Hebron Dollars & Sense

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Created on Friday, 01 March 2013 06:56

Written by Super User

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Created on Tuesday, 12 February 2013 19:36

Written by Marie Egbert

A respected, intelligent  friend in town sent an email to me. Basic message was that we  need to remain focused on all budget issues in town .. the town, RHAM, HBOE and the CIP requests. We need to participate now (during the process) and not be accused of entering the discussion(s) too late. Bottom line:  go to meetings, read posted minutes, write to officials for clarification of something you do not understand, keep up with state mandates, write Pam Sawyer and Cathy Osten about "unfunded state mandates" that impact on small communities like ours. The recommendation to keep informed and make meaningful contributions to the discussion was impressive. In addition, my friend stated that statements must be supported with truthful information and any suggested line-item cuts in a budget should include lawful alternatives. The email  was excellent and focused on RHAM but the ideas can be used across the board during budget season. I have incorporated most if not all of the email ideas into this article.

Major categories that impact on the budgets are Payroll, Health Insurance, and transportation. The time to keep salaries and benefits in line is when contracts are negotiated. If possible, the public and the BOS and BOF should attend these negotiations.

Other issues are in the buzz catch-all phrase "Education Reform". To root out BAD teachers (shielded by tenure), there is an unfunded mandate that places a financial burden on the local communities. Every teacher in every school district must be observed "in action" during the year with specific parameters of  pre/post meetings for every observation, data collection and input  into a specialized database. Reports will be sent to State Board of Education (SBE). The "observer" must be a certified school administrator. Can the superintendents add this task to a current administrator's job description or will we be forced to hire more administrators who will "watch" teachers do their job and report their findings. In addition the districts will need a full time database administrator who will be assigned to collect the data reported, format it and feed it to the state.

Keep up with proposed and real changes to our tax laws. For example, the elimination of the car tax will equate to less town "revenue" and create a need to locate another source. Grant money is always thought of as "free" money but grants are funded by  our tax dollars. This source of funding continues to decline and is usually doled out to poorest performing schools. Great test scores are the pride of Hebron; the irony is we will be required to spend more to comply with state mandates because no grant money will be awarded to Hebron without the label of low performance.

RHAM's budget is shared by Hebron, Andover and Marlborough. Each town's budget responsibility is determined by the percentage make-up of students from each town for that budget  year. The final tally of the votes from all three towns determines whether the RHAM budget passes or fails. We must encourage a better turnout for the referendum vote. Hebron feeds more students into RHAM, therefore we currently pay more of the RHAM budget. Our voice may be lost with low turnout especially if Andover & Marlborough have a larger turnout than ours.

ALL non-mandates can legally be cut from school budgets. We need to focus on getting the most bang out of our dollar and yet offer all the core subjects required by law. With limited resources, what is our responsibility for athletics? Our dollar can only stretch so far .. read through the public comments at meetings. In January during public comment, one resident mentioned artificial turf and  lights for the playing fields. Should we allocate a portion of our revenue dollars for this expenditure? How many participants are needed to elevate an activity to a "team" sport at the school. If there are no funds to support an activity, why not maintain it at the "club" level like a debate team, computer club etc. Where are the parent booster organizations that could provide support to these athletic teams ?

What can taxpayers do?

Show up at Board meetings. Without public input, we are leaving final decisions to so few people on each board:  BOS, BOF, HBOE , RHAM and the CIP committee. Research the issues before commenting, stay on subject and be truthful.

Have real solutions. It's not enough to say "cut administration" without figuring out what that suggestion  means in terms of impact. Make thoughtful comments on reductions and remain legally compliant

Read up on the Governor's Education Reform Plan at ctedreform.org and on the State Board of Education website.  Know what is mandated (what we as a district must support through the budget).

We should not be “penny wise and pound foolish“. Due to year after year of budget cuts, our buildings need repairs. Check out the CIP decisions and provide input on which line-items make sense, and which line items are out of reach for what we can afford; decide if the request is a must have or belongs on a "wish"  list to be funded in the future.

Don't limit your discussion to the town boards -- contact Pam Sawyer and Cathy Osten. Tell them they must get to work to ensure the actions of our Governor stop adding costs to our local school districts without funding. Tell them to open dialogue with the school boards in rural towns to make sure our voice is not drowned out by the large cities.

We need input from the residents "before" the budgets are finalized for referendum, We must open conversations between the boards and the public and remind the boards that the tax payers attending/speaking at public meetings are concerned, involved residents and should be treated respectfully.  Issues should be discussed in an open forum to help  the tax-payers understand "why" some budget items are being supported and others discarded.

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Created on Monday, 11 February 2013 20:46

Written by David Huck

Hebron school board seeks 2.3% hike for next year

Journal Inquirer

Published: Monday, February 11, 2013 11:46 AM EST

HEBRON — The Board of Education has forwarded a $12.16 million budget proposal for 2013-14 to the Board of Selectmen.

The spending plan represents a 2.33 percent increase, or $277,138, over the current year’s $11.89 million plan. It is up slightly from the $12.15 million budget proposal that former Superintendent of Schools Eleanor Cruz presented in December. Her plan sought an increase of 2.2 percent, or $262,037 in more spending.

The difference between the two plans is mainly from adjustments for insurance, the teachers contract, and a change in the formula used by the state for tuition reimbursement.

The budget was approved in a 6-1 vote, with Amy Lynch-Gracias opposed, citing the effect of the economy on residents’ ability to pay.

Rising health costs have been the biggest hurdle, Acting Superintendent Kathryn Veronesi said. Over the last two years, health costs have climbed 40 percent, adding close to $350,000 more next year. Liability insurance, meanwhile, is expected to go up 10 percent.

If it weren’t for the increase in the health costs, the budget would call for less spending than the current year’s plan, school officials say.

Enrollment is expected to decline by 67 students, or around 7 percent, to 871 students.

With that in mind, the board approved eliminating a bus, despite an objection from one resident who feared long bus routes for students. School officials say that the decline in enrollment and the number of parents who drop their children off will save around $23,000.

But Veronesi said having more children on a single bus could become troublesome, as that’s where the majority of the disciplinary issues occur. Each bus will have around 58 children. School board Chairwoman Kathy Shea noted that there are currently buses riding around “half empty.”

Board member Dominic Marino floated the idea of creating “neighborhood” schools, which he said might help cut down on transportation costs.

“We are realizing that we can’t do the budget year by year at this point,” Veronesi said. “The demands of the economy and decreasing enrollment are going to change the way we make decisions in Hebron.”

Veronesi called the neighborhood concept a possibility and also talked about turning Gilead Hill into an “early childhood center.”

To help attract better-qualified substitute teachers, the board also voted to increase the daily rate for substitutes from $70 to $75. It is the first increase in six years and puts the pay more in line with surrounding school systems.

As for contractual obligations, teachers are set to receive a 1 percent wage increase and 1.8 percent step increase next year under a contract negotiated in 2010. Administrators will receive a 3 percent increase, while non-union employees are set to receive a 2.5 percent increase.