MWDN: Southborough school boss calls for leaner increase for 2013

I wasn’t able to go to the K-8 School Committee meeting last night, but Brad from the Metrowest Daily News was there, and he reports Superintendent Charles Gobron presented a preliminary budget that has a slimmer increase than those we have seen in past years.

Saying the K-8 schools want to do their part to acknowledge the town’s ongoing fiscal hardship, Superintendent Charles Gobron last night proposed to the School Committee a preliminary fiscal 2013 budget increase of 0.9 percent.

If approved, Gobron said the increase would be the smallet he could remember in four decades.

Gobron’s fiscal 2013 budget stands at $17.04 million, a $151,981 — or 0.9 percent — increase from fiscal 2012. At this time last year, the K-8 district asked for and ultimately received a 2 percent increase from fiscal 2011.

Pop over to the MWDN to read all the details, including Selectman Bill Boland’s take on the school’s preliminary budget.

What do you think? Are you encouraged by the numbers? Or do you think the schools have more work to do?

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Frank Crowell
12 years ago

Are any of the handouts available online somewhere? Is there a copy of any presentation that can be referenced (it was great to look at Mr Hamilton’s presentation linked on this board and very nice work by the way)? Did any of the questions from Mr Rooney or Advisory get answered? 


John Butler
12 years ago

Mr. Crowell,
Nothing is available online from last night’s meeting. Advisory Committee has asked for the budget information in electronic form but has been told that there is some difficulty in doing anything other than printing from the database in which it resides (don’t ask me why.) but that they are going to make an attempt sometime.
As for Advisory request for information from 12/16, a small fraction of those documents were delivered in paper form at Monday’s Advisory meeting and, apparently a larger fraction have been sent to us by US Mail. Brian Shea, Advisory liaison with myself to the schools, has scanned the ones received on Monday into pdf form and they can be found at http://southboroughadvisory.shutterfly.com/resources. We are still seeking these and all information in more useful form for analysis. Given the fragmentary information and the difficult format, we have not yet done any analysis.

The draft minutes of the School Committee meeting at which Mr. Rooney spoke were also handed out last night, but not approved by the Committee. They contain a recap of Mr. Rooney’s remarks. After Mr. Rooney left that meeting his remarks were characterized as irresponsible, as I recall, by School Committee members, however that “answer” to him did not make it into the draft minutes, and there was no mention last night of the topics he brought up.

Frank Crowell
12 years ago
Reply to  John Butler

Mr Butler,

Thanks to both you and Mr Shea for the documents. I am hoping there is a more complete answer from the BOE to all the facts and questions put before them.

John Boiardi
12 years ago

Dr Gabron’s proposed budget increase of a 0.9 percent increase in the K-8 school budget is commendable. Appaently he is listening to the taxpayers. It is a great start in the budget negotiations .

Al Hamilton
12 years ago

Dr. Gobrons claim that enrollment will likely be down by about 30 next year is highly questionable.

There are about 169 8th graders (that is the number of 7th graders last year the most recent data available)

As of the end of this year there were 101 children in town born in 2007 who might enter Kindergarten next year. That is a difference of 68. I think this is a far fairer estimate of the size of the enrollment decline.

I think we really have the right to expect more careful analysis.

Al Hamilton
12 years ago
Reply to  Al Hamilton

Assuming that my estimate of a decline of 68 students is correct the we should be seeing a larger decline in the number of teachers.

Southborough’s Student/Teacher ratio os 13.8/1. This is the broad measure of teachers which includes art teachers, gym teachers, music teachers, librarians etc.

68 divided by 13.8 is 4.9 teachers which is the size of the teaching staff reductions we should see. My conservative estimate of the savings is as follows:

4.9 X (50K salaries + 5K – 12k Unemployment) = 259K. If the reductions are achieved through retirement this number could be considerably higher as the salary number is higher and there would be no unemployment (we are self insured).

There would be a corresponding reduction in none teaching staff as well which would yield additional savings.

I understand the reluctance to address this issue. Layoffs are are painful for the person who is laid off and often for the person who has to inform them that they no longer have a job. Many of us know this first hand, I do.

With the one time special ed savings and keeping staff in line with our declining student population the Advisory goal of a -1% budget should be readily achieved this year without any impact on the quality of education.

Al Hamilton
12 years ago
Reply to  Al Hamilton

Sorry, I made typo the savings should be as follows:

4.9 X (50k salary + 15k benefits – 12k Unemployment)=259k

Neil Rossen
12 years ago

I’ll believe the veracity of Gobron’s proposal when I see the impact on our taxes. That is the test. For now it’s talk.

John Boiardi
12 years ago
Reply to  Neil Rossen

Neil,

I agre. .9 percent is the start.

Neil Rossen
12 years ago

Oh, and from John Butler’s comments the School Committee seems to be ducking and weaving..

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