And speaking of meetings

I'd heard some rumors of this one, but I just got an official notice:

Town Hall Community Forum

"a discussion of the state of the economy and its impact upon state and local budgets in Massachusetts"
A presentation by Michael Widmer, President of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, will be followed by a question and answer session.

Hosted by all twelve of central MA legislators
Tuesday, March 3
6:30 pm
South High Community School

First budget hearing

This got buried in one of the below entries; I wanted to be sure you all got it.

The first (pre-) budget hearing for the Worcester Public Schools FY10 budget is scheduled for:

Wednesday, April 1 (I kid you not!)
7pm
Worcester Technical High School


This is your chance to weigh in on what priorities the schools ought to be following as they set their FY10 budget (so far, it's $18 million in the hole).

Round of applause for Clive

As mentioned below, Jack Foley pointed out the significant cuts made in the schools over the past six years in answering the City Council's charges from Tuesday. Clive McFarlane lays out the numbers in print this morning. They aren't pretty.

Let's, PLEASE, get away from this insane, ridiculous attitude that somehow the "city" and the "schools" are separate entities. It's all the City of Worcester. The money is entirely allocated by the City Council; the specifics of the schools allocation happens to run through School Committee. To talk as if the schools are...well, Clive put it quite well:

Parents and teachers listening to Tuesday’s City Council meeting must have been stunned to hear some city councilors speak of the public schools with the covetousness and belligerence with which the leaders of a nation with a strong military and a sliding economy would probably speak of a neighboring country with a weak military and vast natural resources.

When was the last time the City Council had to ration its paper use? Meet in a room with a leaking roof? Depend on badly outdated materials for information? Use a bathroom without a working lock? Do you really want to have this conversation, Councilors?

Transparency and finances

Foley, still on subcommittee report: Meeting with city and school financial people, trying to get the two in line with one another

"walked away feeling pretty strong about that relationship"
individual school budgets, grant budgets....much specificity

Foley on the defensive

Foley: all of us are struck by the municipal cuts made on the city side, governor decided not to cut 9C, CC decided on to cut midyear schools, "really appreciative of that"..."we are only subject to the revenues we get from the state and the federal government" (rehearses the drops that we know are coming, along with possible stimulus money)..."wait another month at least" for budget..."we've had our problems over the past six years"...688 positions cut, 8 schools closed, "we've also faced troubles over the past years"

First listening session April 1 for FY10 budget 7pm at Worcester Tech (Dr. Boone will be attending)

Business Subcommittee

Revisions on the website
Recommend all schools have their own sites that are well-maintained
The webmaster is now looking at the website and "looking at content management systems"
Rollout is expected this summer
Plan to include parent information section, including grades (hope to reduce cost)

South High pool: WEDF grant to repair?
next few years are devoted to Foley Stadium and there's only so much money

Supplemental agenda covers business subcommittee recommendation; they check halfway through the year to see what changes if any they need to make.

• saving money on utilities: solar panels on South, lower oil cost
• lower transporation
• lower out-of-district costs
• higher workers' comp (expected, as this is usually underfunded)
• higher personal services (legal services, medical services for students)
• higher school plant maintenance (things put off too long)

Curriculum Development Standing Committee report

Mr. Monfredo: Stats on graduation rates and college admission rates comparing men and women...men significantly less likely to do both. Report is being forwarded to Dr. Boone, and some question as to what this should mean for the FY10 budget.
A series of requests coming out of this report: mentoring, small learning communities, professional development, parent liaisons..
"Worcester, The City That Reads" starting up next month (the book this year is The Adventure of Tom Sawyer); suggested that the WPS participate

• Senior project program
• Community service program

(both of the above suggested as additional requirements for graduation from high school)