Committee 21 Newsletter 01-12-08

Committee for Education in the 21st Century

PO Box 812293

Wellesley, MA 02482-2293

COMMITTEE 21 UPDATE: FY09 Operating Budget Proposed

On Monday night, School Committee voted to approve the FY09 Operating Budget. The approved budget totals $55.0 million, up 10.9% from last year. A summary of the approved budget is below. The budget as proposed is available on the WPS website.

We applaud School Committee for its diligent efforts to minimize the budget increase while maintaining the educational program. The pressures of increasing enrollment and costs of mandated special education severely impact the budget. Reductions in the approved budget would compromise the quality of education in Wellesley; we maintain that such a decision should remain with the residents of Wellesley through an override election.

School Committee will present the approved budget to the Advisory Committee on Saturday, January 26th, for further review and discussion. There is potential for changes to be made. Therefore, it is imperative to follow the process and voice concerns.

Thank you for your continued interest in the issues which affect the Wellesley Public Schools. For further information on Committee for Education in the 21^st Century (Committee 21), please go to our website.

SC Approves Operating Budget

School Committee voted to approve the Operating Budget for the next fiscal year (FY09) which runs from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009.

The approved budget totals $55.0 million, an increase of 10.9% over last year. The major drivers of this increase are special education costs, enrollment increases, personnel costs and the deficit being incurred this year (to fund already incurred mandated special education expenses).

The WPS Administration had outlined three budget proposals: A base budget, which was described as a level-services budget; a sustaining budget, which outlined expenditures needed to sustain and support the educational program at the projected enrollment levels; and an advancing budget, which listed three items for consideration.

School Committee also reviewed additional expenditures due to the enrollment projections which had not been previously included: an unassigned elementary teacher to address class sizes, additional funds for High School athletics (to be determined), an increase in parking fees at the High School, and an additional guidance counselor at the High School.

After considerable deliberation, School Committee approved all budget items proposed in the base, sustaining and advancing budgets, including the additional expenditures described above, with the following exceptions: The funds to compress the elementary math curriculum program roll-out (which was not deemed optimal) and the membership fee for the virtual High School program pilot program (grant funding might be available).

The approved budget provides the funds necessary to deliver the current educational program and support needed to the projected enrollment.

The Elephant in the Room

Over 80% of the WPS operating budget is personnel costs, a total of over $43 million of the $55 million budget. The WPS teachers' contract expires this year, on June 30. School Committee and the WPS Administration have initiated collective bargaining with the Wellesley Teachers' Association to develop a 3-year contract starting July 1, 2008.

The WPS teaching staff is one of the three pillars of our system, together with class size and programming, yielding the excellent system we have. Over the years, compensation has attracted and retained highly qualified and skilled individuals in the WPS.

The timing of these contract deliberations is challenging. Because the contract has not been finalized, the FY09 Operating Budget has been developed using 'plug' figures. Further, the plug used is not publicly available for confidentiality reasons. It is unclear if the contract will be finalized before the Annual Town Meeting in March.

To date, managing personnel costs has been accomplished within reason: Available data show that the average WPS teacher salary has been in the top 10% of the state, in line with the average in comparable systems (see data). We are not the highest or the lowest among towns with comparable systems.

The demographics of our teacher population have changed over the last couple of years, as many teachers retired and new teachers hired. Next year, over 60% of our teaching staff will have opportunities for compensation advancement beyond the base salary increase (the "steps and lanes;" teachers receive compensation increases, above and beyond the base increase, as additional steps and lanes are achieved). This adds a level of complexity to the budget and calls for an assessment of not only base salary increases, but the projected annual increases over the life of the contract.

We urge School Committee and the Administration to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the long-term impact of the teachers' contract on the budget. A reasonable salary increase is warranted; an excessive increase is unduly burdensome on the town budget and on the taxpayers.

During this time of competing priorities on budget, overrides and tax burdens, School Committee and the WPS Administration must bear the responsibility with all due gravitas and ultimately provide a contract which is both reasonable and sustainable.

Next Steps in Budget Process

The WPS budget comprises a major proportion of the Town budget. All Town Departments are developing operating budgets and will work collaboratively to roll them into one comprehensive budget.

Over the next few weeks, Town Boards will meet with the Advisory Committee and with each other to discuss efficiencies and priorities. Town officials will consider the sources of revenue and anticipated uses and prepare an overall recommended budget. The consolidated Town Budget is presented at the Annual Town Meeting in March.

Proposition 2½ dictates that any projected tax increase to fund the operating budget, in excess of the amount allowed, requires voter approval.

Given the magnitude of the WPS budget increase, an override of Proposition 2½ will likely be needed. This is ultimately determined by the Board of Selectmen following the discussions and decisions of the Annual Town Meeting.

The Last Word

We are approaching a major decision point in Wellesley: Will we fund the excellent educational program which has been built over many, many years? Or, will we dismantle it piece by piece?

This is a critical decision which requires open, transparent, and public discussion.

For those leaning toward reducing the budget, we encourage you to engage in the process and help identify exactly what should be cut and why. Provide input and feedback early in the process and understand why decisions are made.

When the opportunity comes to vote on the Town budget, we will then have the confidence that we are making informed, albeit difficult, choices which reflect the will of the residents.

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Important Dates

Thursday, Jan 10 -tomorrow

7:30 pm, Town Hall

Permanent Building Committee (PBC) meeting with School Building Committee

On the agenda: Asbestos Policy during the WHS Building Project

Saturday, Jan 12

9:00 am, Town Hall

School Building Committee

On the agenda: Green Charette. Discussion of the Sustainability Design Level of the WHS Project.

Saturday, Jan 26