By Nate Leskovic
Times Staff
3/27/08
Faced with the possibility of a $2 million shortfall, the school district is reviewing options for cuts that could reduce nearly 35 positions and eliminate art and music for kindergarten through eighth grade students.
Teacher reductions could force the transfer of up to 100 elementary school students to different schools and send K–8 students home early on two-thirds of school days, although how this would be done is uncertain.
In the Warrant Committee’s draft FY 09 budget, the school department is funded at the same level as this year. However, School Committee Chair Beirne Lovely says it would take as much as $700,000 in budget increases just to cover yearly raises for staff, and this figure does not include salary increases resulting from current union contract negotiations.
The School Committee discussed one proposed budget that would cut $2 million but factors in increases for raises. Though this budget option slashes seven art and music teachers—eliminating the programs in kindergarten through eighth grade—the teachers would be the last to go. School Committee Member Glenn Pavlicek says there is a possibility that once the Warrant Committee includes additional state aid in the budget, the schools could receive another $300,000. The appropriation could maintain art and music.
Loss of Arts Unconscionable
Karen Friedman-Hanna, co-president of Friends and Advocates of Music Education (FAME), says she understands the difficulty the district has in formulating the budget, but she considers music and art as important as other subjects.
“(My children’s) academics wouldn’t be nearly what they are without music,” she says. “It makes them poised, creative and focused individuals.”
She says research shows tapping into a child’s creativity enhances a variety of skills.
“Reducing it is unconscionable,” she adds.
If art and music classes were cut, contractual teacher “prep time” would be scheduled at the end of some days, forcing early dismissal.
“The MFA (Master’s of Fine Arts) is the new MBA (Master’s of Business Administration),” says parent Amy Flanagan in opposition to the music and art cuts. “You have to be creative, you have to be able to think outside the box.”
Further Reductions
With teacher cuts, about 20 elementary students per grade—in both the French and English tracts—would be moved to different schools to even out class sizes.
It is not clear how students would be chosen for transfer, though where siblings attend school would not be considered, according to Assistant Superintendent Mary Gormley.
“Disruptive does not even begin to describe it,” says Pavlicek.
The reductions include five middle school teachers, eliminating the team system, and five elementary school teachers. Three positions cut from the high school last year would not be restored and six more would be slashed.
The high school reductions would be reported to the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and could jeopardize the school’s accreditation, according to Superintendent Magdalene Giffune. A few years ago the high school was on probation.
The draft budget maintains the assistant superintendent for personnel and curriculum, facilities director and middle school assistant principal positions that were proposed for elimination under one budget scenario proposed by Giffune.
Other Options
The Warrant Committee also drafted a budget proposal requiring an override referendum, which would collect $3.27 million more in taxes from the town. It leaves the school department $566,000 short of its requests.
Lovely says he believes the town may not be ready for an override this year, which must be approved by Town Meeting and then placed on a ballot by Selectmen before it goes to the voters.
“It may not be advanced unless everyone expresses their view to as many decision makers as possible,” he says.
Member Mary Kelly suggests cutting back on the number of professional days for teachers, which cost about $100,000 each. Giffune says the four scheduled days are contractual and could only be addressed in negotiations.
Kelly also questions the viability of foreign language instruction, both Spanish and French in the elementary schools. She notes that Spanish was recently eliminated in grades one and two.
“Can we afford to offer a foreign language program while cutting art and music?” she asks. “I think we have to put it on the table at some point.”
Member Chris Huban points out that athletics and full-day kindergarten were spared in the proposed reductions.
Huban suggests reviewing the “school choice” policy that would allow out-of-town students to attend Milton schools for around $6,000 each year. The School Committee has routinely rejected this potential revenue-raising policy.
Giffune says the policy is a slippery slope and depending on its revenue for budgeting could be problematic, if out-of-town enrollment fluctuates.