Wednesday, June 14, 2004
6:30 PM Special Budget
Business Meeting
Central
Administration Building
“Challenging Student Excellence” |
H. Meeting Organization
1. Call to Order
a. Pledge of Allegiance
b. Don DeFedele called the meeting to order at 6:33 pm.
2. Roll Call
Present: Chairperson
Bill Mudge, Kevin Mulvey, and Cathy
Kaiser,
Administration Present:
Absent: Daniel J. McGregor, Ph.D., Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Barbara A. Fitzsimmons, Ed.D, Curriculum Director
I.
Citizens’ Comments on Agenda Items
I.
There were no members of the audience who elected to address the committee at this meeting during this scheduled time on the agenda.
J. Budget Cut Discussion and Action
A. Mr. DeFedele asked Dr. Halley to draw up a list of items that could be cut from the budget, derived from committee members’ questions/suggestions. This list was used as the working document for the evening:
A.
1. Maintain the status quo for kindergarten (full day at DES, half day everywhere else).
1.Based on current enrollment savings from budget would be three teachers. The savings equal $189,858 minus $115,000 for transportation equals a net savings of $74,858.
2. Cut Athletics by $50,000. Athletic Director will decide which programs will be cut back.
3. Cut Technology by $50,000 back to a Total of $350,000 to replace and upgrade outdated equipment.
4. Move the strings program from the curriculum to an extracurricular activity. ($55,686)
5. Breakage for nine teachers. ($216,997)
6. Reduce number of reading teachers by one because of retirements. ($80,846)
7. Reduce number of dance/drama teachers by one. ($57,034)
8. Reduce number of librarians by two. FPES/DES plus WES/FCES share a librarian. ($113,058)
9. Reduce number of School Nurse Teachers by one. ($88,086)
10. Cut budgeted high school staffing by one space through raising the minimum class size to 20. ($63,286)
11. Fund Workman’s Compensation Insurance from the Self Insurance fund. ($133,003)
11. Subtract unemployment payments to be paid. (-$30,000)
11.
B. Don DeFedele announced that due to the recent referendum vote, the School Committee had the difficult chore of making $950,000.00 in budget cuts.
B.
C. Mr. DeFedele’s initial request of the evening was to ask Dr. Halley to explain to the committee, and the audience, the Workers’ Compensation payment made by the Town Council to Beacon Insurance in the amount of $133,003.00. Dr. Halley responded that this payment was a one-time payment taken from the self insurance fund. He explained that at one time the town was self-insured and the town and school department accrued money to make insurance payments. Eventually, it became more economical to go through Beacon Insurance. There is currently approximately $1,000,000.00 in savings the fund.
1. Mr. Mudge asked if this was a municipally controlled account, and was told that indeed it was.
2. Mr. Quinn responded that the Town Council is taking the $133,003.00 from the fund to make the School Department’s Workers’ Compensation payment. Mr. Mudge stated that there was no appropriated Workers’ Compensation account in the Town Budget. Mr. DeFedele responded that Mr. Mudge would have to discuss that issue with the Town Council. Mr. DeFedele stated he is more concerned with how to obtain the funds from the Town Council.
3. Dr. Halley stated that in reality this creates a “structural deficit in our budget next year”.
4. Mr. DeFedele stated that the cuts to be made this evening were to be made from $950,000.00 minus 133,003.00, or a total of $816,997.00.
D. Don
DeFedele, at this point, opened the floor to all discussion. Kevin Mulvey motioned that the Kindergarten
program for 2004-05 be a half day program district wide.
D.1. Pat Watkins stated that she could not support the motion. “There is documentation that full day kindergarten at Davisville Elementary is fundamentally sound, and we have an opportunity now,” to implement the program district wide. Mr. DeFedele reminded Mrs. Watkins that the enrollments for the full day kindergarten program are higher than projected.
D.2. Dr. Coppa requested the cost increase associated with the increase in enrollment. Dr. Halley responded that it could equal approximately 4-6 extra teachers or between $260,000.00 and $390,000.00, when 12 teachers were budgeted.
D.3. Mr. Mulvey stated that he totally agreed in terms of the educational benefits full day kindergarten afforded to students; however, he felt that it “would cost considerably more money”.
D.4. Dr. Halley stated that to maintain the status quo with the current projected enrollment would constitute the savings of three teachers, $189,858 savings on the average, and $115,000 for transportation equals savings of $74,858.00.
D.5. Carol Hueston said that she did not want to cut full day kindergarten at all and she was at least going to make a plea for full day kindergarten to remain at Davisville Elementary. The school has already had the program and she cannot see taking it away from them.
D.6. Denise Coppa replied that she “could not in good conscience” vote for one school to have the program, and not the entire district. She felt that there was the possibility of the district being left open to legal problems.
D.7. Bill Mudge stated that he agreed with Dr.
Coppa and was curious as to the cost savings of eliminating the program at
D.8. Bill Mudge further suggested that there was $360,000 available to spend this year, as well as funds available from the town council last year. His recommendation would be to know what deficit the school department is truly facing before the committee starts cutting programs.
D.9. Mr. Martasian was concerned with the statement made by Dr. Coppa about legal issues should the full day kindergarten program continue to run at Davisville Elementary.
10. Mr.
DeFedele agreed, stating that he knows
11. Dr. Coppa replied that equitable programs need to be across the district. Mr. Martasian stated that the school committee would still be moving towards that in the future.
12. Mr. Mudge asked that the committee consider
the 2003 In$ite reports which state that the
13. Carol Hueston stated that Davisville Elementary is already a school that is facing inequality by not being a K-5 school and she still believes that they need that program. She also did not see what type of legal issues to which Dr. Coppa could be referring.
14. Don DeFedele said that he sees it as needing to meet NCLB mandates as a school district and it is the committee’s obligation to any school that may need the extra help to meet them.
15. Dr. Coppa stated that there are many disadvantaged and needy children across the district; and she was not supportive of redistricting in the past because of the inequitable distribution of the full day K programs.
16. Don DeFedele stated that there still was a need to educate all of the students and wanted to know if there was more of a challenge to meet the mandates of NCLB at Davisville Elementary.
17. Dr. Halley stated that there was; however, Dr. Coppa said that there were no standardized tests coming out of the school because there is no 4th grade.
18. Pat Watkins felt that she did not want to cut full day kindergarten at all, and suggested looking at other areas instead and coming back to this issue later if necessary.
E. Denise
Coppa made a motion to table the issue and Pat Watkins seconded. The vote on this motion was 6 to 1;
1. Don DeFedele questioned Bill Daly regarding the “breakage”, or savings to the budget from the retirement of 9 teachers. That amount equaled $216,997.00.
F. Pat
Watkins motioned to include this breakage as part of the cuts taken.
G. Denise
Coppa motioned to include $80,846.00 for breakage which represents the
retirement of a reading teacher whose position is not going to be
replaced.
1. Mr. Mudge did not approve of reducing the program by this amount because of the changes to the reading program that are going to take place.
2. Mr. DeFedele called for the vote which was 6 to 1; Mr. Mudge in opposition.
H. At this point, Mr. Mulvey questioned if a motion was needed to add the cut of $133,003.00 for the Workers’ Compensation premium. Mr. DeFedele stated that perhaps it might be best, and so Mr. Mulvey did make that motion, and Pat Watkins seconded.
1. Barry Martasian questioned
whether or not the
2. Mr. Mudge stated that the
school committee’s spending authority has been “chopped” by $100,000.00 and the
payment by the
Resident, April Brunelle,
interrupted the meeting from the back of the room to complain that the audience
could not understand what the committee was discussing as they were not privy
to any listings. Mr. DeFedele reminded
her that this was a business meeting and the audience was not permitted
comment. Mr. DeFedele then responded to Mrs. Brunelle and read and explained
the list that the school committee was working from.
3. Mr. Mudge requested that he be allowed to pass to the committee his own list entitled “Recommended Areas for Reducing the NK School Budget and Additional Revenues Sources.”
4. Pat Watkins stated a “Point of Order” and protested that Mr. Mudge had, at that precise moment, handed out to the audience a copy of the committee’s working document and several copies of his own above mentioned list. She suggested that the audience have more than one copy of the committee’s working document or nothing at all. Mr. Mudge seconded “that motion.”
5. Dr. Coppa said that the working document does not include several items that she submitted for discussion, and was taken aback to discover that Mr. Mudge was handing out documents to the audience directly in front of the school committee. She will be bringing up items to talk about at this meeting that are not on any documentation.
6.
The vote taken on Mr. Mulvey’s motion
regarding the Workers’ Compensation premium was 6 in favor; and 1 (
J. Denise Coppa stated that she tried to look at the problem differently, and wanted to see how the district could share the burden without cutting programs. She thought to ask the associations and administrators to relinquish 1% of their raises. She estimates this could save approximately $400,000.00. Dr. Coppa emailed this question to Dr. Halley and he approached the NEA/NK who flatly refused to enter into discussion. She said that it would be possible to save full day kindergarten if only the associations and administrators would agree to the proposal.
1. Maureen Buck said that the exact number was $329,036.00
2.
Mr. DeFedele replied that there needed to be a mutual
agreement to decide this.
3. Dr. Halley stated he did not have a problem asking the teachers and the administrators; however, the paraprofessionals and support staff was only receiving a 2% cost of living increase as it is. The administrators are willing if the NEA/NK is in agreement. Mr. DeFedele interjected that the public needs to understand that the administrators’ contract falls in line with the NEA/NK contract.
4. Pat Watkins suggested composing a formal request from the school committee to all staff asking that they be willing to compromise their pay raise this year and, if they agree, some cuts could be reinstated.
5.
Mr. DeFedele requested a motion to this
effect, to which Mrs. Watkins responded: “So moved” and
6. Bill Mudge stated that the idea “just isn’t going to fly” given the relationship between teachers and the administration.
7. Denise Coppa said that she is appealing to the professionalism and sensibilities of the individuals involved. She has seen this approach work at URI and views it as a way to maintain programs in the district.
8. Mr. Mudge replied that if he didn’t think that there were other options, he’d agree.
9. Pat Watkins stated that a letter should be sent, but cuts should still be made. If a positive reply is received from the associations, the cuts can be reinstated.
10. Dr. Halley agreed as a budget needs to be determined by July 1.
11. The
vote on this motion was 5 in favor; 2,
12. Pat Watkins motioned to level fund technology which would mean a cut of a $100,000.00 increase planned for the 2004-05school year. Kevin Mulvey seconded this motion.
13. Pat Watkins stated that she hates to make a move to stop the forward momentum but it is one area that effects education but not a program that affects students.
14. Don DeFedele questioned the impact on the district, and Dr. Halley stated that there was a deferral of the necessary equipment purchases and upgrades.
15. Bill Mudge asked if there was a list available of these equipments. Dr. Halley responded in the negative.
16. The vote on this motion was 6 in favor and 1, Carol Hueston, against.
17. “Using
the same point of logic”, Pat Watkins motioned to level fund the curriculum budget
($50,000.00).
18. Bill
Mudge requested to amend the motion to further cut the curriculum budget by
$100,000.00. This motion did not receive
a second, however, and therefore failed.
19. Dr. Halley stated that, in reality, this motion would have a major impact on the science program which would be under funded if the motion passed, as the science program is in its cycle this year along with foreign language. Science kits for the elementary schools are yet to be bought as well as materials for the high school, and to cut the curriculum budget will make it inadequate to fund programs.
20. Denise Coppa stated that the foreign language program has already come before the committee and yet the science figures are unknown. She doesn’t know how to support this motion without having these figures.
21. Don DeFedele said that they are working with an estimation of what the science curriculum will cost.
22. Pat Watkins stated that she was having difficulty and did not want to hurt any programs. Given the information received tonight she would like to withdraw her motion.
At 8:05, the meeting adjourned
for a 10 minute recess.
23. Kevin Mulvey motioned to level fund the legal expenses of the school department ($30,000.00). Barry Martasian seconded this motion. In making his motion, Mr. Mulvey stated that the increases this year were due to defending against “baseless allegations that have been made to every state agency imaginable …Now that the Auditor General has spoken, it will be less likely that our legal expenses will be quite as high regardless of the threat that was just made.”
24. Bill
Mudge questioned what threat Mr. Mulvey was referring to when he made his
motion. Mr. Mulvey responded, “You just
said a little while ago that you would be taking your charges elsewhere.” Mr.
Mudge cited the “rest of the story” and mentioned $6,000 that Dr. Halley spent
“without the
25. Pat Watkins requested a “Point of Order” stating that an itemization of legal fees is not pertinent to the discussion of the motion.
26. Don DeFedele agreed that it was not relevant and upheld the “Point of Order”, and questioned if the school department would be able to do with the current amount.
27. Maureen Buck stated that based on history the legal expenses are almost up to $60,000.00, if there aren’t any further defense items.
28. Dr. Halley said that there probably will not be a need for negotiations, but the school department does have continued threats that could need defense.
29. Bill Mudge declared a “Point of Order” questioning the use of the term “threats”.
30. Don DeFedele asked that the word “threats” no longer be used, and mentioned that the new letter to the associations may need legal facilitation. He questioned what the bottom line was, and if it was kept at $30,000.00 would there be a need to find funds elsewhere, by approval of the committee, to cover legal expenses.
31. Dr. Halley said that he thought that there probably would be a need to find funds elsewhere.
31.
32. The
vote on this motion was 4,
33. Bill
Mudge motioned to eliminate the position created to support the accreditation
process at the High School. Bill Daly
informed Mr. Mudge that in order to do this, sufficient notice, 90 days, must
be given.
34. Bill
Mudge then motioned to eliminate the “recently created PR/Grants” position with
a savings of approximately “$65,000 - $75,000.00. The motion includes allocating$25,000.00 in a
teachers’ incentive program to write grants with the $40,000.00 to off set the
budget, and $3,000.00 to televise the
35. Denise Coppa clarified for the public that
this position is not a “PR” position. It
is a grant writing position that was previously held by a principal. The public has the wrong idea of what this
position is for.
36.
I.
1. Dr. Coppa stated that this motion would unfairly affect 67 students at both middle schools.
2. Pat Watkins said that the discussions to be had at this point will be affecting programs.
3.
4.
Kevin Mulvey motioned to table this item for
the time being. Carol Hueston seconded
the motion which received a unanimous vote.
J.
1.
Dr. Halley requested that Mr. Mudge identify what he
was referring to. Dr. Coppa concurred,
however she requested that he show her where in the budget this was found. Mr. Mudge replied that it was not found in
the budget.
2.
Mr. Mudge listed several items, and
3.
Maureen Buck stated that they are from the Capital
Reserve fund if they are over $25,000.00.
4.
Mr. Mudge stated that last year at this time the
department spent money that could have come out of the Capital Reserve fund
that came out of the operating budget.
5.
Mr. DeFedele wanted to know what the school department
should do if the payments come out of the Capital Reserve fund when the
operating budget can afford it, and money is needed out of the Capital Reserve
fund for upgrading schools since the referendum was not approved.
6.
Mr. Mudge insisted on knowing what one time items would
be procured this year.
7.
Mr. DeFedele asked Mr. Mudge where the money would come
from for emergencies if it was eliminated from the budget.
8.
Mr. Mudge’s response was to go to the
9.
Again Mr. Mudge insisted on knowing what the one time
procurements would be.
10. Mr.
DeFedele stated that if the money was only for one time procurements, Mr.
Mudge’s argument would make sense, but since the money is also used for
emergencies, he cannot support him.
11. Dr.
Halley asked Maureen Buck where in the budget Mr. Mudge could find what he was
looking for.
12. Maureen
Buck responded that they were in the Maintenance Budget pgs 52 and 53.
13. Dr.
Halley stated that there is nothing budgeted for Major Capital Outlay for next
year so it cannot be cut.
14. Maureen
Buck stated that there is a further $318,320.00 at the schools and $400,000.00
in technology in capital outlay.
15. Dr.
Halley stated the Major Capital Outlay for the district is the $318,320.00
which is an increase of $103.320.00 from the previous year.
16. Mr.
Mudge stated that the school department has budgeted $840,000.00 of capital
equipment this year, and wanted to know what was being bought. He asked if these procurements could not be
expended in order to save programs.
17. Dr.
Coppa stated that she could not find these numbers in her budget copy.
18. Mr.
Mudge said that she was absolutely right and that he had created his own
sheets.
19. Mr.
DeFedele asked why he did that, when Mr. Mudge stated when this budget came out
that it was “great”.
20. Maureen
Buck offered Mr. Mudge the information that he was seeking, $400,000.00 for
computer assisted learning, $300,000.00 for furniture and risographs and
copiers lease purchases in the districts.
21. Mr.
Mudge insisted on a written list.
22. Mr.
DeFedele stated that Mrs. Buck just clearly identified the items.
23. Vote
on this motion is
M.
1.
2.
The vote was unanimous.
N.
1. Dr. Coppa declared that the Professional Development Coordinator’s position was temporary, and does not need to be full time, can safely be done without and not affect programs.
2
3 Dr. Halley responded that the position is an essential role.
4
5 Dr. Halley replied significant cut backs through SmART training and through training of teachers throughout the year would need to take place even though this school department is known for its professional development.
6 Maureen Buck interjected that $95,000.00 of the professional development budget is committed to the schools from state aid and according to Article 31 must be spent at the school level.
7
8 For clarity, Dr. Coppa withdrew her motion.
O. Dr.
Coppa said that instead she would like to make a new motion to cut the salary
for the Professional Development Coordinator’s position and retain the
budget.
1. Dr. Halley said that the position was not temporary, and then went on to say that someone is needed to manage the program; to cut the position is to tantamount to cutting the program.
2. Pat Watkins stated that the person in the position would have to be reassigned because they were not noticed.
3. Dr. Halley mentioned that the actual savings would be $63,286.00. “Every person in this organization impacts on students... I don’t like the idea of differentiating between people on whether or not a person has face to face contact with students as to whether or not they have any affect on them.”
4. The vote on the motion was Dr Coppa and Bill Mudge in favor, and the other 5 members of the committee opposed.
P.
The meeting adjourned
for a 10 minute break at
Q. Barry
Martasian made a motion to evoke the
R. Pat
Watkins asked if it was possible to direct all departments to cut their
discretionary budgets by 2%. She
wondered how devastating this would be on the departments.
S. Denise
Coppa motioned to reduce the number of elementary school librarians by
two. The motion was seconded by Kevin
Mulvey. The vote on this motion was 6/1;
Bill Mudge opposed. This item would cut
$113,058.00 from this budget.
T.
1. Barry Martasian stated that he cannot see how the district can go forward with full day kindergarten.
2.
3. Pat Watkins stated that she could support the status quo, but could not support the motion the way it was worded. Don DeFedele agreed.
4. Denise Coppa said that she feels it important that programs be fair and equitable across the district, so she will support the motion.
5.
Don DeFedele asked for a role call
vote:
Barry Martasian Opposed Denise Coppa In
favor Kevin Mulvey In favor
Pat Watkins Opposed Don DeFedele Opposed
Bill Mudge In favor Carol Hueston Opposed
6.
Pat Watkins motioned to keep the full day
kindergarten program as it is at
7.
Mr. Mulvey stated that he could not support this motion
because of the inequity of the program throughout the district.
8.
9.
Dr. Halley urged the committee to support the motion
because they would be leaving the door open to providing the program to the
entire district as money permits. He
also stated that he knows the committee wants the public to be aware that they
want to provide all children with the program, and this motion supports that.
10. A
vote was called which revealed:
Kevin Mulvey Opposed Carol
Hueston In favor Bill Mudge Opposed
Pat Watkins In
favor Don DeFedele In
favor
Barry Martasian In favor Denise
Coppa Opposed
U.
I.
Committee
Member/Citizens’ Comments
None
II.
Motion to
Adjourn: A motion was made by
II.
II.
II.
II. Respectfully submitted,
II.
II. _______________________________________
II. Konnie
M. Mazur
II.
II.