Budget Committee/School Board Budget Work Session October 14, 2006 Monadnock Regional Middle School/High School Library (8:30 a.m. - 2:40 p.m.) Present ¨ Budget Committee: Dick Bauries, Jim Ells, Jane Fortson, Neil Moriarty, Tom Parker, Bob Smith, Eric Stanley, George Tremblay, ¨ School Board: Jim Carnie, Karen Cota, Colline Dreyfuss, Bill Felton, John Kenyon, Bruce McCulley, Susan Oerman (Troy school board nominee), Tim Peloquin, Phyllis Peterson, Bruce Tatro, Gene White, Absent ¨ Budget Committee: Don Arguin, Andy Bueckner, Normand Dion, Rob Mitchell, Steve Russell, John Tommila, ¨ School Board: Tim Aho, Ken Colby, Jason Hill, Charles Johnson, ¨ SAU Administrators: Ken Dassau (Superintendent), David Hodgdon (Assistant Superintendent), Katie Chambers (Business Manager), Tom Warner (Technology Director) ¨ Principals: Kim Carter, Karen Craig, David Dahl, David Mousette, Sikander Rashid, Joe Smith, Betty Tatro, Matt Young
Agenda Item	Action Taken or Information Shared
Introduction	¨ Ken Dassau introduced the day’s activities. He especially encouraged both the school board and the budget committee to come to an agreement about a budget that will drive education rather than regarding the default budget as the standard. ¨ Katie reviewed the first sheet in the budget, a summary of each school, and a function level report for each school. The bottom line is in the 09 section. ¨ Ken introduced Susan Oerman as the nominee for the vacant Troy school board position. ¨ Neil would like revision control. He asked to have dates on all documents, to make sure that people stay on topic, and to remember that this work session is an information gathering process. He also wanted questions written separately at the end of the minutes.
Northern Schools	¨ David Mousettte began the process with Gilsum. He provided background on the schools. During the summer the school lost 13 students for various reasons. He indicates that this is a level-funded budget. ¨ Topics Based on Questions: the impact of the charter school and the Surry withdrawal committee, the sharing of personnel, a drop in enrollment, insurance for charter school students using the school, the extent to which the increase is going directly for students, the impact of the budget on books, supplies, and such, and the number of students from each town in the northern schools. ¨ Neil suggested write-ups on big ticket items in the district.
Cutler School	¨ Sikander Rashid expressed his appreciation to seeing the budget figures on an ongoing basis. He highlighted the changes in the Cutler budget be combining special education and the collaborative program. ¨ Topics Based On Questions: the number of students in the collaborative, the use of the trailer, planning for an increase in the student population, the impact of the budget on books and supplies, the number of new staff members, and the percentage increase in the bottom line.
Mt. Caesar Elementary School	¨ Betty Taro explained that the proposed budget increased by 18%. It includes two aides hired last year and 4 aides this year. She was seeking two additional teachers, who had been cut in previous years, to support an increased enrollment in the school. She was also trying to recoup technology. She pointed out that, when an auditory trainer was needed during the summer, its cost was covered from other areas. There is a 30-student increase this year, because of an increase in enrollment each year of 8 to 10 students. ¨ Topics Based On Questions: not promoting special education students to the next grade each year, the average class size in second and third grade and the reduction in class size with two additional teachers, the benefits of moving teachers from third grade to first grade to keep the class size smaller in first grade, the effects of the budget on books, supplies, and such, the kindergarten proposal brought forward during the budget process last year, the procedure for working with principals on the school budgets, the available space in the building when the school had an enrollment 20% higher than the current enrollment, the parity among schools regarding the use of facilities and services, the problem with funding education in the state, and the implication on the voters of a 20% increase to their taxes. Ken Dassau clarified that the increase overall in the budget is 7.7%.
Emerson Elementary School	¨ Karen Craig appreciated the time the budget committee and board members had invested in the day. She spoke about the necessity to provide resources to make AYP and the cost to educate our students. The percentage is higher than what she would like to see – most of it related to benefits. She explained the changes in reading because a grant was covering part of the cost of the reading teacher rather than a full special education teacher, as in the past. She agreed with all day kindergarten and worried about the number of students entering preschool with profound problems requiring special education services. ¨ Topics Based On Questions: considering a collaborative program for k-3 or 1-3, the impact of the budget on books, supplies, and such, the number of new staff members, the cost of support staff, the nature of and need for before school programs. ¨ There was a 10-minute break at 10:28 a.m.
Troy Elementary School	¨ David Dahl thanked those at the meeting, commending them for their commitment to education. He focused on the importance of early intervention, explaining that Troy didn’t make AYP because of a subgroup classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged. He underscored that it is imperative to address students’ needs before they start school. He pointed out that the bottom line includes a district autism program, although it is a district program housed in Troy. The cost per pupil seems high with the autism program. Class size at Troy is between 20 and 21 students per teacher, but the state bases the class size recommendations on 900-square foot rooms. Troy room sizes are smaller. The Troy budget increases are due primarily to health insurance and retirement. He is asking for a full-time special education teacher. They have also looked carefully at paraprofessional responsibilities and have been able to reduce the paraprofessionals by 1.5 thus reducing the budget by about $50,000 in the personnel area. The substitute budget has been increased to a more realistic figure, based on the history of use of subs, because it had been reduced in the past. The stipend account has been increased by $2,000, because the school is using more of the multi-age classrooms. The student population has been growing over the last five years. The school is requesting risers for Troy at about $1500 and an increase in math education for journals and workbooks by about $2300. ¨ Topics Based On Questions: clarification on the district autism program, the reason for the stipends, the concerns about the schools trying to reach students before they enter the school and the potential costs, the substitute costs, the reasons for using subs, and the concern about paying teachers for professional development and paying for the sub as well, the concern about the impact of reducing paraprofessionals, the number of students in the autism program, the funding for federal mandates, the number of special education students, and a question about class size.
Monadnock Regional Middle School	¨ Matt Young thanked the members present for the opportunity to review the budget with them. The increase in the Monadnock Regional Middle School (MRMS) budget was related to personnel. The amount not directly related to personnel was $50,000 (for example, $5000 for extracurricular activities such as intramurals to address the goals of enhancing students’ civic and social responsibilities and providing for audiovisual items for school through the library). He pointed out that the school was in a good position because of the budget last year, when it was initially split out between the middle school and high school. ¨ Topics Based On Questions: whether or not the middle school was receiving students unable to read and write at least at a 6^th-grade level, the nature of the reading program, the impact of the budget on books, supplies, and such, the cost of the HT program to Washington, D.C. the discrepancy in allocations between the physical education program and the athletic program, the reasons for the special education director to be in the administrative account rather than the special education account, the implications of the lack of space on the physical education program, the listing of “vacant” on the personnel sheets, the number of secretaries for the principal, the reasons for the autism teacher to leave, the decrease in middle school numbers, the technology needs, the number of autism students and the use of the classroom, an explanation summer school line items, and the expansion of summer school.
Monadnock Community Connections School	¨ Kim Carter indicated that she appreciated the time and the thoughtfulness invested in this process. She pointed out that most of you have heard her speak about MC2 issues, that what is missing because of default budget is growth of school. She emphasized that, if we look only at expenditures, we would see that spending for 2004-05 and 2005-06 did not shift appreciably. When she was selected for the position, she was asked to look at an entrepreneurial model for the school to invite others to come. She talked about acknowledging revenues. The only increases to the MC2 budget were those identified and talked about baded on the assumption that there was no school choice grant. ¨ Topics Based On Questions: the problem of the out-of-district students, questions about the true number of students to anticipate without the grant and the basis of the budget on 45 students, the limited number of graduating students and the number of fifth year students, the inability to know the answers at this point, the intersection of philosophical discussions about MC2 with budget implications, the need to do market studies and market research with other districts, the revenue issue, the per-pupil cost to the taxpayer if we are just a small number below the anticipated number of students, the choice policy and the need for the school board to grapple with the continuation of programs for existing students, the value of the number of students Kim is working with (according to Katie), the likelihood of the grant being renewed, the need for the administration and school board to consider how to run MC2 for less money, adequate charges for tuition (especially considering IEP expenses), transportation, the sharing of custodial services.
Monadnock Regional High School	¨ Joe Smith highlighted the NEASC results. The committee voted on commendations and recommendations, a few of which Joe shared. He mentioned moving from a seven to eight period day, losing four minutes per period and three weeks of instructional time per year. It allowed more time for students to be in lunch. He highlighted the cover sheet. The staff members increases are due to the loss of the school choice grant. Joe pointed out that the increase was 9.73% - 2.5% of which is related to personnel. Joe focused on the changes in the budget – business computers, furniture in the graphic arts lab, co-curricular activities, supplies, and health services equipment. ¨ Topics Based on Questions: the impact of the budget on books, supplies, and such, a benefactor to fund the gym floor, the problem with the auditorium seats, the privacy for the health office, replacing textbooks, the number of students not graduated from high school, the number of teachers on the top step, the possibility of having participants pay for athletics, the cost of transportation, a question about a slow-down by the teachers because of negotiations, the role of department heads, the aides line and guidance line discrepancies, the distinction between a contract teacher and a regular teacher, other staff not charged to high school, the number of secretaries, and the decrease of almost 100 students in enrollment and the need to take that decrease into consideration when deciding the final budget for the high school.
Technology	¨ Tom Warner responded to questions brought up during the school presentations. He highlighted Marie Szymcik’s position. Marie explained the use of the computers and the age of them. Tom spoke about the new data requirements at the state level, the attempt to level-fund the technology budget, the new IT person, the erate program, and getting services available to the community free to district. ¨ Topics Based on Questions: offering computer literacy instruction earlier than at the high school, the placement of technology integrators in the northern schools, high school and college students to offer these services at the high school level, and low-cost laptops developed by MIT.
Maintenance	¨ Katie Chambers explained the maintenance budget, emphasizing that she focused on actual expenditures to build it. For example, the district never budgeted for repair and maintenance supplies, so there is a new line item. Katie pointed out that we are keeping an eye on telephone costs in the maintenance area, that there is a furniture increase because of lunchroom tables, and increases in elementary school budgets because of playground issues as a result of the insurance company survey. ¨ Topics Based on Questions: the $5,000 bids, Mike Pratt’s and Ron Parent’s positions, replacing of chairs in Troy, telephone service, replacement of three computers in offices, a ballfield groomer, vehicle maintenance, replacing the electrician’s utility truck, cutting a separate line item for table and chair replacement since it wasn’t a usual cost, and the high school electricity budget.
District (Special Education, Improvement of Instruction Services, Other District Accounts)	¨ Ken Dassau went to the 1200 accounts on page 73. He spoke about the reduction in special education accounts. ¨ Topics Based on Questions: the cost of a special education child, the total number of students, the need for buffer to address additional costs in special education, and contracting large ticket items like Occupational Therapy. ¨ Dave Hodgdon highlighted Improvement of Instruction Services. He pointed out that there was a reduction in the total budget for these areas, primarily because of reductions in the textbook account and the data-driven project. ¨ Katie highlighted other district items. She focused on the following accounts - payment for those not accepting health insurance, the tuition line item, reimbursement for loans for teachers new to the profession. ¨ Topics Based on Questions: the cost for paraprofessionals under No Child Left Behind (only cost to Title I paraprofessionals), the insurance buyout, the early retirement issue, the DocStar filing system, a question about litigation, the Surry issue and legal issues, looking at the commercial market for health insurance, the cost of legal fees for the contract and such, and the budgeting of vacancies.
Summary	¨ Ken thanked both boards and the prospective board member. ¨ Neil thanked Katie for being up-to-speed so quickly.
Open Questions	¨ How much of the increase in the bottom line for each school goes directly to students? ¨ What is the per-pupil cost for each school? ¨ Of the students in the northern schools, how many are from Surry grade by grade? ¨ Have we considered having people pay for athletics? ¨ What is the breakdown in the costs for DocStar and is this an ongoing cost? ¨ Is there a possibility of bidding out Property and Liability?