Finance Committee meets with Holbrook Public Schools on
Monday, January 31, 2011 at 7:00 PM
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Town Hall, 2nd Floor Meeting Room, 50 North Franklin Street
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From the Holbrook Sun-Concern is being raised that Holbrook is spending about $500,000 below the state average in per pupil spending. Superintendent of Schools Joseph Baeta outlined the district’s financial needs during the Jan. 19 school committee meeting.
He noted that Holbrook is far below the state as well as other surrounding towns in providing funding for new textbooks and teacher training. “The town needs to play catch-up in meeting the state average for per student spending,” Baeta said. “The actual funding needed for educating Holbrook public school students is not being met in a number of areas.”
The superintendent explained that the annual state average for per student spending for instructional materials is $357.41, while Holbrook’s average is $132.54. Based on Holbrook’s 1,200 students, that’s $270,000 below the state average. For example, the state’s average for textbooks is $72.48, while in Holbrook, it is $39.59.
In professional development that pays for teacher continuing education, Holbrook spends $80.56 while the state average is $223.21, or a difference of about $144,000 in the district. In building technology, Holbrook’s per student cost is $1.56, while the state average is $32.04. Holbrook spends $737.31 for building operation and maintenance, while the state average is $1,100.49.
In surveying Abington, Braintree, Randolph, and Avon per student spending averages, Baeta said that Holbrook is about $2 million below in what those towns spend on teachers, materials, professional development, guidance, technology, operation and maintenance, and student services. He pointed out that the four towns spend about $4,475 for classroom teachers and specialists while Holbrook spends $3,800. “These are very telling numbers,” Baeta said.
Another concern is the total of $551,000 Holbrook spends for retirees, well above what the state and other districts spend. “This eliminates $551,000 from reaching students directly,” Baeta said. “This is the only area where we spend more. I would like to know why this number is so high. The numbers should not be this high for a small district such as Holbrook.”
He is compiling the names of all the retirees to see what benefits they receive and compare them to the state. “If the town utilized retirees as shared costs on the other side of the budget, as is done in most other communities, this shortfall (about $335,000) would be more manageable,” Baeta said. The superintendent noted that the $551,000 is paid from the Holbrook school department and most districts do not pay it as a direct cost but as a shared cost.
Another concern raised by Baeta is Holbrook’s dependence on federal and state grants that he said are used to augment the school budget. “Grants are supposed to maintain what we have and not fill in for local funds,” he said. The district is losing about $527,000 in federal grants next year that paid for a number of teaching positions.
Last month, the school committee endorsed a proposed $13,350,889 budget for the 2011-2012 school year that is $2.15 million over this year.
Baeta previously explained that the budget hike is needed to cover increases in mandated costs and replace outdated textbooks.
continued--The superintendent said that Holbrook needs to change the way it funds education.
He explained that the district must address recommendations by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in the wake of Holbrook being placed on a Level 3 list due to some shortfalls.
“We have a plan,” Baeta said, referring to addressing the state requests. He added that if Holbrook fails to make the changes and falls into a Level 4 category, the town “would have to spend some serious money” to meet the mandates.
Baeta declared that the cost of special education, English Language Learners, and the free and reduced extended programs have increased over 20 percent statewide while they have hiked 40 percent in Holbrook.
He explained that Holbrook lacks in-district programs due to high startup costs.
Baeta plans to discuss some proposals with the finance committee on Jan. 31.
Long term, the superintendent is planning to request that Town Meeting look at “viable options” that would provide direct services to taxpayers.
He proposed alternating the school and municipal departments’ priority requests on a yearly basis and is also seeking more parent and citizen involvement in sorting out budget inequities.
Baeta has drafted several articles for the May 3 Town Meeting seeking funding for new textbooks for kindergarten through Grade 6 and instructional materials for science and reading, building repairs such as new roofs for the three schools, re-paving the high school and South School driveways and parking lots, and replacing the high school boiler.
What do you think, Holbrook?
http://www.wickedlocal.com/holbrook/topstories/x1203139646/Concern-raised-about-below-average-student-spending-in-Holbrook
Posted Correction in Holbrook Sun-
Holbrook — In a Jan. 28 story about concerns raised over below average student spending in town, a quote from Supt. of Schools Joseph Baeta about retiree costs should have read, “If the town utilized retirees as a cost to the budget more aligned to other communities, this shortfall would be more manageable.” The actual cost for school employee retirees is on the town side and Baeta’s point is that the town is overspending in that area and the town should realize benefits that are more aligned to other communities. Baeta said he wanted the town to be aware of this cost.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/holbrook/topstories/x536397886/Clarification
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