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Date of Meeting: Monday, February 2, 2012
Location: Town Hall, 221 Main Street
Time: 6:05 PM – 6:55 PM
Members Present: Chairman Kenneth Sydow, Members Roger Deal and James Wood
Others Present: Nancy Colbert Puff, Town Administrator; Lori Esposito, Administrative
Assistant to the Board of Selectmen; others as listed on the
Meeting of the Board with School Committee Members (Michael Dubrule, Superintendent, Rebecca Dono-Healy, Larry Brenner, Steve Dorval, Ruth Blandin)
The meeting commenced at 6:05 PM.
Ken Sydow thanked everyone for attending.
FY’13 Budget:
- Superintendent Mike Dubrule said the final numbers had not been received at the time of the preliminary budget submission. This was designed as an expenditure budget, with line items of all costs. All revenue numbers are not final. An additional piece of the budget this year is detail of where school choice is applied. Their full intent is to work with both Boards of Selectmen (Boylston and Berlin) to present a reasonable budget. He has had preliminary discussions with Nancy Puff and is waiting on E & D amount to be certified.
- Nancy Puff said these have been unbelievably difficult financial years for municipalities. She has found that the Board’s direction to start at a zero increase makes it easier to budget after State numbers are out. This allows more flexibility. We are in the fourth year of asking for a negative budget to be submitted. When dealing with an overall budget increase of only about $200K in revenue, it’s very difficult to work with to cover all increased costs.
- Roger said his comment doesn’t necessarily represent senior citizens, but his real concern is some seniors are dependent upon the Board drawing a line and setting spending limits. It is not his job to tell them where to make cuts but it is imperative to maintain a level-funded budget.
- Ken said looking at percentages of additional money each year, the Finance Committee’s recommendation is about 42% for the Town and 57% for the schools. This year, of $318K, the Town would get $134K, leaving $184 for schools’ increase. The Town has level-funded for four years and there is no room to keep cutting. If the Finance Committee recommends the same split this year that will only cover the insurance increase, not any salary increases or other increases.
- Roger said that, of surrounding communities, Boylston has the second highest tax rate and 23% of the population is limited income seniors. Jim said it seems like a good year to level-fund the budgets. This is the first year that high school taxes hit, then another increase to come. Roger noted that $80K was also transferred in December to cover some school costs. We are cooperating as much as possible.
- Ken said he received lots of calls regarding school choice; why was it increased and by how much. With $5K revenue received for incoming students and the cost out per student much higher, it seems we are losing money. Mr. Dubrule said we are not losing anything; we are spending $8K per student regardless of school choice. If we have two sections with 14 students in each, it won’t collapse into one, it will continue. If we can add two school choice students per section, it will not harm the quality of education but will generate an additional $20K, for example. Boylston Elementary has a total of only 12 students in one section. Perhaps we should increase the number to add to revenue; only when judicious the school choice number is applied. A teacher needs to be hired and paid,
regardless of 14 kids per class or 16 per class.
- Frank Reale (in audience) said the High School enrollment in 2006 was 302; in 2011 it was 222, a decrease of 80 students. We just increased school choice from 75 to 100. We are expending close to $14K per student for each one going out versus $5K for each one incoming. His taxes are supporting the incoming school choice kids. The gap will continue to increase for outgoing tuition costs but the $5K revenue for incoming students will not change. Also, we cannot discriminate, so the incoming school choice students could cost significantly more if special services are needed.
- Eric Brose of the Finance Committee asked what the relationship of choice out to choice in is. Choice out is not controlled by the school. Mike said choice in is related to available seats. We will spend $12K per pupil regardless of incoming school choice. We are required to run Advanced Placement classes, English, etc. School choice is not supposed to be a piggy bank. We are spending money on programs to keep costs down. School choice money will eventually level out and not create current revenue, and then the cost is absorbed by the towns.
- Roger said we have not had a crush of enrollment in past years with the birth rate going down. Regardless of class sizes and school choice, we do not have the money to support an increase; we are looking for level-funding.
- Ken asked Mike how many school choice students there are in Tahanto. Mike said 75-80.
- Roger Wentzell (in audience) said we could eliminate school choice; towns without school choice have a considerably lower tax rate. School choice is not saving us, it is costing us. Get rid of some teachers, if necessary; 12 to14 kids per class will learn as well as a class of 20-22 kids.
- Ken said we’re trying to put new programs at Tahanto; we all want to provide the best education. At some point the reality will be to reduce or eliminate programs.
- Rebecca said, from a School Committee perspective, this is not a padded budget; it holds services we already have. To level-fund last year’s budget, cuts were made: two and a half positions at Boylston Elementary; one and three-quarters at Central Office and Tahanto. Roger asked how that had an impact on diminishing the quality of services to students. Rebecca said most increases are mandatory and not related to what’s done in the classroom.
- Jim said the Board is not here to tell them how to run the schools but just to say we need a level-funded budget. He wants what’s best for kids but we have to consider everyone in Town. We just need a bottom line level-funded budget.
- Mike said there is about $320K in new revenue coming in. Should they look at 57% of that as the budget target figure? Jim said they should not; they should level-fund.
- Rebecca said with the Elementary School paid off, that should reduce the tax rate.
- Ken: in terms of percentages, four or six percent is not much, but the dollar figure is a lot. He asked the committee to level-fund as closely as possible.
- Ruth Blandin (Regional School Committee Chairman) said we need to consider that we are spending about $700K out the door for school choice, but we need to provide a viable program that kids want to come to. If we start slashing, the effect will be a loss of more students.
- Roger said the Board is not making those decisions or advising slashing; it’s the School Committee’s job to make the budget work. Rebecca said the committee has been extremely cooperative and responsible in planning the budget based on revenue. The cost of a student going out is $16K/year for some charter schools. If we cut programs, more kids will be out the door; small class sizes and class selection keeps kids here.
- Ruth said she understands the position of the Board of Selectmen and knows it is a fine balance. Their position is to advocate for the best possible education for kids. Ken said he agrees. Both towns have committed to the new school and we stand behind education needs but the bottom line is that we need level-funding.
- Roger asked if the committee would be coming back with a final budget after the numbers are received; Mike said they would. As previously stated, the budget is preliminary until the final numbers are received.
At 6:55 PM Jim Wood made a motion, seconded by Roger Deal and voted all in favor, to adjourn.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:55 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lori Esposito, Administrative Assistant
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