Just in: an update to the FY14 budget from Superintendent Boone. It includes the memo from City Manager O'Brien to the schools on the amount he will be recommending to the City Council for the WPS FY14 budget.
Literally have just seen this, so analysis to come.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
New principals for Canterbury Street and for Nelson Place
This afternoon, Superintendent Boone announced the new principals for Canterbury Street School and for Nelson Place School.
Congratulations to Mary Falcone (currently assistant principal at Columbus Park School), who will be heading up Canterbury Street School.
Congratulations to Monica Poitras (currently of the Fitchburg Public Schools), who will be heading up Nelson Place.
Both will start this summer.
Congratulations to Mary Falcone (currently assistant principal at Columbus Park School), who will be heading up Canterbury Street School.
Congratulations to Monica Poitras (currently of the Fitchburg Public Schools), who will be heading up Nelson Place.
Both will start this summer.
Please comment on McKinney-Vento reimbursement!
You might remember that State Auditor Suzanne Bump found that the state was responsible for funding (or reimbursing funding) for transportation for students who are homeless who are being bused to their original districts.
The problem is that reimbursement is not for a known amount at budget time, and thus it cannot be allocated by the municipality at the time. If reimbursement comes to the city after budget time (as it will), the city cannot then turn around and allocate the funds to the school system. So the funds, which are supposed to reimburse the school system for a school expense, instead end up in the city's general fund.
Enter the DESE.
At their last meeting, the Board of Ed approved sending out for comment draft regulation changes would set up a system whereby the municipality puts this reimbursement in an account, which is specifically for transportation reimbursement. The funds go into the account, which require no further municipal allocation to be expended by the school system.
Comments are due May 13 to Jay Sullivan (in the School Finance and District Support department). They need to hear "YES PLEASE" from us!
Even an email that says, "Please adopt the proposed changes to the regulations," would do it.
Do please send that in! Last year, Worcester spent half a million dollars on providing this transportation.
The problem is that reimbursement is not for a known amount at budget time, and thus it cannot be allocated by the municipality at the time. If reimbursement comes to the city after budget time (as it will), the city cannot then turn around and allocate the funds to the school system. So the funds, which are supposed to reimburse the school system for a school expense, instead end up in the city's general fund.
Enter the DESE.
At their last meeting, the Board of Ed approved sending out for comment draft regulation changes would set up a system whereby the municipality puts this reimbursement in an account, which is specifically for transportation reimbursement. The funds go into the account, which require no further municipal allocation to be expended by the school system.
Comments are due May 13 to Jay Sullivan (in the School Finance and District Support department). They need to hear "YES PLEASE" from us!
Even an email that says, "Please adopt the proposed changes to the regulations," would do it.
Do please send that in! Last year, Worcester spent half a million dollars on providing this transportation.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
In sum
pun intended
- The City's recommendation to the Council for the FY14 budget will be about $500,000 over required minimum net school spending for that single fiscal year. However, the city is still making up for previous years of underfunding. The recommendation that the administration forwards to Council will be $430,000 under net school spending.A note here: while the City Council cannot reallocate funds, they can reject the administration's recommendation and send it back for a new recommendation.
- The Councilors on the Education committee--and more power to them--are floating some recommendations around trying to increase the city's contribution to above minimum contribution levels. Councilor Economou suggests tying it to municipal growth; as Councilor O'Brien noted, this used to be done, and when it was, the city and schools split new growth 50/50. It was suggested tonight that the city might start with 10% of new growth being promised to schools. To talk real numbers: last year, the city's municipal growth rate was 4.9%. 10% of that would be $490,000; on a $300 million budget, that's 0.5% over foundation.*
- In terms of the internal WPS budget: administration plans to get us (and thus the public) the FY14 budget next Friday, May 10.
*And if you totally didn't follow that, please say so, and we'll try it again.
Administrative costs
these are the ones that are counted as school spending by city administration
$400,000 under includes the estimate in administrative support and overhead for WPS
WPS pays 54% of those departments
will be going up $200,000 to $5.1 million
Worcester spends $4.3 million, city charging $4.9 million
NO OTHER GATEWAY COMMUNITY IN WHICH THE CITY SPENDS MORE ON ADMINISTRATION THAN THE SCHOOLS SPEND THEMSELVES.
dialogue on reopening the agreement with city
DESE being engaged as technical guidance on this issue
Plus the city is taking 3% on all grants, the School Committee has maintained our statutory right to set our grant rate, which we've set at 1%
DESE has decided in our favor; the city has sent it to the feds (OMB) for a decision which is weird, since they have no oversight
$18.58 tax rate
$5.53 goes to schools
$0.43 goes to charter schools
Foley : not costing 54% of those departments is being used for WPS
I've been asked to note here that Councilor O'Brien had to leave because he had to relieve his babysitter
Grant percentage is excluded; that's additional
$400,000 under includes the estimate in administrative support and overhead for WPS
WPS pays 54% of those departments
will be going up $200,000 to $5.1 million
Worcester spends $4.3 million, city charging $4.9 million
NO OTHER GATEWAY COMMUNITY IN WHICH THE CITY SPENDS MORE ON ADMINISTRATION THAN THE SCHOOLS SPEND THEMSELVES.
dialogue on reopening the agreement with city
DESE being engaged as technical guidance on this issue
Plus the city is taking 3% on all grants, the School Committee has maintained our statutory right to set our grant rate, which we've set at 1%
DESE has decided in our favor; the city has sent it to the feds (OMB) for a decision which is weird, since they have no oversight
$18.58 tax rate
$5.53 goes to schools
$0.43 goes to charter schools
Foley : not costing 54% of those departments is being used for WPS
I've been asked to note here that Councilor O'Brien had to leave because he had to relieve his babysitter
Grant percentage is excluded; that's additional
update on Nelson Place and MSBA projects
Allen: invited into feasibility phase of project for Nelson Place
between now and May 2014
March 2014 through mid 2014 doing schematic designs
May 2014 to August 2014 is when they fund the project
June 2014-March 2015 design and planning
construction until January 2017, anticipated opening
MSBA submissions for this year
remaining three comprehensive high schools for renovation or repair
MSBA forces you to name a priority school
MSBA did a needs assessment: South graded the worst by MSBA; "to show MSBA that we're serious about their assessment"
"our intention is to the three schools as a joint package"
four schools for accelerated repair for this coming year
between now and May 2014
March 2014 through mid 2014 doing schematic designs
May 2014 to August 2014 is when they fund the project
June 2014-March 2015 design and planning
construction until January 2017, anticipated opening
MSBA submissions for this year
remaining three comprehensive high schools for renovation or repair
MSBA forces you to name a priority school
MSBA did a needs assessment: South graded the worst by MSBA; "to show MSBA that we're serious about their assessment"
"our intention is to the three schools as a joint package"
four schools for accelerated repair for this coming year
- Worcester East Middle: Windows, Boiler, & Roof note here that WEMS is down to one boiler; if (and when) it fails,they're done
- Columbus Park School: Windows & Boiler
- Tatnuck Magnet School: Windows
- Worcester Arts Magnet: Windows
Waiting to hear from MSBA to hear what are the next steps are
Capital spending: repairs
Allen: $7.7 million work at 10 schools, all complete
ESCo: boiler/chiller replacement, boiler replacements are all completed this past year
SoI's last year on Nelson Place, plus accelerated repairs
5 schools in accelerated repair: work will start this summer
O'Brien: how much?
Allen: 80% state funding, bids received, contracts being awarded
$9 million in total, we're funding about $1.8 million
Allen reserving some for environmental work, plus Heard Street roof, masonry at Jacob Hiatt and Vernon Hill
Biancheria: additional sixth grades, in Worcester East Middle, which we promised a science lab
Allen: Worcester East Middle science labs should be bid this week, construction to begin by summer vacation to be done by next school year
completed by fall of 2013
Allen comments that getting bids that has been difficult, getting a successful bid will allow work to be completed for school year of 2013-14
"project budget is a little less than $350,000"
complete school painting jobs: not just classroom by classroom
ESCo: boiler/chiller replacement, boiler replacements are all completed this past year
SoI's last year on Nelson Place, plus accelerated repairs
5 schools in accelerated repair: work will start this summer
- Chandler Magnet will get windows this summer and next summer
- May Street will get new windows
- Lake View will get new windows
- Jacob Hiatt will get new boiler
- Caradonio will get new boiler and new windows
O'Brien: how much?
Allen: 80% state funding, bids received, contracts being awarded
$9 million in total, we're funding about $1.8 million
Allen reserving some for environmental work, plus Heard Street roof, masonry at Jacob Hiatt and Vernon Hill
Biancheria: additional sixth grades, in Worcester East Middle, which we promised a science lab
Allen: Worcester East Middle science labs should be bid this week, construction to begin by summer vacation to be done by next school year
completed by fall of 2013
Allen comments that getting bids that has been difficult, getting a successful bid will allow work to be completed for school year of 2013-14
"project budget is a little less than $350,000"
complete school painting jobs: not just classroom by classroom
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