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“Now you’re at $2.8 million” for an override to keep similar services, said Lovely. “And that doesn’t even take into account the rest of the town’s needs.”
Not receiving $1.8 million more next year would result in an elementary school closing and over 40 school teachers and staff being laid off, officials have said.
Addressing over 50 residents who packed the Milton High School library Jan. 14, school officials prepared residents for what could be a very different-looking public school system next year.
Adjectives such as “dire” and “heartbreaking” were used throughout the night.
“It’s so tough … I don’t want to be the superintendent who closes a school in Milton,” Superintendent Mary Gormley said. “We’re trying to give you as honest a picture as we possibly can.”
“None of us ever ran for School Committee to do this. This is awful,” added committee member Glenn Pavlicek.
At the meeting, Gormley presented a scenario in which the school system would have 43 fewer teachers and staff, and one less elementary school, next year if they receive no new funding.
Among the cuts, she said, would be the elimination of the high school and middle school librarians and the closing of both libraries. Both schools would have to implement study hall due to a significant loss in elective offerings.
The high school could even face accreditation issues, according to Gormley’s report, due to “substantial changes in our high school programming.”
“We were on probation at one point [in the old high school building],” Lovely said. “But we were still fully accredited. We have never been unaccredited.”
According to Gormley’s report, the extent of the cuts at the high school, in addition to the librarian, would include the loss of five teachers, a guidance counselor, a main-office secretary and a part-time guidance secretary.
Students also would be asked to pay $250 rather than $200 to play a sport, and $500 rather than $400 to play ice hockey, she said.
At the middle school, the cuts would include the loss of three teachers who are part of the “team model” of teaching the core subjects, and the model would be “dismantled” as a result.
Gormley stressed that the loss of middle school teachers would impact the school’s ability to make adequate progress on MCAS testing. The school is already in a corrective action/restructuring mandated by the state for students who are falling behind.
Also, she said, the loss of a language teacher would mean middle school students would have language classes every other day instead of every day.
An art teacher, computer teacher and part-time physical education teacher would also be cut.
At the elementary schools, nine teachers would
be lost if the budget remains the same. But Lovely
said school officials have assurance from the state
that if they decide to close a school it won’t affect reimbursement for the new buildings if proper steps are followed.
He said Tucker, the smallest of the four schools, or Cunningham likely would be the easiest schools
to close.
Gormley said discussions within her administration, with faculty and with committee members have been “constant and nonstop” and they have “deliberated carefully on every position” if cuts were to occur.
“It seems like we’re doing this every year. This seems a little more dire than in years past,” School Committee member Mary Kelly added.
Kelly, who chairs the committee’s finance group, said an “enormous amount of hours” went into formulating a budget scenario and praised school officials for their hard work.
Member Lynda-Lee Sheridan added that it is not a “scare tactic” to influence voters to support an override, which she said has been rumored.
Meanwhile, residents were presenting their own scenarios for cost-savings at the meeting.
Residents said the School Committee should call on the teachers union to reopen negotiations and accept a wage-adjustment freeze for one year.
“Nobody else is getting raises in the private sector as far as I know,” said Marietta Surrette, of Ridgewood Road.
Lovely estimated the teacher raises will cost around $1.3 million next year, with another $500,000 needed for projected increases in utility costs and loss of state special-education reimbursement. He said the contract was negotiated when the economy was better but was “negotiated in good faith and is very fair to both sides.” He also urged residents to work together, stay informed and continue to ask questions.
“I hope you’re leaving here saying, ‘There must be something I can do,’” he said. “Many of you in this room are going to have to step up.”
Alison Corcoran, of Morton Road, added, “It’s heartbreaking to hear this presentation. But the positive side is the information was out there for us.”
For more information, visit the school system’s
web site at www.edline.net/pages/Milton_Public_Schools. The central office is available by calling 617-696-4808.
The School Committee can be reached collectively by e-mail at schoolcommittee@miltonps.org, or check the web site for individual contact information.
The School Committee’s next meeting is Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. at Milton High.