FY13 budget update

Boone: "I said to the committee that I would be asking the city for contribution above the minimum"

Allen:
projected a $1.3 million deficit, but more challenging than in
"many budget drivers are different than they have been in the past"
 foundation budget is an "adequate" level of funding
budget amount per pupil varies: Worcester average is $11,434
per pupil rates are the same across the Commonwealth, with only a cost of living adjustment
foundation budget is calculated by LAST year's population
state determines how much the municipality can pay; they make up the difference
changes are by enrollment and by population
municipal contribution changes by municipal revenue increase
foundation budget increase of $12 m next year
local contribution increasing by $2.8 m; the state makes up the difference
of the $12m increase, $1.4m is charter and school choice
 WPS increase is $10.6 m

House Ways and Means budget:
additional $0 per pupil for the LEAST NEEDY communities
charter reimbursement funded at 74%
also $11.3 million for McKinney-Vento
That is NOT IN OUR BUDGET

City local aid has increased by $2.5 m, that brings up the city contribution by $750,000
is needed to get Worcester to minimum required spending

not clear what city will do in their budget
if they require the increase in city contribution, they will reduce our Ch. 70
but that reduction would put us below required minimum spending

FY12 shortfall is $223,299 which gets ADDED TO FY13

under Section 6 of Chapter 70, there are spending items that DO NOT count towards net school spending:
plus it includes the municipal costs the city gets to count towards contribution
NSS: 298,423,612
that's $750,000 (which is that increase in contribution): net zero

Have had agreements to put us $660,000 over NSS (that's the 0.2%)

Cost increases of $17 m
$5 m in cost reductions

increases:
employee salaries
reduction in grant funding
new positions
environmental work
transportation
retirement assessment
all other costs

2% increase in employee salary is below inflation and below urban centers (I missed that...something...aha! The Consumer Price Index for Northeast Urban areas)

grant changes:
EdJobs is gone
IDEA 1% reduced (that's 20 IAs)
Title III (8 office aides moved)
APIP grant: teacher training moving to the general fund
testing has to go from Title I
Title I (3% cut) and Title IIA (15% cut) moving 7 teachers to general fund
kindergarten grant being level funded moving 5.5 IAs to general fund

six more sped positions
five ESL
replace Jobs for Bay State grads funding (JBSG): 4 teachers
3 teachers at Goddard Scholars to add 6th grade
1 Mandarin teacher at Doherty
2 (grant funded) Ch. 74 Perkins funded teachers

ELEMENTARY POSITIONS: CUT OF THREE

adding 5 sped IAs, 4 ESL IAs, 2 K IAs
3 ESL tutors
3 clerical
2 custodian

Allen comments that he's never seen all three of these go down in the same year:
utilities down a million
health insurance down a million
special ed tuition (from in house services cutting $440,000 in tuition) down a million
cutting eight teacher positions
because layoffs are down, less unemployment

elementary class sizes average of 21.8
none greater than 29
24 classes of over 27
355 less than 23
191 23-26 students

no reduction in secondary courses
level funds $63 student supplies and $1 recess funding

funding above minimum:
career and tech courses of $1.5 m
MassCore $1.2 m
special ed compliance $1.3 m
ESL compliance $1 m
Total of $5 m over minimum

What to watch:
MassCore staffing needed regardless
ELL enrollment going up
running out of room in elementary schools
Tech support, maintenance and training
OPEB
grant funding levels:: grants support staffing

Any savings as a result of the DESE finding on grant funding: $725,000 if the grant assessment were 1% (as historically)
Senate budget is coming


School Committee hears the budget on June 7 and 14 starting at 4