What's in the proposed FY25 Worcester Public Schools budget: just the facts

 Ahead of Monday's public hearing on the proposed FY25 budget for the Worcester Public Schools, here's a brief look at what is in the document. I'm going to attempt to leave aside opining here on the administration's recommendations (not that I don't have plenty) but stick to an overview. As always, all of this is offered in my capacity as someone who lives here and cares, not in any official capacity at all. 

First up, revenue: 

This budget is projected not meet the city's legal obligation to fund schools for the fourth year in a row:

chart from page 113 of the FY25 WPS budget document

FY16 budget deliberations, account by account

The budget is here. The Table of Contents links to the page. Posting as we go

Boone: budget released on May 8, a couple of updates and key comments shared at City Council
budget assumes an increase that is entirely attibutable to enrollment
we're up almost 600 students in overall enrollment
over 700 special education, 800 in ELL
based on Seven Point Financial plan passed, new funds directed towards classroom and building student services and supports
reduction of third party contracted services
"The school department budget was approved on that night...first time that has happened during my time in Worcester"

Monfredo: "working as one city"
below the minimum on our foundation budget...continue to move forward to meet the foundation budget as required by law
high numbers in elementary schools
Kindergarten grant? Still on hold in the Senate?
Boone: letter to Senators...heard back from Moore
did not play out as he had hoped
budget in conference committee, House had included funding at level of 9C cuts
"we're very hopeful...and holding out hope"
funds 31 of our IAs in kindergarten classrooms

Custodial Salaries
O'Connell: recommendation to add three positions: where will they go?
Martin: back in same locations taken from: Norrback, Worcester Tech, and Sullivan/South split
Novick: numbers on utility crew?
Martin: feel numbers are sufficient; started drop shift directly to the schools
middle and high take care of lawn care; has been pretty successful so far
motion: report on staffing levels for school plant
Custodial overtime
O'Connell: budget increase of 2% over current year adopted
budget running $500,000 over this year: why? is it snow? or something else?
Allen: exactly related to winter, reported through F&O where greater than normal winter expenses that we've seen
recommendation thus only for 2% at this time
traditionally does go over, but generally offset by salaries
passes
Maintenance service salaries
Novick: saved money by bringing services in house
also improved service
passes
Maintenance service overtime
O'Connell: also follows same pattern
Allen: half of plow drivers out of this account
passes
Facilities OM
Novick: spending less than FY15 adopted, recommended to be less than that
actively looking for more money for this
Foley: 10% less than FY12 expenditure
"need to put more money into our buildings"
have made some strong improvement in our buildings
"still not enough money there to get the jobs done"
Monfredo: would like to hear from Mr. Allen on this
Allen: funding on foundation budget hitting us in this area
funding would come back into school districts if you follow recommendations of MassBudget
MASBO's recommendation would tie a target to each of the catagories
spending $14M below what foundation budget provides in operations and maintenance
Biancheria: ask that MSBA's announcement be reviewed
Boone...and our needs are still great
in our budget document we also map out our next several years of projects
passes
Building Utilities:
O'Connell: C, fuel oil assumption rate from last year: rates have changed
does admin know current spot price?
Allen: haven't checked recently, determined to level fund due to limited locations
O'Connell: Erate has changed on telephone
is that what the change is?
Allen: primarily, yes, as well as use of local funds for internet speeds increase
O'Connell: any line by line analysis of telephone usage? outside contractor?
Allen: purge or make changes as needed
O'Connell: Motions: contact Spyglass to review....look at that as option for savings funds
reduce fuel oil by $5000
reduce telephone by $10000
Monfredo: after July 1 do we bid for fuel oil contracts?
Allen: city contract, work with city, based on spot price that they've purchased
Monfredo: get it through the city
Foley: purchasing requirements of state, would have to go out to bid, not one vendor
Allen:splitting savings is bidable expense
Foley: we cannot determine a company to work with
we'd all like to see money going to
don't have enough money going into IT areas in schools; necessary upgrade to our district's connectivity
on fuel oil, it's a real roll of the dice
Allen: could talk to the city in the meantime and come back with a recommendation
HOLD of account of Building Utilities and of motions for June 18

Vehicle Maintenance
Novick: snow wear and tear?
Allen: have not replaced plows in a couple of years
shared plowing?
ongoing discussions with city and schools
not at a point on those conversations have concluded
anticipate that the next phase of conversations would anticipate those topics
Boone: state trucks helped with large schools during snow emergency
O'Connell: price on gas?
Allen: $2.33 til end of year $2.92 for calendar year
O'Connell: no adjustments
Allen: fixed rate
Monfredo: motion to approve
passes

Transportation salaries
O'Connell: sped bus monitors: recommendation to increase by about 5%: why?
Allen: collective bargaining agreement included a new maximum step
approved
Transportation overtime
Foley: approve
Transportation
Petty: are we saving money because gas prices are down?
Allen: yes, have a credit due to price of fuel
was already included in third quarter
Transportation
Novick: McKinney-Vento goes to city general fund
Novick: WRTA?
Allen: talked about impact made several year ago with elimination of discount and transfer
discussion about differentiated student rate
proposal submitted to WRTA
O'Connell: do we use routing software?
Hennessey: Versitran
O'Connell: have we requested a legal opinion on reimbursement of McK-V?
Allen: DESE has made it clear that barring a statute change, goes back to the city's general fund
Monfredo: is this the general practice in all of Massachusetts?
Allen: practice of it being recognized a general receipt is, but how those then are disbursed is different
"if there's 350 school districts, I'd guess there's 350 ways of that being done"
Boone; this and Medicaid subject to varying practices across the state
Monfredo asks if we can discuss with city
Biancheria: mentioned looking at discount rates for bus passes
Allen: single use or swipe passes, looking to expand services
any purposes would be subject to negotiations
Biancheria: sometimes using grant funds for transportation, could bring funds back to those
motion to be kept up to date on proposal with WRTA
Allen: absolutely, discussion of if cost savings or if more students accessing programs
could be that it allows us to purchase more tickets with same funds
Biancheria: would a letter help? Not yet
Monfredo: motion to discuss McK-V in shared committee
Ramirez:; WRTA more stops, more access, might be a great time to combine with the college level
approved
SC salaries passes
crossing guards:
Novick: why three crossing guards for Worcester Tech but none for any other secondary schools? All others at elementary schools
"because of the traffic flow and pattern, guards on Belmont Street"
Biancheria: suggestion due to traffic on Belmont when school was opened
O'Connell: recollection is exactly mine
passes
School clerical salaries:
Monfredo: any intent to bring up to higher levels?
Boone: 7 point financial plan, realignments during that time
some ways in which we do business have been streamlined as well
does increase a couple of needs across the district, but not a wholesale adjustment of where we were
Monfredo: need to be sure 2ndary needs met
approved
Other insurance programs
O'Connell: city self-insuring, has city ever done analysis
Allen: had an in-depth review a few years ago, recommended to continue, fairly comprehensive analysis done
O'Connell: recommendation still?
Allen: little had changed between 2003 and most recent analysis, would not expect any since
approved
Retirement: approved
Workers comp:
O'Connell: can understand reason for expenditures over FY15, could we backtrack further, or do we need adjustments for more
Allen: our budget either reflects or is still below actual spending going back to 2012
going forward, we're not yet in a position where that would result in a significant reductions
O'Connell: some of our payments were from those we might have expected to make into the future
look at this account at some point in the future
looking ahead this year and in future years
motion for a review of projected workers comp in F&O
passes
Health insurance passes
Unemployment "another reason to be grateful we aren't laying people off"
O'Connell: how much we've spent in years when we haven't been laying people off?
Allen: in terms of history, only the second time in my twelve years that we haven't laid people off due to budget reasons "so that would be kind of a short report"
have reviewed those who were possibly being laid off
O'Connell: could look back at years when we've had no layoffs
if there might not be any potential savings
Monfredo asks for it in our next budget sessions
Foley: numbers based on historic perspectives: this is a projection
once we get back to second quarter, we'll have a better perspective
look halfway through year
passes
Educational support salaries
passes
Printing and Postage
Novick: downtown copy center was an attempt to save on printing at schools
how's it working?
Allen: can't quantify savings yet, but saving costs and wear and tear on school machines
also saving jobs for reprints
Biancheria: any catalog of jobs?
not yet
passes
In State travel
passes
Out of State travel
Biancheria: "I know it's small dollars..if we're looking at out of state travel...as we receive notices for out-of-state travel...benefit of having those funded through grants"
would we go back up to the $5000...motion to reduce to $3000
Boone: as you recall from a couple of years ago, travel that goes beyond that grant funded
"there are times that our work can't occur within the district and within the state"
"could find ourselves not able to participate in key conferences for the district"
Biancheria: restates the motion
Luster: did not expend full amount as we received a grant for recruiting as were presenters
not foreseeable that we would receive the benefit of such funding for the forthcoming year
O'Connell: many of the travel arrangements under grants and Title IIA
push expenditures off budget
Novick calls for roll call
Petty: not likely to receive that grant?
Luster: no, we were guests this year
roll call: motion fails, 4-3
Day by Day subs
Novick: how are we doing with recruiting?
Luster; doing quite well, juniors in college now eligible
recruiting done in our colleges and universities
Monfredo: "that is a low, low number" of the pay
Luster; "our goal to provide a substitute for all absences"
O'Connell: what percentage of coverage we seek for our substitute?
Luster: about 78%, can get figure
Biancheria: have day by day and long term subs
have IAs that cover classrooms, as well, and their salaries vary when that occurs
do we know when that occurs?
"our IAs work very hard when they are in a classroom...is there a time frame on how their salary varies?"
Luster: based on half-hour intervals: $2.92 per half hour (says Allen)
Luster comments that Boone has concern on having IAs doing that, as IAs have a job in the building
"it's a very delicate balance that we walk"
differential substantial
approve
Supplemental program salaries
...lots of questions here for me...
Biancheria: what will happen next year?
Boone: this is not the full cost; the remainder is the city NSS page
exactly what has occured is what is occuring
community policing model, head off potential incidents
working on that through the early part of the summer, sooner rather than later
RFP for a security audit, looking for input on interaction with policing in our schools
"can't do it without them"
Biancheria: how does NSS amount count?
Allen: city charges us the equivalent costs for what it costs them, up and above the $125,000 in he budget
eligible city cost towards net school spending
Biancheria: "talking nearly half a million dollars"
"at no time has it gone up"
Allen: city adds it on to the charge on an annual basis
different amounts depending on the salaries of the officers assigned, also now does not include benefits
take into account city provided that we don't have to pay for
Boone: budget amount hasn't shifted, but increase gets accounted for the total package
Biancheria: AP program,
then Creamer program, Reach and Challenge isn't in this program: not included in this account
Allen: this represents non-day programs at Creamer Center
this is contractual $35/hour beyond school day for next year
Biancheria: shift in administration of Creamer
Boone: happened several years ago, not this year
core salary positions are in the teacher and so forth accounts; this is only over and above that
Ramirez: credit recovery at Creamer only during day?
Rodrigues: yes at Creamer, other chances in other schools,
O'Connell: translator coordinator in C; combination of services and person's job
Allen agrees
O'Connell: are we having success in the areas we need
Allen: funds employees providing these services, Personnel services is for contracted services out
O'Connell: community schools not a high priority?
Boone: wouldn't call it a lack of priority, community school model had not been implemented for a number of years
will be evaluated and fully implemented (it is hoped) at Elm Park as part of Level 4 plan
framed and shaped in a way for Elm Park and its needs, plus learn from practices on community schools for others to use in some way
O'Connell: could consider next year?
Boone: would not commit to a one year plan
O'Connell: could be a progress report for next year
Boone: as always for Level 4 schools
O'Connell: crisis prevention training?
Allen: put into staff development account last year
motion for a report on Worcester Future Teachers Academy
also report on community schools
Boone: work ongoing as part of Level 4
Foley: confused, typically those items are referred to budget, not to subcommittee
Monfredo: confused about Worcester Future Teachers, cost to live in dorms waived
Allen: yes, funding was out of two accounts, funding restored in other account
Monfredo: library processing: why difference?
Allen: change in personnel that did service, no change in workload or service
Petty: adult ed is that Night Life?
Allen: Night Life is a revolving account (self-funded)
Petty: would like to know our vision for adult ed going forward, as needed for immigrants into city
approved
athletic coaches taken together with athletic OM
to allow Mr. Shea to go home, the Mayor notes, to a reaction from the bullpen
Novick: anyone playing outside of typical gender divisions?
Shea: not right now, have been boys who played field hockey in the past
O'Connell: no cheerleader team at Burncoat
Shea: girls at Burncoat are in dance team...not interested
Biancheria: volleyball dropped?
Allen: funding lines up with actual costs
Biancheria: supplies has been level funded: are you finding that it is working out?
Shea: very creative in funding supplies and equipment: Hall of Fame fundraiser, individual school fundraising, DA's office
"there's always going to be a need to replenish over the years"
Biancheria asks for clarification on school choice funding
Allen: in FY14 and prior, school choice used to offset teacher salaries
for FY15, used for coaches and OM to fund fully
school choice for FY16 used for partial funding of this account
Biancheria: can we be informed?
Allen: if anything changes from here, would be in second or probably third quarter report
approved
and that's it for this week!

Second quarter report

projected deficit of $221,110
have spent more than half a million on snow removal
have submitted for two storms $193,839 to FEMA for possible 75% (and reimbursement is not calculated in at this time)

state budget reductions: biggest impact on this report is Quality Kindergarten grant: equivalent of 15 IAs
all other reductions are elimination of services; Admin does not have a funding recommendation at this time

personnel services in deficit: transition in special ed services being brought in house over time (didn't happen right away)
If Quality K weren't cut, two would have offset each other.

Unemployment, workers comp
increase in out-of-town special education and McKinney-Vento

Balances in teachers (vacancy and attrition) custodial salaries (deficit in overtime)
retiree health insurance plan kicked in in January (so balance)

projected deficit has held two quarters; usually there is a change
need to take action now

$50,000 freeze EACH in technology, staff development, environmental management, curriculum supplies
second year in a row that schools don't get $10/pupil that is frozen at the beginning of the year; would usually be released now

Foley: sobering report; 9C cuts coming halfway through the year
two school based administrators on sick leave; need fill in
custodians on workers comp: issue? Martin working to reduce the numbers on workers' comp
looking at equipment being used, light duties for bringing people back, "not one particular issue"
Foley: is it snow removal? Martin: nothing long term
weather related costs: hoping we can get back from the fed; chances? hard to tell
difference from other year? Third party services for plowing and removing snow from roofs
number of storms: regular and overtime; much of it during regular hours
Foley: if school is closed and custodian comes in...? regular salary, unless day is extended

Ramirez: items frozen: what is environmental management?
Allen: agreement with DoJ and DEP, work continuing in future
safe managment of chemicals and the like
"because we've reached compliance, on a one time basis, we think we can freeze funds to address this"

Novick: praise facilities for their work over the winter and snow
did we see any damage from snow? Yes, on some roofs, repairing as we go
saving $12/ton on trash removal
request for Friday letter reporting on impact of freeze on technology, staff development, and student supplies
Not comfortable with freeze of student supplies; share that information with parents so at least they know why
transfers pass

A bit about unemployment

Given yesterday's T&G article about unemployment, two points about the Worcester Public Schools:

•  Worcester Public Schools employees who are school year only, like bus drivers and crossing guards, are given "a reasonable assurance of return" in the fall, and as such are not eligible for unemployment benefits. Thus the bit in the article about that doesn't apply to Worcester.
• In FY11, mentioned in the article, the Worcester Public Schools laid off 140 employees. When we lay off employees, we reimburse the state for unemployment. 

Budget account by account: starting at nurses

posting as we go
Nurses
O'Connell: provides for 51 nurses : is that every school?
Rodrigues: coverage in all schools, yes. Still figuring out where for doubles

Other Insurance, Retirement, workers comp, health insurance, unemployment

Other insurance passes
Retirement
O'Connell: early retirement incentive: how many people did that?
Petty asks if the numbers have to be there forever
Allen being paid back over
passes
Workers Comp
Foley: talked about at our Finance meeting
"this is an account that we have traditionally dabbled in...also traditionally underbudgeted"
$952,300 "pretty aggressive number"
would support recommendation
O'Connell: have our settlements put us in a place where people will be collecting less now?
Allen: no
people were not necessarily collecting at the time that we settled
"In no year in the last five years have we spent anything less than $1.2 million"
O'Connell: inclined to leave with administration
passes
Health insurance:
O'Connell: anything from city to adjust rates?
Allen: calculated : now under by $100,000
O'Connell: any suggestions?
Allen: to resolve in first quarter report
Biancheria: grant funded employees have their health insurance also grant funded
Unemployement:
O'Connell: are we assuming a number?
Allen: 29-30 week basis; if you look annually, need $100,000
teachers returning, long-term subs need this
32 tutors eligible..
"full exposure is greater than the amount budgeted here" (by about $500,000)
O'Connell: hope that in the upturn in the economy could get employment
Allen: usually use health insurance savings to cover unemployment costs; cannot happen with tutors (as they don't get health insurance

Looking for a summer job or internship?

The Regional Environmental Council's YouthGROW corps is looking for members!

If you are or know a low income young person between the age of 14 and 16 in need of a summer job, please pass along the application for the YouthGROW program. All youth who apply are guaranteed an interview and candidates who are hired will have the opportunity to work on one of our two urban farms in Bell Hill and Main South!
But maybe you've graduated high school? We want your applications as well! We have a budget for a couple of paid positions but are especially looking for students interested in volunteering as interns (hopefully for credit.) Our youth hiring committee is planning to interview candidates in late April and the position would entail around 5-7 hours of planning time with the youth during May and June and then participating in our summer program during 6 weeks in July and August for around 25 hours a week. Interns will have the opportunity to co-lead a project with a Youth Leader like planning an awesome neighborhood block party, visit farms across New England like Nuestros Raices and Seeds of Solidarity through our field trips, and get to work with some of the coolest young people in Worcester. We will also feed you during our summer program! Email me your application by April 10th if you are interested.

I've shared the application here. For more information, contact Grace at Youthgrow@recworcester.org .

City Auditor on unemployment benefits

Allen: reforms needed with regards to unemployment compensation
(this is in reference to a letter that was co-signed by our city auditor)

• retirees who come back as tutors (for example), are laid off, and collect unemployment
• teachers who are laid off and collect unemployment during summer months

DelSignore: reasonable expectation of being employed, cannot collect unemployment

those who work a 40 week year

report recently came out with suggested solutions

"it would help the city and the school side if those things were passed"

Foley argues that cafeteria workers are not full-year contracts

Allen: can receive their pay over the full year just as teachers 

Foley: anything in the report that we should be aware of?

Allen: don't know if anyone is filing this in the new session

Foley: add to our legislative agenda

task force taken after that

Colorio: any teeth to this?

Allen: not any time soon
DelSignore: not as much as used to be

back to FY13...

We're picking back up with athletics for a few more questions...publishing as we go
Opening comments from the superintendent regarding the health insurance savings: $900,000
"we are now are looking to be able to actualize $900,000 in additional savings, and that's savings going forward"
The proposal is here.
Colorio asks for the timeline: preliminary review took place Monday night, work on Tuesday, budget committee met on Tuesday afternoon

More of a summary on FY13 thus far

When we last left you, we were facing a $1.3 million budget gap for FY13, which was being closed by a project cut of 19 elementary positions. Here's where last night, after much number crunching on the part of the finance department, ended up last night.

Expenses for FY13 are increasing by $17 million.
Funding (from state and city) is increasing by $11.4 million.
This leaves us with a budget gap of $5.6 million which is proposed to be closed by the following:

$1 million savings in building utilities*
$1 million in health insurance savings** 
$1 million in special ed tuition savings***
$0.6 million due to a cut of 6 teaching positions****
$0.5 million in one-time textbook expenses
$0.2 million in unemployment*****
$0.1 million in savings from ending the early retirement benefit
$0.1 million in savings from Jobs for Bay State Grads
$1.1 million from all other areas



May 9 at North High at 6 pm is the public comment session. Please come!




 _______________________________________________________
*(you might remember the Committee has set this aside for environmental work; you'll see that in the budget)
**continued savings due to migration due to health insurance changes in contract
***The biggest chunk of this due to a rate freeze from the special ed collaborative for member districts.
****3 elementary, 1 teaching assistant principal, 4 high school positions
*****if you don't lay people off, you don't have to pay unemployment.

"Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story"*

The current batch of education debates is, purportedly, between those who think you can fix everything about a kid's life and future by "fixing" schools, and those who think that issues surrounding schools have an enormous impact on what goes on inside the schools, and thus those issues must be dealt with as well.
(Note: this is of course a vast over-simplification of both points.)
The "poverty matters" crowd got a bit of a boost this week when the National Bureau of Economic Research published a report to:

examine the effects of state-level job losses on fourth- and eighth-grade test scores, using federal Mass Layoff Statistics and 1996-2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress data. Results indicate that job losses decrease scores. Effects are larger for eighth than fourth graders and for math than reading assessments, and are robust to specification checks. Job losses to 1% of a state’s working-age population lead to a .076 standard deviation decrease in the state’s eighth-grade math scores. This result is an order of magnitude larger than those found in previous studies that have compared students whose parents lose employment to otherwise similar students, suggesting that downturns affect all students, not just students who experience parental job loss. Our findings have important implications for accountability schemes: we calculate that a state experiencing one-year job losses to 2% of its workers (a magnitude observed in seven states) likely sees a 16% increase in the share of its schools failing to make Adequate Yearly Progress under NCLB.

Decent coverage here.
Two important points:

1. One hopes that this will lower some of the shrillness of rhetoric of those who claim others want to "hold off on fixing schools" until...whenever. It would be helpful if we could acknowledge that a community being under economic duress does change how the community's children do in school.
2. Might perhaps this change how we're dealing with NCLB?

*as oft cited by my dad's former boss, Bob Berkowitz

Second Quarter report

Notes from F&O:
no big change in the bottom line for this quarter: projecting 1/2 million for end of year, plus edu jobs (total of $2.4 million)
$250,000 normal attrition and vacancies in teacher accounts; nearly the same amount spent additionally in IA's (one-to-one aides)
vacancies for custodians $116, 710 with a $10,797 deficit in overtime (we haven't had to use a lot of overtime for snow clearing, due to timing of snowstorms)
added in moving costs for North High ($50,000; hoping to move this fiscal year)
people no longer collecting unemployment ($237,083)
$54,500 in snow removal (front end loader services, plus hauling, and some snow removal from roofs, and some replacement snowblowers)
$30,000 in chem lab clean-outs

releasing $10/pupil for the schools that had been frozen, with the caution that schools will want to pre-purchase supplies as much as possible

Unemployment

Presently it's $275,000 (for FY10)
We've budgeted $735,000 now down to $638,000 due to the restoration of tutors
(The tutors work 20 hours a week, they don't get health insurance, so we don't save money on health insurance when we lay them off. Their unemployment is entirely funded straight from unemployment, with no other savings.)
Boone cautions that restoring tutors does not mean we do not value teachers. Tutor position were about supporting literacy.

FY10 budget update

One of the biggest responsibilities of the former Business, now FO committee is a quarterly update of the current year budget.

FY10 budget update (as of Dec. 31, 2009)
30.7% of the budget has been expended so far this year (teachers get paid through the summer, which counts on this fiscal year, which is why we've spent 30% of the budget at 50% of the year)

saved money on final actuarial study from city $386,000

lower sped tuitions $350,000--placements that didn't happen
cooler than usual summer; warmer than usual winter= savings on utilities

more outside legal (sped and regular legal) than past years; collective bargaining up (which costs money for the attornies who negotiate)

Health insurance (we hired a few more teachers) and we have less grant funding

plant maintenance (that fat, oil, grease ordinance from the city)

day-by-day substitutes; we assumed a vacancy factor, but it has not panned out this year (or last, come to that)

unemployment comp has been extended by fed and state; we aren't being reimbursed for this.
So far it's $127, 136 over

Have not spent fiscal stabilization funds so far this year ($15.9 million), asks Foley; how are we doing this?
State has not yet gotten the money from the fed; they're supposed to get them during the third quarter, and can spend them retroactively if needed, back to July 1 of this past year.

"worker's comp is the School Committee's snow account", says Foley