Questions on the presentation

publishing as we go
Dawn Johnson: Councilor Germain asked for an audit; the city council approved...do you know what the status is of this audit?
Councilor O'Brien: Germain wanted answers to some broader questions on if we're using money effectively; asked city auditor to evaluate bottom line...despite what the city council had been told by the city administration the city was not meeting its obligations. Identified some other areas we'd like to look at: transporation, administrative expenses, grant fees.Decision was made not to hire an outside group, "work closely with our auditor as sort of a neutral party..." hope to have all of that done late spring
Dawn Johnson: Seems as though the City Council is saying that the school department is wasting money: "It's kind of offensive to me as a person who has been following this for so many years...well, we don't want THAT big of a light on the issue...but there's no acknowledgement that the school department isn't wasting money the way that we've been getting the impression that they were"
O'Brien: so many groups looking our books, seems like not a very good use of public resources...been trying out the critical issues...very positive step, very enlightening for people...credits the Mayor
Allen: "we all got on the same page...we are now speaking the same language...the city isn't fully meeting" obligations. Positive first step, starting point.
crediting the Mayor who has just come in
Monfredo: people forget it's the minimum amount required for education
Allen: "let's have a recognition that the foundation budget is not adequate...that's $2.1 billion that the foundation budget is understating" statewide...and state is only funding $4.4 billion in chapter 70 statewide...addressing the foundation budget. Longterm problem.
Rob Cohane: third party to come in for a long term plan?
Allen: almost exactly the same..."I see a lot of that work"; cites joint meetings of education/finance and operation as a place where that can happen
Deb Steigman: how many students are we losing to school choice? 427 students
can we increase number of students in preschool?
having the funding might allow us to increase getting those kids in school earlier

This was followed by some comments from Mayor Petty on the good work of CPPAC and the hopes he has of Council and School Committee working together, moving forward.

Funding education properly

Here's the key idea from tonight, from Councilor Germain:

...going forward, we need to set a base, a benchmark, that says we need to give more or we don't need to give more...

An adequacy study on education funding in Worcester is long overdue and welcome.

Germain

"there was an attitude..or a paradigm from older Council members that have gone through the budget process numerous times...'we give the schools enough money'...one of those deals..it become entrenched in our heads...at same time, School Committee would be saying 'You're not giving enough; we need more.' Not trying to spot any department or any person on this...having an independent person come in..if we are giving enough money, why do we keep hearing from teachers in the classrooms that there isn't enough money?  I'm for children, I'm for schools, I'm for teachers...going forward, we need to set a base, a benchmark, that says we need to give more or we don't need to give more...are we doing the right thing with the money we're giving them?..we're talking about trying to take care of the kids and the teachers in the classroom...all about the teachers and all about the kids...a new base and a new benchmark...

...personal wish to have it referred to the Manager...there are companies that do it...also if the Mayor would like, maybe set up a committee that sets up that looks at this audit and audit firm...maybe a Councilor, a School Committee member, a member of each administrator...setting a new benchmark..