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Date: 3/2/2022
LONGMEADOW – Longmeadow Public Schools (LPS) Superintendent M. Martin O’Shea presented the proposed School Department budget Feb. 22 to a joint meeting of the Select Board, School Committee Finance Subcommittee and Finance Committee.
O’Shea said the proposed budget was “goals-driven” and aims to be “responsive” to the disruption of learning over the past couple of years. That said, the budget for the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) is about $300,000 under the FY22 budget, from $40,635,291 to $40,307,415.
A large part of the decrease can be attributed to Chapter 70 state funding, which rose from $5,750,432 in FY22 – 19.7 percent of the total budget – to $6,487,366, or 20.5 percent. O’Shea said it is the largest increase to Chapter 70 he has seen in his career. He also cautioned that the numbers are not final until the governor signs the budget.
Chapter 70 is calculated each year based on enrollment numbers and the number of “low-income” families in the district, which the state defines a 180 percent of the federal poverty level or those who qualify for social services assistance programs. Enrollment has increased by 37 students from last year and there has been a 2 percent increase in low-income families in LPS, with one in eight families falling into that category. O’Shea said the increase reflects the needs and struggles families are facing.
The district is eliminating or restructuring several positions that had been paid for with some of the nearly $1 million in COVID-19 relief funding the district will not receive for FY23. These positions include a pre-school registered behavior technician, two middle school interventionists, staffing for after school programs and tutors and hours for school adjustment counselors at Longmeadow High School. The reductions equal 4.8 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions.
“Staffing reductions are not associated with a decrease in service, but rather, they’re associated with enrollment changes,” O’Shea assured the board and the public. For example, eighth grade staffing at Williams Middle School was removed from the budget based on enrollment numbers, but kindergarten assistants were added, as enrollment is high in those grades.
The savings and increased state funding is countered by increases in costs, such as $900,000 from contract negotiations and $100,000 in expenses, which O’Shea said is to, “maintain quality employees.” Out-of-district (OOD) placements and “special education services” for students with high needs are up, despite O’Shea’s statement that LPS has had “great success” with limiting OODs by building in-district programs.
Select Board member Mark Gold took issue with O’Shea’s narrative around the reduction of staff. “FTEs are actually up 11 from last year at this time,” Gold said. When funding became available after the FY22 budget was set, the School Department suggested the addition of staff. Gold asked to see a breakdown of spending per pupil and staffing per pupil.
Select Board member Thomas Lachiusa recognized students’ need for community therapists, but said the time on waiting lists is long due to demand. LPS has stepped in to help with social-emotional and mental health support, he said.
Select Board Vice Chair Steven Marantz agreed. “There’s a whole lot more that’s being required and needed at the schools than traditional academics,” Marantz said. Levine added, “No one expected public schools to get into the public health game.”
Finance Committee member Andrew Lam asked if the Chapter 70 boost would impact the town’s ability to adhere to its goal of increasing taxes no more than 1.75 percent above the current levy. Finance Director Jennifer Leydon told Lam that while it will help, it is not enough to offset the cost of needed budget increases, like those at the Department of Public Works. She said if the budget were set today, the levy increase would be closer to 2 or 2.5 percent.
“We need the budget we’re proposing because kids are struggling right now,” said School Committee Chair Kevin Shea.
Liquor license violation
A public hearing was conducted regarding a liquor license violation at Ume Asian Bistro, 732 Bliss Rd., in December 2021.
Longmeadow Police Officer Matthew Chaplain explained to the Select Board that two 19-year-old “undercover operatives” entered the restaurant while he remained in a vehicle outside and watched through a window. The two sat at the bar and were served beer without being carded. Chaplain said the bartender admitted to serving the two without checking their IDs.
The bartender, Graziella Facente, confirmed to the board that she had failed to check the couple’s IDs. She said she the restaurant was busy and short-staffed that day but that she understood “the severity of the situation.” She said it was the first time in 23 years she had had a violation.
Ume Asian Bistro had two liquor license violations in 2013 and another in 2019, when the business’s license was suspended for five days. Levine confirmed that the owner, Hang Zhang Huang, was the manager of record and told him it was his responsibility to ensure minors were not being served.
The town’s liquor license violation schedule calls for a warning with the first violation, between two and five days of license suspension for the second, suspension of six to 29 days for the third and suspension of 30 days, up to revocation of license for the fourth violation.
Marantz suggested another five-day suspension, but Lachiusa said, “Obviously, the five-day suspension didn’t have much of an impact.” He asked for seven days. Strange suggested six, but Gold agreed with Lachiusa, as did Levine, who said the warning should have, “scared the hell out of them.”
The board decided to impose a seven-day suspension for the week of March 4 through March 11, so as not to affect the restaurant’s St. Patrick’s Day business.
Proposed bylaw
Assistant Town Manager Corrin Meise-Munns proposed a bylaw for the spring Annual Town Meeting. The bylaw, which the town manager’s office developed with the DPW, would address the excess water consumption by town residents.
Meise-Munns explained that the state has a conservation goal of towns using no more than 65 gallons per person per day (GPD). In 2018, Longmeadow used 94 GPD, in 2019, it used 92 GPD and in 2020, it used 120 GPD, nearly twice the goal. The state informed the town that changes must be made to bring Longmeadow’s water usage under control.
In response, this bylaw would define water conservation states, such as drought. An external shut-off for automated irrigation systems would be needed so inspectors can intervene if the irrigation is found running during one of the conservation states. This would rely on “visual” sightings of inappropriate use.
Owners would also have to install moisture monitors on existing and new irrigation systems. The sensors cost roughly $150 and homeowners would have to install one when routine repairs are made to systems that lack the technology. There are exemptions for businesses that require watering, such as for livestock, health and safety and food.
Of people who have recently installed an irrigation system, Lachiusa said, “We shouldn’t be too hard on them right from the get-go.” He suggested phasing the bylaw in over a few years and beginning with systems that were installed 20 years or more ago.
“We should do something before the state of Mother Nature does it for us,” Select Board Clerk Josh Levine commented. He said it would be logistically difficult to phase in the bylaw.
Gold told Meise-Munns the bylaw will be a “tough sell” at the Annual Town Meeting and suggested a public awareness campaign ahead of the vote. Levine agreed and said the campaign should point out the negative repercussions of not curbing water usage. No vote was taken on the bylaw.