Public to get survey about athletics fees
The superintendent’s budget for the next school year amounts to $65,860,321 — a town appropriation that leaves $851,836 to pay for the requests of all the principals, estimated at more than $3 million.
The difference between the two latter amounts illustrates the challenge the School Committee faces before it approves the budget it will bring to Town Meeting in the spring.
Superintendent Kathleen Bodie presented her preliminary budget to the School Committee on Thursday, Jan. 11, with her recommended “additives” — in response to the requests from elementary, middle school and high school principals. The total for the town appropriated budget for fiscal 2019 is an increase of $4,931,836 over the current year.
A significant part of the increase, $1.3 million, is earmarked for the staffing and operating budget of the new Gibbs School. In addition, this increase in the fiscal ’19 budget will cover the costs for increases in contractual salaries plus increases in fixed and mandated costs, including transportation, translations and out-of-district special-education schools. That left $851,836 to apply to the requests of all the principals, which Bodie estimated would cost more than $3 million “easily.”
Bodie began her remarks by explaining that the “we now have secondary needs. Last year, the bulk of [the monies] went to elementary.” In consultation with Matthew Janger, the high school principal, she allocated an additional 5.0 full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions to AHS. This allocation will be “mix of FTEs for different departments.
Committee member Len Kardon asked if this would allow for a full-time principal position that had previously been part time. Bodie answered in the affirmative. Kardon proposed that the high school “might wait another year, given pressing needs elsewhere.” The superintendent said there is additional administrative work involved with revamping the high school and thus a need for a “point person” there.
The Ottoson Middle School has been allocated 3.0 FTE grade-seven cluster teachers to allow for four full clusters, up from three and one-half. However, the eighth-grade staffing will remain the same since that grade “will not see an influx of students until the following year.” In addition, the Ottoson will receive an 0.8 FTE position for specials (art, music, etc.) and an 0.2 FTE for world languages.
The elementary schools will be allocated additional staff in five categories: Thompson social worker (1.0 FTE), literacy coach (1.0 FTE), reserve teachers — K-5 sections (2.0 FTE) — teaching assistants in reserve for class size and other needs (4.0 FTE) and kindergarten teaching assistants (3.5).
The number of the additional teaching assistants emanated from a new plan by the superintendent to reorganize the kindergarten day for classes within a school so that there will be enough assistants for coverage when math and reading are taught. For those academic subjects, there will always be a teacher and a teaching assistant in every classroom. The allocation of 3.5 additional assistants will make possible sharing them in this manner.
Committee advocates for full-time kindergarten assistants
The committee discussion of the budget centered on the need for full-time teaching assistants in all kindergarten classrooms. Earlier in the meeting, nine parents of incoming kindergarten students expressed their concern about part-time assistants. Their concerns went beyond educational issues to include social and emotional support (sometimes one-on-one), safety issues and “adequate care for children so young.”
Many compared staffing ratios in their child’s preschool of two and three staff members for 15 to 16 children. They questioned whether preschool children mature so much in year to need one staff member for 20 children.
Most committee members favored a budget that would allow for full-time teaching assistants in the classroom. Bill Hayner described kindergarten “as an unique educational experience that needs as much support as possible.” In particular, he spoke of the importance of assistant support that allows the teacher to individually evaluate the students to address special needs early. In terms of finances, he pointed out that “money not invested [for teaching assistants] is going to cost us more money.”
Kardon strongly supported full-time teaching assistants for all kindergartens, citing their relatively low-cost for great benefit. He suggested placing some other priorities on hold right now.
Cindy Starks argued that “it was absolutely imperative to have a full-time T.A. if a kindergarten is 20 or greater.”
Paul Schlichtman, citing his experience with kindergartens, said students that age are “high variance” plus teachers are expected to do extensive documentation while the kids are with them. For these reasons, he supports full-time teaching assistants in all the kindergartens.
Kirsi-Allison-Ampe asked what number of additional FTE teaching assistants would be needed and learned that six would have to be hired, for a total of nine new FTE assistants.
Jennifer Susse cautioned that the committee should not compromise its flexibility. Within the elementary schools, there are a wide variety of class sizes and students with needs that might require a full-time teaching assistant.
Bodie advised: “If the full-time TA is a priority of the School Committee, then something else will have to change.”
Following the discussion, Chairman Jeff Thielman introduced the vote to accept the the town appropriation of $65,860,321 for the fiscal ’19 school budget. The motion passed, 5-2, with Kardon and Hayner dissenting.
Kardon believed it was too early in the budget process to know of all the costs, as did Hayner.
Athletic director’s plans for new athletic fees seek community input
Athletic Director Melissa Dlugolecki presented options for a possible change in the fee structure for athletes at Arlington High School. She called her presentation a “very preliminary first step” and promised “a collaborative process.” Read her memo here >>
She stressed that she was looking at this project through two lenses — a philosophical one and a practical one. Philosophically, the program’s goals are to help students develop life skills, such as commitment, time management and teamwork. Practically, the user fees help finance the program but offset less than 50 percent of the total cost.
She also detailed how the costs for any particular sport are unpredictable and uncontrollable. Making fee determination difficult are uniform rotation, games schedules affecting busing costs, varying pay for officials and changing state requirements.
In her presentation, Dlugolecki cited other approaches taken by nearby committees. For example, Lexington, Reading and Winchester charge one fee of $325 and then offer scholarships and a family cap. Belmont charges a fee based not on which sports team a student participates in but whether it is a first sport team ($450), a second ($300) or a third ($150). In addition, Winchester and Lexington have no gate fee for games, which Dlugolecki predicted would allow greater community involvement in the sports teams.
After considerable discussion, the committee recommended that athletic director meet with Bodie and Chief Financial Office John Danizio to craft a electronic parent survey to gauge interest in this proposal and reaction to the various approaches to a new fee structure. If there appears to be enough interest, the athletic director could then meet with the community-relations subcommittee and hold open meetings. Bodie cautioned that any changes in fees for next year would need to be put in place in the next month. She did not explain why.
In an email Jan. 16, Dlugolecki wrote that a survey is going out this week to solicit feedback and involvement. “Additionally, we will host two opportunities for in-person discussions of both philosophical and logistical considerations,” she wrote.
Students-as-learners goal
In other business, the committee heard a report from Assistant Superintendent Rod MacNeal about the process on Goal 1.1, the vision of students as learners. See links to this issue >> Members of the Vision 2020 Educational Task Force approached the committee with a proposal to do a survey and requested funding from the School Committee for this initiative. See its agenda item here >>
The current committee goal is to create for next year a vision statement for the school district. Committee members welcomed the enthusiasm and desire from the task force for collaboration, but said that such a project should take place after the administration’s planned series of community-outreach events and parent surveys, revolving around visioning for the new high school.
Bodie announced a parent forum for the purpose of introducing the community to the four candidates for the position of principal of the Ottoson Middle school. It will be held at the school on Wednesday, Jan. 24, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The committee then adjourned for its second executive session for the evening. The first took place at the beginning of the meeting. Both were for the purpose of preparing for negotiations with union and nonunion personnel. .
Dec. 26, 2017: Citing enrollment, AHS, Ottoson seek staff increases
Dec. 15, 2017: Elementary principals seek $1.4M, but $650K available
This news summary by YourArlington freelance Jo Anne Preston was published Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018.
