Funding the Worcester Public Schools: WEC and Research Bureau presentation

I'm at Mass College of Pharmacy for the second presentation on funding the schools. Live blogging as we go

Quarterly report

report here
Allen: bottom line has not changed
projecting about a $300,000 deficit in all accounts
not a concern that administration has
summer school starts in July so it's on next fiscal year
day by day subs in deficit
workers compensation: "no surprise...has run over in every year"
this year will budget "more closely in line with actual spending"
vehicle maintenance: $35,000 in deficit,, mostly due to price of fuel, also maintenance
utility account: new city electricity contract is a 10% increase over previous, also not seeing ESCo savings show up
Foley: do we know why we are not receiving ESCo savings?
Allen: working with the city on those; perhaps as part of future report, can give some detail on that
"we're hoping that we'll start seeing some savings on that"
Foley asks for a follow up report
"I suppose you don't want us to tinker with workers' compensation for the budget"
Ramirez: increase in autistic students? which line item?
personnel services is in district, tuition
Novick: is FY15 based on seeing ESCo savings? No.
instructional materials still frozen with $300,000 in it? to balance
principals have asked that if funds are going to frozen, freeze them up front so that it's equal

Where the money is coming from (and a few more updates)

If you read carefully this morning or were listening last night, you got this, but for those who were wondering how the projected budget gap will be covered, Mr. Allen has the answer in today's Friday Letter:

It is expected that the City Manager will recommend to the City Council that an additional $1,258,321 be appropriated to the Worcester Public Schools to reflect the tuition assessment change.

The Administration will provide a full report and the recommended use of these funds for the December 19th School Committee meeting. These recommendations will primarily focus on (a) identifying resources necessary to reflect increased enrollment at schools resulting from the SOKCS closure, (b) address the FY14 budget shortfall identified in the First Quarter Budget Report, and (c) make strategic investments to best position our resources in anticipation of the FY15 budget.

Look for this on the Council agenda when that comes out later this afternoon. 

In other news, there have been heating issues across the city; this year, whether you're too hot or too cold appears to be almost random. Here's the latest from Mr. Allen on that:

The Facilities Department has been working to address a number of heating issues at schools this year, whether too hot or too cold, with many of the issues likely related to the implementation of ESCo projects with the City and Honeywell. The WPS is fully aware of each of the issues in the school and the Facilities Department is working daily with the City and Honeywell to rectify these situations.

And if this is affecting you, believe me: your frustration is heard. And shared!
And speaking of Facilities, the latest on the repair projects:

New Citizens Center: The boiler replacement portion of the project is complete. The window replacement portion of the project is essentially complete with punch list items remaining.
Lake View: The window replacement project is nearly complete with some trim work and door replacement work remaining
May Street: The window replacement project is fully underway at the school and is progressing towards completion in the next 45-60 days.
Chandler Magnet: The window replacement project will begin (as scheduled) in the Spring 2014 and continue through the summer vacation period.
Nelson Place: The building architect has been selected and the feasibility study process will commence with building committee meetings/input as well as the input from other building stakeholders.
Worcester East Middle Science Lab: The project continues with expected completion in the next 45-60 days.
Heard Street Roof: The project continues with expected completion in the next 45-60 days.

And new computers are on their way!

Physical plant updates: ESCo

ESCo projects: additional solar array projects at six schools
working out details at how projects would work
solar arrays at Belmont St, Chandler Magnet, Elm Park, North, Roosevelt, and South High
(Sullivan Middle and Worcester Tech have them already)
roofs need to be resealed; extends roof warranties on these schools for 20 more years (except for South is not getting resealed)
city has some debt services on these projects
estimates that 20% of electricity will be provided by solar arrays for these schools
13 cents per kilowat
50% for supply, 50% for electricity
continuing to pay city for supply rate for the electricity which city will use to pay off bonds
rest is seen as savings to WPS on utilities cost
note here from me that this takes a capital expense and converts it to a utility expense (which counts as net school spending), that the city is essentially charging the schools for a capital project
South High is not being resealed, removal and replacement of solar panels is included in agreement
city pays for the solar panels, city retains ownership of solar panels

Round-up of summer work

I know that several of you have wondered just what is going on at your neighborhood school as you're out and about this summer; as I've gotten several questions, I thought a post was in order.

• If you've been by West Tatnuck and Worcester Arts Magnet, you may have noticed dumpsters. They are getting entirely new lighting, under an energy conservation deal National Grid has offered. We're only paying a fraction of the cost, and the schools will have new lights
• New boilers are going in this summer at Union Hill, Worcester Arts Magnet, Quinsigamond, Claremont/Woodland, Roosevelt, and Norrback. Among other things, this rids us of the last of the "born to fail" round of boilers/chillers at those 1990-era buildings.
• Solar panels are going on at Sullivan and at Worcester Tech; Tech is also getting a small wind turbine.
• Attic insulation is going in at Quinsigamond, Union Hill (both buildings), Goddard, Harlow Street, Heard Street, Midland Street, and UPCS.
• Goddard's upstairs bathrooms are being renovated.
• Tatnuck Magnet is getting some replacement flooring and having the bathrooms renovated.
• Window sealing, spot light fixture replacement, fresh air intake cleaning and balancing, and surface cleaning is happening this summer at Belmont Street, Burncoat Middle, Burncoat High, Chandler Elementary, Chandler Magnet, Clark Street, Columbus Park, Doherty, Elm Park, Flagg Street, Forest Grove, Greendale, Harlow Street, May Street, McGrath, Mill Swan, Nelson Place, New Citizens, Rice Square, South, Thorndyke, Tatnuck Magnet, Union Hill (new building), Wawecus, West Tatnuck, Worcester Arts Magnet, Worcester East Middle. Exceptions: West Tatnuck and Worcester Arts (as listed above) are getting entirely new lights; May Street, Chandler Magnet, and New Citizens are getting new windows next summer, and so are not having their windows sealed. 
• There's a huge amount of smaller work (you can find it listed here under the ESCo projects) in the way of water conservation, sensors and timers, building infiltration work (getting rid of the drafts, you might say), and so forth.

Joint Meeting on Facilities

Foley: update on capital projects: to both council and committee. Main conversation this afternoon is gb #2-125 on the School Committee agenda:

• update on ESCo, projects funded but not completed, update on environmental concerns (including PCBs), plans on capital projects for FY13

publishing as we go 

Capital improvements

We've got a gigantic report on capital improvements, including ESCo contract improvements.
We've got boilers going in at Claremont/Woodland,  Norrback, Quinsig, Roosevelt, Union  Hill, and Worcester Arts Magnet.
Worcester Tech is getting solar, as is Sullivan Middle, plus Tech is getting a wind turbine
And Jacob Hiatt is getting a new roof

Building rehab update

Update on building rehab throughout the district (including ESCO projects from Honeywell)
proposed project coordinator position to oversee $18 million in city funds plus up to $18 million in ESCO funds (to be referrred to the FY12 budget)
timing on school vacations, ordering projects, summer school schedules, etc
Coordinator position to clerk the projects paid for out of project funds
considering also an independent contractor or city/school position
allow city to complete negotiation with Honeywell to see how much the projects will be going forward
with amount of work, cannot be done entirely by independent contractor or shared position

there's this fabulous chart that I'll take a photo of later that shows timeframes for projects throughout the city
goal is to have all bids out by the second week of April
first of June, contracts in place, so they can run straight as soon as school is out
most work needs to be done during the summer
paving has been done already at WEMS; Clark St and Union Hill contracts ready to go

grouped geographically and grouped by work for this summer
BRIEFLY: New Citizen Center, removing modular units
WEMS science labs (starting this spring!)
South High security system
for summer: back to WEMS, Union Hill, Chandler Elementary, Flagg Street, Goddard, Tatnuck Magnet, and Burncoat High, Doherty High, South High, and Clark Street
projects ranging from carpet to bathrooms to repaving
There are projects not listed here that are ESCO (like WEMS windows)

Mass School Building Authority presentation

really glad not to have to come up with what happens if Q.3 passed (1 cent of 6.25 sales tax dedicated to MSBA)


$2 billion backlog in funding when they took over
waitlist of 44 buildings when MSBA took over; last 2 are currently building
auditing has made this a much better, more honest process

1776 schools been reviewed
progress payment system: check is in the mail 15 days after district bill is reviewed ("pay as you build")
last year of $2.5 billion of the first five years of the capital pipeline
$500 million to spend a year