Schools could lose 45 positions

By Brian Burns
Staff writer

If a 15 percent cut in Walpole’s state aid becomes a reality, school officials will have to eliminate more than 45 positions to meet the town administrator’s recommended budget line.

The cuts, which were described by Superintendent Kathleen Smith as "the best effort to do the least damage," were released at Monday night’s school committee meeting.

Governor Mitt Romney offered a glimpse of hope for the schools yesterday when he released a budget plan that calls for only a 5 percent cut in local aid, not the 15 percent that Town Administrator Michael Boynton has factored into the budget he will present to Town Meeting in May.

But a spokesman for House Ways and Means Chairman John Rogers (D-Norwood) – who represents Walpole and has repeatedly told town officials to expect a cut of 10 to 20 percent in local aid next year – said yesterday that "no prudent city and town should rely on the governor’s numbers at this point."

The spokesman, Jeff Mahoney, pointed out that the governor’s numbers are predicated on $1.9 billion in savings for next year from reorganizing and consolidating state departments and services.

The Legislature has yet to scrutinize those numbers to see how much of those savings could actually be realized by the next fiscal year, Mahoney said.

Boynton said Wednesday that while it is "good news" that Romney’s plan calls for less of an impact in local aid, he doesn’t plan on making any immediate changes to the town budget process.

From initial reports, Boynton said that it appears that Romney’s budget is based on a number of major and controversial restructuring proposals, all of which will have to be approved by the Legislature.

If any of those measures fail to gain approval, it could mean that more money will have to be taken out of local aid, he said.

With the 15 percent cut in local aid, the schools would stand to lose 35 classroom teachers, two administrative positions and a number of part time media specialists, health teachers and custodians, according to the list presented Monday night.

At Walpole High, the AP chemistry, statistics and European History courses will be eliminated, as will German I and II, the TV studio program and all family and consumer science classes.

The cuts will also result in the elimination of the K-8 health program and the high school physical education program.

With the cuts, most of the classroom sizes in the district will number in the high 20s to low 30s next year, with some classes nearing the 40-student mark.

And even if all those cuts come to pass, they still won’t be enough to make up the $2.5 million difference between the $23.6 million budget being recommended by Boynton and the $26.1 million that school administrators say is needed to maintain level services.

To cover the $210,000 or so that remains, Smith will recommend that the school committee raise athletic fees by $25, institute bus fees for K-6 students who live within two miles of the school and for all students in grades 7-12, and increase the tuition rates for the extended day and integrated preschool programs.

In presenting the cuts Monday night, school officials seemed to be making a conscious effort to show their willingness to work with town officials as the budget process moves forward.

(Smith and the school committee will meet with the selectmen and FinCom tonight, Feb. 27 at 7:30 in Town Hall).

In her opening remarks, Smith conceded that the level service budget approved by the school committee in January was "well out of reach" and "at this moment in time, out of the question."

Smith said that she was still hopeful that the schools would be able to save some of the positions that had been marked for elimination, however.

School committee members chose not to follow through with a plan to question the methodology that Boynton used in determining what portion of the town budget was allocated to the schools.

At their Feb. 13 budget workshop, several members thought that at least $6 million of what Boynton had designated as discretionary funds should have been considered fixed income. This could have altered the 66-34 percent school-town split that Boynton used when determining cuts and allocations.

The committee also abandoned plans to form a political subcommittee that would be used to lobby other town boards on behalf of the schools, preferring to work as a seven-member unit instead.

Smith did say that if the town wants to halt the trend of lost services and programs and unreasonably high classroom sizes, an override in the spring of 2004 would be "unavoidable."

"Moreover, if nothing is done to relieve the disaster resulting from a $2.5 million deficit this year, the override would need to be in the amount of $3 to 4 million in order to return Walpole education to the level experienced in the current FY 2003 year," she said.

In breaking down the cuts for school committee members, Smith separated them out into two areas: cuts in central administration ($359,000) and cuts to programs, services and staff members in the individual schools ($1.9 million).

On the administrative side, Smith plans to eliminate the systemwide director of information services and the elementary math and science curriculum director.

The loss of the information director means that school administrators will have to assume greater responsibility for scheduling and student data and secretaries will have to do more of the reporting to the state.

The elementary math and science curriculum director recently helped the school department implement new programs in both subjects, Smith said. Recent gains in MCAS scores at the elementary school level can be attributed to this specialist, she said.

Smith also eliminated the stipends for the K-12 art, health and P.E. and music and media curriculum coordination.

In the administrative expense budget, Smith plans to eliminate $23,000 in professional development contract services, $18,000 in professional development expenses, $18,000 in in-state travel and conference money, $15,000 in technology reductions, and $4,000 each in system-wide music and TV studio supplies, among other cuts.

Smith is also planning to save $61,000 in pupil personnel reductions and $120,000 in reduced SPED tuition costs.

The anticipated SPED savings are based on two new in-house programs that they are planning to introduce in conjunction with the Walker School in Needham. The programs should bring some students back from costly out-of-district placements.

Smith said that there is a pretty good chance that families will agree to have their children participate in the program. The $120,000 in anticipated savings could turn out to be a conservative estimate, she said.

At the individual school level, the Elm Street School will lose one and a half kindergarten teachers and will average class sizes of 26 students next year.

Boyden, the smallest of the three elementary schools, stands to lose three teachers, while Fisher and Old Post will both lose six.

At Boyden the average classroom size will range from 21 students for grade 5 to 35 students for grade 4.

At OPR and Fisher, the majority of the class sizes will be in the low-to-mid thirties. Grade 5 will suffer the most at Fisher and Old Post, where the average will be 35.5 and 37 students, respectively.

Bird Middle School will lose four core subject teachers and one E-Lab (MCAS prep) teacher. Johnson will lose five core subject teachers.

The cuts will force school administrators into breaking up many of the teaching teams at the middle schools, Smith said.

Some of the teachers will have to be let go, while others will have to be transferred between schools because of seniority. Either way the learning process will be disrupted at both schools, she said.

English Language Arts and math classes at Bird and Johnson will number in the mid to upper 20s, while social studies and math classes are expected to be in the upper 20s to low 30s.

There will be an average of 35 students in the seventh grade social studies and science classes at Johnson Middle School. There’ll be 35 students in the eighth grade Bird science class as well.

At the high school, the cuts will eliminate 11 teachers and all of the programs mentioned above. The average class size will be in the mid-20s with wide variations into the mid-30s, Smith said.

The cuts will provide the school department with savings of $81,000 at Elm Street, between $250-300,000 at each elementary and middle school and $500,000 at the high school.

The budget presented by Smith assumes that the state will not be paying any of its 50/50 cost share agreement for out-of-district residential SPED placements next year.

The state has already defaulted on that commitment for the fourth quarter of the current year, and has told school committee members to plan on paying the entire cost for residential placements next year, which will cost the department $431,000.

In discussing the cuts laid out by Smith, school committee members seemed to think that the 50/50 cost share default would be a good place to focus their energy during the next few months.

Finding a way to get that money back could save the jobs of 10 to 12 teachers, Thomas said.

Vice Chair Nancy Gallivan planned to bring the issue up on Tuesday when meeting with Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey as part of the Suburban Coalition.

Desmond also suggested that residents start inundating Walpole’s legislators with emails and telephone calls in order to put pressure on the state to pick up its share of the agreement.

Smith said that she has also asked the executive committee of the teachers’ union to consider a two–day furlough that would be accomplished by discontinuing two professional days.

Although it could save the department as much as $200,000 next year, it was a tough question for her to ask, given that she is essentially asking teachers to forego two days of pay.

Responding to impending reductions in state aid, Town Administrator Michael Boynton told department heads Tuesday to plan on cutting 7 percent in spending for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

The directive does not address the current fiscal year. The state House of Representatives Tuesday gave Gov. Mitt Romney permission to cut state aid to communities, perhaps by $200 million, between now and June 30.

The town’s legislators warned selectmen last week to expect a cut in state aid of between 10 and 20 percent for fiscal 2004, which begins July 1, 2003.

Boynton said the decision to plan on an overall cut of 7 percent in Walpole’s spending was made after selectmen Chairman William Ryan and he attended Governor Romney’s budget session Friday.

The situation is "very troubling," Boynton said.

Using a 15 percent estimate for a state aid cutback in FY 2004, he said Walpole stands to lose $1,390,000 for the July 1, 2003-June 30, 2004 fiscal year. (State aid makes up about $9 million of a $50 million town budget.)

Adding in the extra local revenue allowed under Prop. 2 1/2, Walpole will have about $650,000 less to spend in FY ’04 than in the current budget, Boynton estimated. But the town also will have higher costs in FY2004 because of labor contracts and other factors.

By Town Charter, Boynton must submit a spending plan for FY ’04 by Feb. 3. The preliminary budget can be altered as it goes through review by the finance committee. Town Meeting in May will vote a final number, subject as always to the availability of state aid.

Boynton has been discussing budget scenarios with other departments for weeks, but said he stayed away from making a directive until this week because the state aid picture has been changing daily.

Contrary to statements at last week’s school committee meeting, Boynton said he did not recommend a $1.5 million increase in education spending for next year. That figure came from a Dec. 15 meeting, presented by the town’s finance director for discussion purposes and contingent on several assumptions, Boynton said.

For the current fiscal year, Governor Romney could announce cutbacks in state aid by month’s end. Boynton said the impact on Walpole might range between $180,000 and $360,000, compressed into the time left until June 30.

Walpole has $1.3 million in free cash and just over $1 million in its stabilization fund.

The difficulty with using those funds to compensate for the state cutbacks is that it is "one-time" money, Boynton said. Once they are depleted, there is no revenue stream that replenishes those accounts.

Selectmen impose hiring freeze

By Tom Glynn
Staff writer

Town Administrator Michael Boynton warned this week that there will be personnel cuts in his coming budget.

And effective immediately, selectmen have imposed a freeze on new hires.

Both moves are prompted by a state budget crisis that hits hard at state aid for communities in this fiscal year and next.

At Tuesday night’s selectmen’s meeting, Boynton estimated that between now and June 30, Walpole will lose between $180,000 and $360,000 in state aid the town already has budgeted.

He told selectmen he’s tightened up on overtime and purchase orders, but it was the board’s call on whether to impose a hiring freeze.

Selectmen decided they would freeze hiring from outside, but indicated they would allow some changes to go through.

A new deputy fire chief’s post could be filled by promoting a captain, and then promoting a firefighter to captain. The firefighter’s slot would be left vacant.

A similar arrangement could be worked out for a new deputy police chief. But even without it, two patrol officers’ slots would be left vacant.

A waiver would be sought form the federal government to continue a grant that enables Officer Tim Songin to work in the schools.

The town planner’s position would remain vacant. But Norman Khumalo, who left the post to become Westford’s assistant town administrator, would continue to work 19 hours a week for Walpole.

Communities are awaiting Governor Romney’s proposed budget that, according to lawmakers, could cut state aid by 10 to 20 percent in the fiscal 2004, which begins July 1.

Using an estimate of 15 percent, Boynton is basing his FY 04 budget on an assumption that the town will get $1.4 million less from the state. That translates into a 7 percent cut from current spending, Boynton said.

As required by the Town Charter, Boynton will present his FY 04 on Monday, Feb. 3.

Specifics about the job reductions and other cutbacks are expected in that presentation.

Selectmen voted to meet together with the school and finance committees for budget talks. The school committee is scheduled to take up a superintendent’s budget recommendation next week to increase spending next year.

In calling for a hiring freeze now, Selectman Alan Rockwood said it would not make sense to bring someone on in February or March just to let them go in July. It would not be fair to them and it would end up costing the town extra money, he said

Superintendent Kathleen Smith will ask the school committee to approve a budget for next year that will allow the school department to meet all of its contractual obligations and to maintain level services.

Smith’s budget, which will be presented to the school committee Monday night, will not reflect the seven percent cut that Town Administrator Michael Boynton has suggested that each department factor in for next year.

Taking into account the projected increases in personnel costs and expenses, Smith’s recommended budget should fall somewhere in $25.5 to $26 million range. This year’s budget is $24 million.

The new budget includes an estimated $467,000 for step raises and $414,000 for cost of living increases that are mandated as part of the new teachers’ contract. It also factors in an estimated 20 percent increase in expenses.

The school committee’s approved budget is usually a reflection of what the school department needs each year, rather than what is possible given the current fiscal situation.

It’s not uncommon for the budget numbers to change several times before being approved at the spring Town Meeting.

No one in the school department thinks that the budget problems are going to evaporate by then, Smith said, but the numbers coming from the state aren’t going to stay static either.

Whatever the school budget turns out to be, Smith sincerely hopes it will allow the department to maintain level services.

Personnel and service cuts would be a "stressful, awful" thing that would undo much of the good that came from the Sept. 2001 override, she said.

Smith added that she plans on asking town officials to consider every option to preserve personnel and services. That includes looking at the free cash and stabilization funds, she said.

Smith pointed out that over the past few years, state lawmakers have used up their free cash and stabilization funds while leaving state aid for municipalities intact.

The pending cuts in state aid for next year seems to indicate that the state expects cities and towns to dip into their cash reserves as well, she said.

Municipalities across the state have $559 million in free cash and $413 million in stabilization funds, Smith said. Walpole has about $1.3 million in free cash and just over $1 million in the stabilization fund.

Since most state lawmakers are predicting that the budget crunch will last for at least several years, Smith said that the town should come up with a multi-year plan for using its cash reserves.

But even with the use of those reserves, it’s still almost inevitable that there will be some cuts coming next year.

Smith said that school officials have already started looking for ways to stave off those cuts by finding additional sources of revenue.

She plans to ask the school committee to put an article on the Town Meeting warrant that would allow the department to institute bus fees.

The school committee has not yet debated the issue, she said, but the article allows them to keep the issue on the table until the budget picture grows clearer.

School committee members will also be asked to consider increasing the fees for preschool and after school care, Smith said. In fact, any area where it would be possible to increase fees – including athletics and extracurricular activities – could be up for consideration.

Smith also outlined several actions that state officials could take to help school systems like Walpole’s get through the fiscal crisis.

One of those options would be to put a hiatus on MCAS testing until the budget crisis passes, she said. The test costs about $72 million statewide to administer each year. Another option would be to put a freeze on applications for new charter schools.

Smith said that she also supports Town Administrator Michael Boynton’s plan to have all town department heads come up with a list of state mandates that expend a lot of town resources without producing much in the way of results.

In a budget crisis like this, state officials may be more willing to relent in those areas because it won’t cost them any direct money, Smith said.

All of those changes would have their downsides as well, but the funds that the department saves could be used to preserve one of the core aspects of education: teachers in classrooms.

The process doesn’t just apply to the school department, either. Each department in town will have to take a hard look at what are core services and what are valuable services but not core ones, Smith said.

Smith said that the pending budget crunch has been taking its toll on the school department, where "people are in shock."

Conversations with teachers have required a delicate balancing act, she said, explaining that she is walking a fine line between being as realistic as possible without throwing up her hands in despair.