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2009-04-13: Election day follow-up, ATM preparation The School Committee would like to thank the community for approving Questions 1 and 2 at the polls. With the passage of Question 2, we will now ask residents at Town Meeting to partially fund a feasibility and design study. This will permit us to continue our work with the state to develop a plan for a new and/or renovated high school for Wayland. Please come to Town Meeting this week on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday night so that your voice can be heard and your vote counted. Elementary School Reconfiguration We understand that last year’s decision to reconfigure the elementary schools continues to be a source of dissatisfaction for many families in Wayland. We continue to strive to improve the educational experience for all students, including those affected by the reconfiguration. We hope that going forward, we can find ways to work together in our common goals of keeping the Wayland schools strong and developing an appropriate budget. Although we wish we had not had to make the difficult decision to reconfigure the schools, we want to assure the community that in keeping with the need to reduce the budget, there have been substantial savings associated with the reconfiguration. Thus far, the total savings amount to $549,864, less some transportation and non-personnel expenses that can be better quantified at the end of the school year. The financial savings were found in the following personnel reductions that became feasible by consolidating grades 1-5 in two schools and housing kindergarten in one school.
Transparency in the budgeting and planning processes of the School Department We understand that some residents think that there should be greater transparency in the budgeting and planning processes of the School Department. The School Committee agrees with the principle that the budgeting and planning process should be transparent. To this end, the School Committee has taken the following steps:
Many residents have questioned whether Wayland will have full day kindergarten. To date, the School Committee has not reached a decision about full day kindergarten. A committee comprised of administrators, teachers, a School Committee representative, and community members was formed in the Spring of 2008. Its mandate was to study half day versus full day kindergarten programs and to make a recommendation to the School Committee. The kindergarten committee is considering many factors, including research, peer community models, and the costs and funding options of various programs. When the kindergarten committee has completed its work, the School Committee will review the recommendation and determine next steps, including whether to adopt a full day kindergarten program for the Fall of 2010. Money Spent on co-curricular activities Some residents have voiced concern about money spent on co-curricular activities. The School Committee believes, and research suggests, that co-curricular activities are an important component of an educational program. District-wide co-curriculars, including athletics, arts, and activities comprise an estimated 9% of the program budget, and 8% of the overall budget. While we have recently increased fees to cover athletics participation, there has been no increase in stipends to support the co-curriculars in the last two years and there will be no increase in next year’s school budget either. The school budget does not include money for Ultimate Frisbee or ski tickets. The request for WHS Modular Classrooms This Fall, the School Committee considered adding modular classrooms to the High School and included them in the original budget. However, after closely examining the future needs of the High School and in recognition of financial realities, the School Committee withdrew this request. The School Committee chose to ask tax payers to support the long term solution of a new and/or renovated High School rather than spend additional funds on modulars when enrollment projections indicate a decline in enrollment at the High School beginning one year out. The School Committee continues to try to balance the educational and physical needs of the school system with the need to be fiscally responsible. We welcome other questions and suggestions to promote transparency, support community input, and generate accurate information to the community. Thank you very much and we ask for your support at Town Meeting on Monday, April 13th, 15th and 16th. Thank you for your attention, Wayland School Committee www.waylandschoolcommittee.org and attendance at public meetings and forums (schedule). This newsletter is archived online at www.waylandschoolcommittee.org/newsletter.htm |