Smith requests $27.3 million FY14 school budget
Date: 2/14/2013
By Chris Maza
chrism@thereminder.comEAST LONGMEADOW — Utilizing new budget formulation tactics, East Longmeadow Public Schools Superintendent Gordon Smith presented his department's initial budget request to the School Committee on Feb. 4.
The School Department's initial budget request for fiscal year 2014 will be $27.3 million, an increase of 4.9 percent over last year.
"This is a new process. It's not level service funding. It's taking a look at the changing requirements we are faced with as a district and putting together a fiscally responsible budget that moves this district forward," Smith said. "We looked to fund the things that would have the biggest impact to the largest amount of students."
Smith said that during the budget process, the department's leadership team had identified 20 different initiatives they wished to fund, however, they were able to whittle that list down to three a district curriculum renewal cycle that would help the district with its continued development of educational practices that would comply with the Common Core Standards, a literacy coach for the Meadowbrook School, and the creation of two separate positions for athletic director and assistant principal at the high school, which currently are rolled into one position.
Regarding the creation of two positions, Smith said that compared to similar districts, East Longmeadow has one of the highest student per administrator ratios in its high school. Currently, East Longmeadow High School has one part-time assistant principal for 900 students. By comparison, Longmeadow and Ludlow have two full-time assistant principals for approximately 985 students.
Smith said the district also faced other challenges when developing this year's budget, not the least of which was the loss of key grants.
"First and foremost among our challenges is the fact that we are now at the end of our federal grants," he said. "The [American Recovery and Reinvestment Act] grants really helped and pushed us forward with technology investments and professional development surrounding that technology."
The district will also be without the support of the Education Jobs Grant.
"We were able to roll over and use the last $110,000 we had through that grant, which helped us fund some much-needed positions," he said.
The district will also have to operate without the benefit of a one-time Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative (LPVEC) credit of $93,000, which the district used to defray rising costs.
Among the costs Smith identified that the LPVEC credit was used for were special education expenses contracted, summer services and transportation maintenance of the district's fleet of buses, legal services, supplies for building maintenance and athletic costs.
Smith did say that the district is expected to receive increased help from the state through Chapter 70 funding.
"Over the last two years, the governor's budget has been a very good predictor," Smith said. "The projections on our Chapter 70 aid for FY12 were exact."
On Jan. 15, Gov. Deval Patrick's unveiled his plan to re-invest in public education with a $226 million increase in Chapter 70 aid.
According to initial projections, the district is expected to see an increase of $365,385 in aid.
"His legacy will be that he was the education governor," Smith said.
