Schools
Town Manager, Superintendent Reach Compromise on School Budget
New proposed budget for the Framingham Public Schools is a 7.1 percent increase over the current budget. Neither Selectmen nor School Committee have signed off on the new number and Town Meeting will still need to vote on it in May.
Town Manager Bob Halpin informed Framingham Selectmen Tuesday night that he and Framingham Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott had reached a compromise number on the proposed Framingham Public Schools budget for the school year 2014-15 to bring to Town Meeting in May.
Halpin said the School Department will execute a variety of cost savings and consolidations to get to $109.368 million proposed budget for the 2014-15 school year. Halpin and Scott would present a united front to Town Meeting in May to approve that figure, he told Selectmen.
The Framingham School Committee last month voted on a budget of $110.685 million. That number was $2.462 million more than what the town's chief financial officer is recommending Town Meeting support.
Earlier this year, the Town Manager/CFO was recommending a $106.569 Million school budget for the 2014-15 school year or a 4.4 percentage increase plus an additional $1.2 million in strategic rebuilding funds for a total of $107.769 million or a 5.6 percent increase over the current budget.
The Superintendent was requesting $111.578 million budget plus $300,000 rent for administration offices and $195,000 in school security improvements for a total of $112.073 million or a 9.75 percent increase over the current budget.
The new compromise budget, which Selectmen did not sign off on Tuesday night, is $109.368 million, or a 7.1 percent increase over the current school budget.
Added into the new budget, via the compromise was four expenditures:
- $546,000 to convert the King Administration Building to an Elementary School
- $300,000 for the school administration to find space to rent
- $125,000 for increased transportation needs for the McAuliffe Charter School in Framingham, due to its move to a new campus
- $175,00 for increased Special Education Summer School costs
Bower said he liked the idea of "going to Town Meeting united" but he said it was important for any number agreed to "hold the line on a 1.25 percent increase" in regards to the tax rate.
Framingham Selectmen have taken a philosophical approach not to increase the tax levy to its maximum 2.5 percent allowed annually, but to look to keep increases to 1.25 percent, after taxpayers were hit with very large tax increases in 2012 and continue to see increases in water and sewer rates.
Selectman Jason Smith agreed with Bower.
"The 1.25% is an absolute deal breaker for me," said Smith, who said he is a huge supporter of the schools but that he would not budge on that 1.25 percent figure.
Smith also said he would not rubber stamp school budget increases. He said he wanted to see more details and back up materials from the schools on its plan to improve the district.
Selectman Jason Smith said he received the report from the Town Manager after 5 p.m. Tuesday and received a 27-page report from Scott at 8:30 p.m. tonight and wanted time to review.
"There is a lot of information to digest," said Smith.
Smith suggested Selectmen, the Framingham School Committee and the Framingham Finance Committee hold a joint meeting to discuss the compromise budget number reached by the Town Manager and Superintendent.
Selectmen agreed in a 5-0 vote.
Both the Finance Committee Chair and the School Committee Chair were in the audience during the meeting, but no date was set for the meeting.
Selectman Cheryl Tully Stoll agreed with Smith she said she wanted to see more numbers and was looking for more transparency from the school district.
Scott made a 30-minute presentation to Framingham Selectmen on his budget, the goals of the district, its plan to move the public schools forward and the budget needs required to move the town's six Level 3 schools to Level 2 or Level 1 status.
The Framingham School district is also working with the state to improve its status with the state as a Level 3 district. The state spent four days in Framingham in May 2012 and among its major concerns was an increasing achievement gap between schools and between sub groups of students.
"We have significant challenges in regards to student achievement," Scott told Selectmen. "We need more professional development and we need to do some serious work to move the system to stability and to move forward."
Framingham Patch will have more information on the Superintendent's report to the Selectmen posted shortly.
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