Superintendent explains final budget

Editor's note: On Aug. 22, the Longmeadow School Committee approved its FY06 budget order. The total School Department budget is $26,809,658. The following information was submitted to The Reminder by Superintendent Dr. Scott AndersEn.

As the Longmeadow Public Schools is making final preparations to begin the 2005-2006 school year, it is important to understand the work that went into the budget process and its effect on the upcoming school year.

Every year changes take place within the district. The budget-related changes for this school year are highlighted below.

The budget process started with the administration developing and presenting 10 budget goals to the community. As the budget was refined by the School Committee over time, a few of the goals remained a priority.

The primary goal of the budget was to focus on the student needs in the classroom. This includes the components that make up teaching and learning: the teachers and the appropriate materials and tools to support learning.

After the special town meeting to add funds from the state, additional excise tax revenues and $202,000 from free cash, the school committee approved a budget at a special meeting on July 11.

The committee subsequently approved the official budget order at its August 22 meeting. The approved budget includes the following items.

The high school the following teaching positions: business, English, foreign language, math and social studies. These positions will help reduce class size and allow for new courses to be offered. They also will help address some of the concerns addressed by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

Another benefit to our high school students is the increase of $72,000 in the instructional supplies, textbook and technology lines. These budget lines support daily instruction and provide the needed resources and materials for educating our students. This is also an area of concern for NEASC. District wide, there was an increase of $300,000 over last year's expenditures to support these areas of the budget.

Staff was added in areas of critical need mainly due to increasing enrollment. One full-time teacher was added at Wolf Swamp and another at Glenbrook to address increasing class sizes in grades 3 and 6, respectively. Portions of positions were added at the remaining schools as well.

The budget has achieved a more equitable allocation of our funds to the schools. For instance, the elementary schools have developed equity in staffing patterns that are consistent with enrollment.

The district has also begun an investment in textbooks and technology. A seven year curriculum review cycle has been adopted that identifies a cycle by which a regular review of curriculum and its associated textbooks and materials will occur for each subject ta ught in our schools.

The district also adopted a new Technology Plan that maps the utilization and purchase of technology throughout the district. The above changes focus mainly on the benefits to the direct teaching and learning that takes place in our classrooms.

The FY06 budget also presents the district with a number of challenges. A few key challenges are outlined below. A total of 4.25 kindergarten assistants were eliminated at each elementary school. Only one remains at Center School and Wolf Swamp and 1.25 remains at Blueberry Hill due to its larger enrollment.

The district has eliminated one custodian at each of the schools except LHS, where two custodians have been eliminated. The total number of school-assigned custodians eliminated is seve n. To offset this loss, three "floating" custodians have been added.

They will move to a different school each night on a rotating basis. Due to this reduction in custodial staff, building use fees will be charged to cover the custodial time needed to support the use of the buildings by outside groups.

The central office reduced a net of 1.5 positions, including the front office receptionist, clerical support and business office support.

The high school lost a full-time secretary.

Student fees have been increased for parking (from $100 to $200),

transportation (from $100 to $200), athletics (from $115 to either $150,

$260 or $350), a student activity fee of $20 has been instituted at the high schools and lunch prices will increase by $.25 at all schools.

Our state and federal mandated special education costs have increased by $500,000 this year alone. This comprises 72 percent of the total net increase in the school district budget ($693,000). Furthermore, this increase exceeds the total operational increase in town appropriations to the school department ($309,000). In other words, the funding support from these mandates is essentially level, yet the mandates are demanding an increase in spending. This clearly erodes our financial capabilities.

Longmeadow Public Schools is committed to always provide the best possible education to our students. Even with the challenges facing the district, all staff are committed to ensuring our students receive a quality education. We do so because of dedicated staff, enthusiastic students, and the support of many parents and community members.