Worcester School Committee meets Thursday

The Worcester School Committee meets Thursday; you can find the agenda here.
The big news will be FY18, of course, but that report isn't yet posted.

However, there is some news for FY17; namely, that the city DID in fact forward $70,000 from free cash when they closed the fiscal year to assist in saving the kindergarten aides! We aren't there yet (if I'm reading this correctly, we're still $300,000 or so short?), but we've made progress.

In the process, some budget related news: FY17's statewide charter reimbursement line (identical to that proposed for FY18) was funded at only 46%, shorting Worcester $714,532 and the whole state by $54.2M.
There are some recognitions, retirements, appointments, and one resignation which is of note: Grace Howard-Donlin, who resigned effective last week, was the appointed director of the international baccalaureate program, and had been charged with planning that. It appears that the last gasps of a hope of any such program in Worcester have (once again) died.

There's a report on the charter school tuition assessment  (which maybe I need to re-read, because I'm not sure why this was being asked...)
There's responses coming back on the Space Monkey Challenge (and dangers thereof) and attempting to expand the AVID program.
There's a request for this year's incidents reports.
There's a request that math activities accompany summer reading lists (as they do already).
There's a request for a report on dual enrollment.
There's a request that Worcester's colleges perhaps kick in for Worcester's students AP exams.
The administration is sending the student handbook to subcommittee, and they are recommending these additional new classes:
High School:  Accounting 1; AP Seminar; Document Processing
Middle School:  Chorus; Dance Ensemble; Dance for Fitness; String Orchestra
Those will go to Teaching, Learning, and Student Support; there is as yet no description of any of them.
There are also requests that the School Committee accept donations of $292.20 and $1,212.49 for Woodland Academy and $400 for Forest Grove.

And the administration is requesting that the following schools and projects be forwarded to the MSBA: 
Burncoat High School: Window Replacements*
Elm Park Community School:  Window Replacements
Lincoln Street School:   Window, Roof and Boiler Replacements
Rice Square School:   Window Replacement
Thorndyke Road School:   Window Replacement

*Yes, this is the ridiculous idea that started circulating at the last school committee meeting that the secondary school that most needs rebuilding should just get windows.

PCBs remain in executive session; there is also collective bargaining with teachers and a grievance from an HVAC worker.

I'm going to try to make the budget report this go-round.