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The budget process for FY08 has started and the
High School Project is moving toward critical
decisions. We
encourage you to stay informed, ask questions, and
voice your opinions.
Visit our website at
www.committee
21.org for additional information, archived
editions of this newsletter, and links to relevant town
and state websites.
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| WHS: Options Review |
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The Wellesley High School Project is moving into the
final review phase: Options Review.
Over the past 2 months, Frank Locker of
DeJong, Inc. (the consultant hired by School
Committee) has spearheaded a comprehensive
Program Review. The information gathered
has now been forwarded, in combination with the
body of information acquired to date, to the
architects (SMMA). They are in the process
of generating options which bring all the information
together into actionable concepts.
On November 6th at 7:00pm (WHS
library), the project team will present a visual
presentation of the options in a special School
Committee meeting. Unfortunately, the meeting will
not be televised or recorded. Therefore, your
attendance is encouraged....this is your chance to
see what the renovation/construction might look like!
Next steps: The School Committee will
review the options and develop a final
recommendation to bring to Town Meeting in March.
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| WPS Enrollment Update |
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The FY08 Enrollment Report was presented at the
October 17th School Committee meeting.
The Enrollment Report is one of the primary
data sources for capital and operating budget
development and therefore all findings are critical for
decision-making.
Key findings are as follows:
- Enrollment projections continue to be generally
accurate: Systemwide, this year's enrollment was
as expected at a total of 4,512 students (projection
was 4,514). School by school, some fluctuations
were unanticipated, but all have been accommodated.
- The town birth rate in 2006 is unchanged from
last year.
- The number of elementary classrooms currently
available (with the modulars included) is projected to
adequately meet the enrollment needs for the next
10 years.
- The peak enrollment in the high school is
projected to be in 2017, when it will need to support
300+ more students than it does at this time.
- As it currently stands, high school classrooms will
fall significantly short of enrollment needs
starting in FY09 when WHS enrollment is
projected to increase by +73 students.
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| FY08 Capital Budget |
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Last Tuesday, the WPS Administration presented the
FY08 Capital Outlay Request to School Committee.
The School Committee will be voting on the Capital
Budget this Tuesday, October 24th.
The Capital Budget is primarily based on a
comprehensive facilities review
conducted last year and the immediate needs of the
High School. As part of the process, the WPS
Administration and School Committee will update the
5-year Capital Plan, to put this year's proposal in
context.
The FY08 Capital Budget request is $2.0
million, up from $1.2 million last year (not
including the request for modular classrooms).
Included in the budget are technology, furniture,
equipment, instructional capital and critical building
maintenance items, many of which were deferred last
year. Also included is $120,000 designated for
review of space and/or temporary classrooms to
accommodate the increasing enrollment at the high
school. This groundwork will enable a proposal
in FY08 for construction to be completed to meet the
anticipated need in FY09.
In addition to the capital request for FY08,
the Administration has prepared a capital request for
FY09 and FY10, totalling $3.1 million, which could be
bundled as a debt exclusion for voter approval. (This
amount also includes a request for some FY08 capital
spending as well, although the physical work would
be completed after the close of school in June 2008.)
For more information on debt exclusions, click here.
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Committee for Education in the 21st
Century
