Tuesday, May 20, 2014

So much for détente


So much for détente

If you were unable to attend the continuation of the ATM last night, I’ll fill you in briefly. The “nuclear option”, as well as the threat of the “nuclear option” [603 CMR 41.05 ] is alive and well in Templeton.

The nuclear option will continue to be used against the Town of Templeton by the Narragansett School Committee. No compromise.

To the furloughed and laid off town employees in Templeton, the attempt was made to secure funds for your return. The search for funds will continue.

My opinions…supported by FACTS ! ! !

Julie Farrell

17 comments:

  1. Band uniforms must be a reoccurring cost.

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  2. Maybe the cost is to fund a certified librarian as you suggested at candidate's night.

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    1. This is fantastic news! Thank you for sharing. I know many people will be pleased that there will be a certified librarian at Narragansett.

      I'm so glad I ran to raise awareness of the issue.

      Thanks again.

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  3. Guess the search for funds will include another attempt at an override? Well as one School Committee member posted on his page last night, "I will do everything to get an override on the September ballot" Well Mr AJ Griffith-Robinson not sure the towns people will go for another attempt at an override.

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  4. It is beyond me how anyone can live in this town and not be aware of the hurt, the people who work for this town have suffered. Maybe it is just me, but the way things are done in this town are just not fair. Julie tried to take the money from the school budget, money they will not miss, but NO, that was not going to happen. When the state reimbursements come in, if what is on paper gets voted on, the schools will be doing very very well. Ken let us know that the school would not take no for a answer ! He made it clear that the school would come after the town again, just like they did last year. When the people who are living on the edge cannot make ends meet, don't blame me, or Julie and the others who tried to stand up for you and the people who worked for the town. We voted, but there were not enough of us. The best thing to come out of this meeting is Templeton will finally have a Town Hall. No thanks to Ms. Wilder, who would apparently rather throw money away, year after year. I think it is time for Ms. Wilder to give up the idea that there is mold in the former E.T. School, because there is no mold anywhere in that building.. If she has such a great need to see mold anywhere she should go to 252. Now that building has mold !! I would like to thank John Henshaw for the support he has given this project, and others. Without the Preservation money the town gives through taxes, the things that make our New England town unique would never get repaired, or taken care of. Maybe it is because we live in this area surrounded by all things historical, we don't always value what we have, maybe we take too much for granted. It is a lot to be thankful for and we are lucky we have people like John and Allen who put in a extra effort to care for our past. Bev.

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  5. Getting an override on the ballot is pretty simple, a petition of 200 or more registered voters, the same way the special election back in January 2014 happened, and leading up to that election, selectmen Robinson made a comment that democracy was more important than dollars. Guess that premise was forgotten when the school district and school committee voted to ignore the democratic process (3 no votes by the voters). As has been reported in the past year, a no school budget by July 1 and the state coming in to set a school budget has equaled to both sides losing some ( sides being those in favor of an increased school budget and those against it) There is currently a trend to get "loaded boards/councils" in many state towns and cities. Again, down the road when the taxpayers are asked to take on debt for a new school, what happens if they remember this and vote no. Time will tell and perhaps when the fall arrives and people see the results of the budget cuts and the effects on services, an override will pass in the fall as happened back in 2002/2003. Clearly selectmen Robinson wants the school budget to grow at all costs.

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  6. The way our town government is set up makes it difficult to have "unity in the community." The School system, Light and Water, Sewer Commission and the Selectmen's office don't all seem to be pulling the sled in the same direction. What the answer is I am not sure but more discord seems our lot.

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  7. Lets see, the can increase the levy by 2.5% but the state can increase the minimum contribution by 3.56%. The budget that goes before town meeting is set by the school committee. The school committee had the power to help the town, they chose not to.

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  8. Should read; Let's see, the town can increase......

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  9. In case Puffy missed it, the regional school committee is elected by the local population, not the state. The district school committee with regards to budgets, apportionment of expenses, is governed by Mass> General Law c71, section 16B. The regional district school committee, by a 2/3 vote of all it's members, shall annually determine the amounts necessary to be raised, after deducting the amount of aid such districts shall receive (chapter 70 aid from the state) The amounts apportioned for each municipality shall be certified by the regional district treasurer. In the event that the regional school district budget in a regional school district is not approved by at least 2/3 of the member municipalities (in a district with 3 or more members, both municipalities in a district with only 2 members) as required by this section, the regional school district shall have 30 days to reconsider, amend and resubmit a budget based on the issues raised.

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  10. So there you have it, the school committee can adjust its budget, and if you recall, last year the school committee met to revote a budget that they decided not to change, but they doo have the authority to adjust the budget, provided they do not go below the minimum required local contribution of each member.

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  11. In case you are not aware, Massachusetts state constitution requires the total K-12 spending in each district never falls below the amount needed to provide an adequate education to it's students. A foundation budget was developed as a way to calculate this funding. A foundation budget is calculated by multiplying the number of students at each grade level and demographic group ( low income, limited English proficiency) by a set of education spending categories, teacher salaries, professional development, building maintenance) then add those dollar amounts together. Now calculate the required local contribution (minimum required contribution) The state calculates each city/town's ability to contribute local revenue towards the operation of the schools. Local ability to contribute varies widely based upon the incomes and property values of different cities & towns. The required local contribution is basically a measure of how much local tax revenue a city or town can reasonably raise and dedicate to the operation of the schools.

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  12. As you can see, the cost of administration comes into play concerning the foundation budget, so it appears the school committee has no vested interest in lowering their administration costs because it would effect their foundation budget. There is a difference between a minimum required local contribution and what a school committee votes to have for a budget. Chapter 70 or state education aid is the difference between a district's required local contributions and it's foundation budget. The required minimum local contribution is only a minimum amount that a city or town must contribute to their school districts. Many wealthier communities opt to contribute more.

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  13. In FY14, Templeton's target share was $4,963,418.00 while it's minimum contribution was $3,622,955.00. The inflation adjustment for Fy14 was 1.55% of the foundation budget. Each years local contribution is also affected by the municipal revenue growth factor. The state average for mrgf is 3.39%. The mfgr is calculated by the DOR and uses the most recent annual percentage change in each community's local revenues, such as annual increase in prop. 2 1/2 levy limit.

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  14. The following article is from Denise Andrews' FB page:

    HOUSE REVIVES EDUCATION BUDGET REVIEW COMMISSION
    Through a budget amendment passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives, the Chapter 70 Foundation Budget Review Commission will be revived for the first time since 2001. The commission, designed to perform a systematic review of the state’s funding formula for education, will be tasked with thoroughly analyzing state education spending and determining whether current funding is adequate and used efficiently.

    If also approved by the Senate and signed by Governor Patrick, the measure would bring together key legislators with representatives of associations of school committees, superintendents, teachers, parent-teacher organizations, and regional and vocational schools, to examine and make recommendations for legislation to improve the way in which school foundation budgets are calculated.

    "When the state passed the Education Reform Act of 1993, the bill called for a complete review of how the foundation budget was calculated at least once every four years,” said Representative Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead), who filed the amendment with the bipartisan support of 99 co-sponsors. “Unfortunately, this review has only been completed twice since then, most recently in 2001. The needs of our schools have changed dramatically in the 21 years since education reform was passed, with the adoption of new curriculum frameworks, increased need for special education and ELL programs, and changes in technology in the classroom. There is also a renewed focus on the importance of early education. This study will examine our current educational funding formula to ensure we are spending our dollars wisely.”

    “Taking this action is critical to allow the Commonwealth to reevaluate the adequacy of education funding and aid provided to the different cities and towns across the state,” commented State Representative Denise Andrews (D-Orange). “The current model was put in place twenty years ago with the best intention to ensure equity across communities. Though, like any system, we need to circle back with renewed focus to be sure it continues to meet its intent. I have heard the concerns from many who work in our schools and those who balance budgets on the local level regarding the need to rebalance our education dollars so that students in less prosperous school districts have the same opportunities as those in more affluent ones. I was proud to co-sponsor this amendment and have long supported the underlying legislation to revive the foundation budget review commission. This commission will take a 360-degree view of the needs of students and school districts, incorporating the voices of regional schools, vocational schools, school committees, parent-teacher organizations, teachers, and administrators. Going forward, I will continue to engage to ensure we have well-qualified leadership and representation to give voice to the concerns of western Massachusetts and rural communities.”

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    1. continued...

      “I am grateful that the House adopted this important amendment, which will ensure a systematic and comprehensive reevaluation of the foundation budget,” said Representative Alice Peisch, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. “Such review will provide a critical opportunity to gain insight on whether the current formula meets the needs of all students throughout the Commonwealth, and will help us to identify ways to ensure the most effective and efficient use of resources.”

      The commission will include voting and advisory members, consisting of elected officials, education officials, and designees of several groups, including the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, and administrators of the Commonwealth’s technical and vocational schools. Before presenting its report, the Commission will be required to hold at least four public hearings around the state. 

      The Commission will be required to present their findings in a report on or before June 30, 2015. In carrying out its mandate to review the best available data and reports, as well as taking testimony from the public, the commission would also examine at a number of factors seen as critical to improving education. Among the factors to be considered are class size; special education programs; preschool programs for 3 and 4 year olds; full-day kindergarten; additional resources necessary to assure education opportunity for low-income students; salaries necessary to attract and retain high quality professionals; extracurricular programs; remedial programs for students at-risk of failing to satisfy graduation requirements; and books, curriculum materials, lab and technology equipment.

      “The Commission will consist of people with different perspectives, but the same goal – ensuring that every child in Massachusetts has access to a world-class education,” said Rep. Ehrlich. “Our state’s historic education reforms have cemented Massachusetts’ status as the nation’s leader in public education. This re-evaluation of our funding priorities will be designed to ensure that our schools remain global leaders as well.”

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    2. I hope Templeton officials from both town and school will give testimony to this review. This is a problem in many towns across the state, not unique to Templeton and not all "Julie's fault" as some prefer to frame it. The review of the formula has not been done since the implementation of state and federal mandates including STEM, SPED and Common Core which is where many of the unfunded mandates call for additional administrative costs. I just wish town and school would work in tandem to solve this issue instead of promoting the infighting to continue. To people like Huff and Puff: just because people question the school budget doesn't mean they're against the school or children. Its fiscally responsible to evaluate all financial matters in great detail...something that hasn't been done in town in a long while. So, please stop the name calling. I applaud your passion for education. Just make sure your anger is directed in the right places. Or better yet, turn that anger into something more positive. Throwing money at the school system doesn't necessarily give your children a better quality education. It makes education companies that lobby the government for these mandates richer. I think all teachers would agree they'd rather spend their time teaching and engaging with students rather than testing students and filling out form after form.

      Ashley

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