Nearly $300 million in 135 minutes

..works out to $2.2 million a minute.

That's how fast the School Committee went through the Fiscal Year 2010 budget yesterday afternoon.
In a meeting that lasted a bit over two hours, there were entire sections of the budget passed without comment, question, discussion, or reconsideration.
In fact, the only suggestion made on changing anything in the budget was made by Brian O'Connell, that the new Chief Academic Officer position be dropped as this "is not the time to be adding new positions." His motion was quickly voted down by his colleagues.

The Worcester Public Schools are the largest single employer in the City. They have, for 180 days of the year, the well-being and education of 1/7 of the City population as their responsibility. They spend the largest amount of the city budget each year.
Does this not warrant more time?

The City Council took more time to hear nearly every piece of its budget than the School Committee did to hear the whole thing.

In the year before we face a funding cliff of gigantic proportions, would it not be a good time to be innovative in our funding? To, perhaps, cut everything not absolutely necessary and put to things which we won't be able to buy for some time? To re-arrange, to get the books now, as we won't get them later? To upgrade computers that won't see upgrading for some time? To be sure that we are running at absolute maximum efficiency on utilities (and even move towards innovation as we do)?
To suffer a bit this year so we don't have to suffer as much in years to come?

This sort of message properly comes from the School Committee. The administration takes the direction on spending priorities from them. No such direction was given.
Instead, we saw much complimenting of extra programs loved by individual members. That was, in fact, the bulk of the conversation.

It was absolutely flabbergasting.
It was irresponsible.

We have to do better.