting towns and schools against each other to try to find a way that money
can be distributed equitably, and not have the devastating impact it has on our
community and other communities as well,” said Selectman Julie Farrell.
On Oct. 17,
the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education is holding a hearing on school
finance. Ms. Farrell said a bill that would create a subcommittee to evaluate
the foundation budget is of interest to the town.
The
foundation budget determines the cost of education in a community. Then, a
formula taking into account the community’s wealth is used to determine how that
city or town and the state will split the bill.
“The
foundation budget has been a very contentious item in that it does not
completely fund what education needs,” Ms. Farrell said. “It’s moving all the
responsibilities on to the cities and towns and the property tax. In opening up
a conversation on the foundation budget, I personally believe the MMA should be
at that table to represent the cities and towns who are affected.”
Mr. Bennett
said the town’s budget is not able to keep up with the school budget because
the town is limited to an annual tax increase of 2.5 percent without voter
approval.
“The
schools are not under those constraints, so if you have an increase of 3
percent you’re already behind the curve — and it just keeps multiplying,” he
said. “There is one idea floating around of putting the same constraints on
school budgets, (so) they could only rise by so much.”
The select
board unanimously voted to send a letter to the MMA, requesting a statement of
the organization’s position on the foundation budget and requesting that it
lobby for a legislative committee to re-evaluate the matter.
BOS
Letter to John Robertson, Director
MMA
Legislation Division
My
opinions…supported by FACTS ! ! !
Julie
Farrell
MCAS scores
MCAS scores have been rising, but kids are unprepared for college. I read where 40% of students entering MA public colleges and universities require non credit remedial coursework. One thing that indicates is we send too many kids to college. Kids that can't do the work. But they all pass MCAS?
ReplyDeleteI think some of these kids are stretched too far. Trying to play sports, being a part of everything that goes on, does not give them time to study or time for themselves. If a child gets up early for school, goes to practice after school, and finally has supper, the day is pretty much gone. They still need to do homework, and have their social media to pay attention to. My guess is that they get very little rest. I do wonder if all this extra activity is for the good of the child, or just for the parent's ego. Not every child is a athlete or college material, so what happens to them? Attention needs to be paid to the child that does not "fit in". I was very glad when we joined up with Monty Tech, but it seems that even this school has excluded the child that is not in the top of the class. That is very sad, because I do not think that was the original idea, when the school was started. Many people support sports and they have a place, but the needs of the child should come first. In many instances this is not the case, and that is sad. It may be more important that these kids pay attention to their studies, than worrying about, if the school budget will be passed. The teachers are being paid very good money to teach, it is their job to do, not to provide baby sitting for parents who are so involved they do not have the time to provide real support for their own kids. The real world does not care what you did in middle school, or high school, only what you know when you walk out the door. This is just my opinion, Bev.
DeleteExpectations are truly unrealistic. We've all seen stats that claim too many college graduates are working in jobs that do not require any college. The portion of society's resources that fund higher education has tripled over the last 50 years. That means more student debt. Students that DO graduate are too often forced to take a job that does not require a college education.
DeleteCollege is merely one option. If only 30% of US jobs really need a college education, we are doing young people a disservice by telling them that they MUST attend college. The students who are hurt are the marginal students, the students who must take remedial course work for no credit. The students who do not graduate in 4 years end up with more student debt. Student loans are usually not discharged during bankruptcy. Who benefits? The education industry, that's who. They really have no interest in rejecting students because they are academically unsuited. Some school will accept them and take their money. The very top tier of schools can be selective. After that, it's all about filling the freshman class.
America needs skilled trades. College is not necessarily the best option for all students. Obviously, WE have a problem with a system that graduates students after they pass MCAS, then these students require remedial work in order to take college level courses. MCAS is not working. OUR expectation that every child needs to attend college is not working. We're spending an ever-increasing portion of our society's resources on education. What do we get? Bartenders with a BS or BA degree and lots of debt.
And Bev, you are so right about the real world not caring what you did in high school. Close to 4 million students graduate high school each year. And there are 4 million more right behind them. These kids must wake up shell-shocked when they struggle in college. They've been told they are wonderful until now. What happened? Easy - we're failing them by not being realistic, by not telling them the truth and by treating them as if they will all find success in corporate America.
I have members of my husband's family who took out a loan to go to hair dressing school. The demands to pay off the loan were in the mail, before she had a chance to find a job, and develop steady clients. Working in a "walk in only" business solved a few of those problems, but she had to deal with hit or miss weeks. During a slow economy people really do cut back on things that are not necessities. Even the bars have less people when money is a problem. It is cheaper to drink at home. I think it is really sad that the cream of the crop are picked by schools like Monty Tech. I do not think they were the people who the school was built for. I had always felt this school was meant to be a place for the kid that needed a skill. Some people work well with their hands. Bev.
DeleteI have stated openly that bankruptcy of the town of Templeton is the better the override > prop 2 1/2 was place to control spending to restrict town and state form taxation on property
ReplyDeleteBankruptcy would nullified the school vote it would also take the matter out of the hands of those who have a conflict of interest there employed by the town , bankruptcy would also open all assets of the town to the court the coffers would be open to the court and become public bankruptcy would force reconstruction and empty debt This option has not been given you the people of Templeton if you vote the over ride and you don't vote NO you will have lost the restriction since 1980 and giving such permission will only cost you over and over again though your property taxation Vote NO keep our government restricted to 2 1/2
You are so right massvocals. And our BOS have been fishy on this whole thing. To begin with the BOS were adament about NO OVERRIDE then it was NO ON THE SCHOOL BUDGET, now what are they saying they want us to vote yes WHY? because that is what they wanted all along. They want the taxes higher in Templeton. They need to justify having 252 Baldwinville Rd. They want to put the townspeople in a higher tax range than they can justly afford. The BOS don't care if there are families that can't afford it. They don't care if it will cause elderly citizens out of their homes. They only care about their pet projects. There has never been an override that has passed and this will fall short of approval, mainly because the townspeople are fed up with shoddy leadership from the BOS.
DeleteVOTE NO ON ANY OVERRIDE
NDETFFI I hate to tell you but your facts are flawed. If you are talking about the current BOS not supporting the override, 3 of them were not even on the BOS when the first override vote occurred. If you're stating that they didn't support it, you would be talking about Ms. Wilder, Mr Stewart, and Mr. Mullins. The current BOS spoke against the school budget because they were supporting what the general public, the voters, voted for at the polls. Twice. That is their duty whether they personally support the results or not. I do not see any evidence that there is any kind of plan the BOS possess to overlook the families of town or to selfishly support pet projects. If you're going to make accusations like that, support it with evidence.
DeleteWhether the override vote passes or not, whether the town goes bankrupt or not, your comments do not give ideas on how to improve from here. If you would stop focusing all your frustration on an elected few and focus on coming up with brilliant ideas that would actually help the town's situation, your time and effort to comment here would be better utilized. But, it is very clear your only mission is to criticize without comparison or substitute solutions. You do not speak for me or many others when you say the "townspeople are fed up with shoddy leadership". I feel quite the opposite. I think they're doing an excellent job under unprecedented circumstances and appreciate all the time they have put towards solving the town's problems. So, when you decide to make another criticism, either back it up with evidence or offer solutions. Otherwise, your comments are simply opinions. And opinions are not always truthful or accurate.
You've got that right Templetonian. There is not a selectman in office right no?w that thinks 252 Bald. Rd. was a good idea.
DeleteJust goes to show many haven't a clue about the real problems in town
Bos had the budget set and we voted it in remember the 4 night meeting?
ReplyDeleteI'm not that dumb to not remember that. There was only one or two Selectmen that were for the school getting the amount they wanted and now have a serious choice to make and it is to preserve our public safety.
Please Vote YES
Preserve "OUR" Public Safety
Massvocals i will be emailing you tomorrow about the meeting and the next one.
Please Vote YES!
There is a BOS meeting Tomorrow
ReplyDeleteMonday
I don't know why some people think Templeton is close to bankruptcy. It's not. We spend no more than we take in. In a few more years, we'll get done paying for the Viking Container factory. Templeton lives within it's means. Cities like Detroit are bankrupt because they borrowed money for day to day operations. Templeton finances are tight, but nowhere near bankruptcy. In my opinion.
ReplyDeletewell Mark its a bit obvious that we will be spending more than we take in thanks to the school otherwise we wouldn't need the override, so to say Templeton lives within its means is so false. Or is that the school does not live with in its means? Either way we are headed on the wrong merry-go-round, next year the school will want more then we will have to find more money for them. So when does it stop. Should stop it now VOTE NO ON ANY OVERRIDE
DeleteYou're wrong. If the override fails, Templeton will spend what it has available under the levy limit. It's very simple.
DeletePlease vote YES
ReplyDeletePreserve public safety
Vote YES
ReplyDeleteTo Preserve public safety!
Smart enough to know too!!