Worcester school budget before City Council

Liveblogging from the City Council's hearing of the Worcester Public Schools' budget this afternoon at 4:30. Per the agenda, it looks like they've got the law department, property and casuality insurance, and court judgments up first, so it will probably be a bit.  Someone just said "They're going on first," so maybe it won't be a bit!
A few things of note: this is, of course, a hearing on the orange slice below, no matter what the City Manager may leading with on his page...

...the bulk of WPS spending comes from everywhere-other-than-the-city, and while I am sure (add it to your BINGO cards) someone will talk about "the biggest part of the budget being the Worcester Public Schools," neither the City Manager nor the City Council in any way can do anything with Ch. 70 save spend it on schools. 

I'd argue, in fact, that the Council tonight is really only talking about $4M, which is the amount the City Manager has allocated over the amount the city is required to spend on schools (within net school spending). As that's still just squeaking over 1%, let's not get out the ticker tape just yet. 

There are some councilors for whom this is the first WPS budget, so we'll have to see what Wally and Rose have to say. You can also watch for at least one question already being in the budget book, some back and forth about "working relationships," and district councilors somehow making this all about their districts. Even odds this morning's report on the enormous and expensive backlog of repairs of schools coming up; the capital budget isn't on tonight's agenda, but it should be on people's minds. Also, Councilor King did mention the amount of municipal contribution coming in as policing last week during the WPD hearing, so that may come up as well. 

4:36 and a quorum of Council is here, the Mayor just came in (and has to be back out in time for South High's graduation, as does the Superintendent, come to think of it)...

Petty: now we're going to talk about the budget questions and answer those first...how are we looking this year for teachers this year?
Allen: reallocation of teachers from elementary to secondary...if the Senate number is approved, it's about $3.3M for us, we'd restore those elementary positions and add additional positions as well

Binienda: and we'd add the tutors back as well

Petty asks Allen to review why the budget is not as expected

overall budget is up just over 2%, new contractual positions in elementary...biggest driver is state funding

"change in the way the state is providing funding for economically disadvantaged students shorted us $2M"

plus charter and circuit breaker underfunding shorts 55 teacher positions (worth)

Petty: includes funding for students from Puerto Rico

Allen: budget includes $2M for next year

Rosen: update "on the lawsuit we have with other city and towns"

Petty: "we're on hold on that...that's subject to executive session with the School Committee"

Rosen: "how has the police officers in the schools work out...several of us on Council, especially those who were teachers, were sure it would work out wonderfully"

Binienda: "that has been working out wonderfully...special skills to work with our students..students speak well of our police..."

Rosen: how has it been on suspensions?

Binienda: "there's been no correlation with suspensions..."

ah, Gary...

Rosen diversity in teaching

Binienda: one of the goals of the strategic plan that we're presenting on June 21

majority white faculty "some of that is the age of our faculty"

Worcester Future Teachers "has gotten much stronger" have a partnership with Quinsig and Worcester State

Rosen: volunteers in our public schools?

Binienda: tutors are a lot of former teachers

Rosen: can you see having a high school downtown? "I think economically it'd be great"

Binienda: "I know we're looking for Doherty...there isn't any land..."

Rosen: points out auditorium is in Doherty's quadrant

Binienda: but knocking it down..

Rosen: "We wouldn't knock it down; we'd build it up!" like they do in New York City

King: first thing I'd like to comment on is regard to the policing in schools

"I've always been someone who has stated on this floor that the ideal scenerio would be to have those police phased out and replaced with school social workers"

resource officers go through a 40 hour training and then we have them be social workers

social workers have to have 3500 hours before they can go into schools

would ask "what is the current ratio of social workers to students in schools"

and what's the plan?

"how have we progressed in socio-emotional and are we going to add that goal to this overall budget?"

Binienda: "I'm not a supporter of replacing police with social workers; I think we need police in the schools"

when students have been involved in altercations, "it was not a social worker that I wanted to call; it was a police officer"

"in large high schools, we have two school adjustment counselors...enrollment is between 1300 to 1500 students...usually 4 to 5 guidance counselors"

"in this case, there is no funding, unless the Senate budget gets passed, in which case, we'll add no more than 5 school adjustment counselors at this time"

King: what's the total number of police officers that are resource officers?

Binienda: we have one school resource officers in each of our comprehensive high schools; police officer that is assigned to middle schools and is on call for elementary

Petty: there is a total of seven...we had three? Four.

King: what is the amount of costs that is costing the city? How much of that is being paid for by the schools?

Binienda: a million dollars

King: and how many are at the alternative schools?

Binienda: we don't have any at the alternative schools

King: and how are those students responded to (if there is a fight)

Binienda: "the numbers are much smaller...if there is situation, they would call 911"

King asks how many adjustment counselors to student: 1200 to 1

suggested ratio is 250 to 1

King asks if school district is aware of recommendations around adjustment counselors

how are arrests in schools tracked?

Binienda: the police track that, and our director of school safety tracks that

previously if a student of a school was

"we submit them and discuss them monthly at the Mayor's youth violence"forum (but not publicly)

King: comprehensive report on tracking city resources, arrests, responses

know that some middle school sports began 

Binienda: has been great to have basketball and softball, field hockey

King: access to particular sports impacted by economic status

any attention to private partnerships?

Binienda: were able to locate some funding for middle school sports for next year; have some public school money but looking for some private

two girl and boy sports for all three seasons in all middle schools

someone please check the superintendent on Title IX! 

Rivera: a lot of the adjustment counselor questions of Councilor King

"what we're looking at is evidence based models into schools is prevent before they become altercations"

"some of the altercations can have a need for some of the officers without a doubt"

some of the other models "studies have shown over and over and over again before it gets to an altercation"

"are we looking at increasing and enhancing these evidenced-based models?"

Binienda: yes, I agree

"we have been exploring, do explore...several schools have very successful models"

"looking to expand those models"

Rivera: looking at a liaison with DPH? 

extensive quote from Rivera on preventing school violence from CDC...which I'll see if I can find

"I know that many times we're reactive, but some of these reactive responses aren't the effective ones"

"tap into the collective resource"

"do have a staff that can work closely with our public health department?"

Binienda: we already do work with them

"I feel as though we do have personnel that do already work with them"

"the challenge of youth violence really isn't a school issue; it's a community issue"

our principals and assistant principals "trained in non-violence prevention"

"I feel we're very well trained in that"

"reach out to family and students and certainly do provide in that area"

Rivera: funding not provided for after school programming? could it be restored in the future?

Binienda: "not at the levels at which they were supported before"

"we were not providing services to the extent needed in the day program"

did receive a refugee grant this year; RFP from organizations to provide service to refugees

Rivera: was funding for refugees but not students from PR

Binienda: "We're going to be using our Worcester Public School personnel to deal with our students from Puerto Rico...areas of need"

Rivera: concerns from Claremont; needs that are specific

asks for an additional assistant principal

Binienda: the numbers are too small there for an additional assistant principal; "I do agree they need an MCAS specialist there"

"if we did receive that money from the Senate, that's a commitment we'd make"

it's only $3.3M! 

Rivera: wraparound coordinator

Binienda: "we have larger schools that don't have a wraparound coordinator"

Rivera: support for teachers of color currently in the schools 

Binienda: principals' academy

"we started last year, we're continuing it this year"

Rose passes saying that his questions have been answered

Bergman: effeciencies school to city side

Augustus: "did hire a consultant, specfically looking at buildings"

should be getting that report back very soon

Bergman: public schools in Worcester belong to the MTA

Binienda: "the schools don't belong to the MTA...the teachers do"

and reviews 

Bergman: more of a comment than a question

"I think police has worked well, I don't have a problem with police in schools, but to me it's not an either/or"

"I don't want to tell people considering the Worcester Public Schools that we've added social workers but elimintated police"

Lukes: budgetary impact of strategic planning?

Binienda: "in partnership with the Worcester Public Schools but through the community"

"it is my thought that perhaps the school committee will accept the plan to review and send it to subcommitttes"

plan would not affect the budget this year

"I find it a strong strategic plan...since it was a member of the strategic plan, I already put those goals in my plan, and those are already in progress"

Lukes: what is going to be the cost aspect in this budget year

Binienda: could do goals with "one dollar sign" in this budget

Lukes: legalty of agency fees (she's talking about Janus)

"if in fact those unions cease to exist in their current form, do you have any plans in place for how you're going to deal with issues from grievances to negotiations?"

Binienda: "I guess we're going to have less grievances...then the young teachers would not have to join the union"

would be less money for unions to lobby at state level

Toomey: book money?

Binienda: were able to purchase a lot of our books already for the next year

notes 2 to 1 at high school

3 to 1 at elementary

switching to Google system in June

Toomey: coding?

Binienda: push to include career training, elementary, middle schools, high schools

do have coding going on now in some of our schools, some through robotics programs

expanding robotics

if a grant is received all ninth graders will take a ten week course on careers and then a full week course in 10th grade

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

Wally: percent taken by city on grants?

Allen: now 2%

Wally: how much?

Allen: about $500,000 per percent

Wally: commends city manager blah blah blah

Wally: salary of principals?

Binienda: competitive, doesn't seem to be an issue

role of principal is a tough one

MOTION TO APPROVE: passes