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Upcoming meetings:
School Committee:
Tuesday, 2/7 at 7:30 pm at WHS library. On the
agenda: Art, Library and Music: Impact on
Curriculum of Dedicated Space.
Advisory Committee Public
Hearing:
Wednesday, 2/8 at 7:00 pm at Wellesley Free
Library.
On the Agenda: Public comment on Town-wide
Operating Budgets, including the school budget.
Attendance at this Hearing to show support
for the School budget is crucial.
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| INVEST in WELLESLEY - SUPPORT our SCHOOLS |
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Our town is at a crossroad. The FY07
Wellesley Public Schools
budget as presented will uphold the standard of
education we have embraced for years. The price
for maintaining our standard is significant. This year,
the Town budget has a record deficit which needs to
either be reduced by cuts and/or paid for by an
override vote. And cuts at this point strike at the
heart of the WPS, impacting class size, program
offerings and teacher quality.
So a decision needs to be made: Are the
residents of Wellesley willing to invest in our public
schools or are we going to decide to fundamentally
reduce the standard of education?
The Board of Selectman, Advisory
Committee, Town Meeting and the voters – every
one of us – must decide on how best to provide our
town services and public education. What does
excellence cost? How much of an override are we
willing to pass to pay for necessary budget
increases? And most importantly RIGHT NOW is:
How can we gauge public support?
Tell everybody where you stand. If
you support Wellesley’s tradition of exceptional
education and support a program that achieves
excellence by today’s standards, please join us
and show your support by displaying the magnetic
sign (shown above) on your car. If you are a WPS
parent, expect delivery of your car magnet or pickup
instructions from your school's Commiteee 21
representative. If you are not a WPS parent and
would like a magnet,
please email your name and address to us at the
email link below.
Invest in Wellesley. Support our
Schools.
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| Town Budgets and Override Decisions |
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Last week, representatives from all Town Boards
conducted the first Interboard Meeting to review the
budgets for FY07. At this point, when Department
budgets are added together, expenses exceed
revenues by $6.1 million (the "overage").
In order to balance the budget, Town
Boards must either cut budgets and/or request
funding of any overage in an override vote. An
override of $6.1 million would be significant and would
have sizeable impact on property taxes. It is unlikely
that the Board of Selectman will bring the full amount
to a single vote. Therefore, to gauge budget
priorities and flexibility, Town Boards are revisiting
their budgets, identifying potential cuts and
prioritizing items.
At the School Committee Meeting on
January 24th, members stated they would not be
designating any items for cuts yet. It is likely a list
will be generated prioritizing items for use to
develop override options.
NEXT STEPS: An Interboard working group
will prepare a proposal for the override structure and
amount by February 6th. The Board of Selectman
will review the proposal and work with the Advisory
Committee to finalize a recommendation by February
26th.
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| WHS Project Report |
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The Facilities Advisory Committee presented a final
report to School Committee on January 23rd. The
report provides detailed information on the state of
the facility and the 4+ options presented by the
architects, SMMA.
The report recommends that the 1938
wing be retained if reasonably possible. Further, the
FAC recommends adapting the existing spaces rather
than build new. When this is not feasible for the
educational program, construct new spaces.
NEXT STEPS: The WPS Administration and
School Committee will do additional work to define
what spaces can be adapted to fit the curriculum.
Where this is not feasible for the educational
program, the School Committee will likely then
consider constructing new spaces.
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| The Last Word |
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Committee 21 applauds the School Committee for
refraining from making cuts at this point which would
reduce the current standard of education with
respect to class size, current programs, and teacher
quality.
It is certainly a difficult position, as
stewards of our schools and our tax dollars, to find a
balance between the two. These events are leading
up to a critical Town Meeting and override vote.
Committee 21 is committed to preserving the
current educational standard and will continue to
provide updates to ensure you are aware of decisions
as they are made.
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Committee for Education in the 21st
Century
