Thread by @TracyNovick

#Worcester City Council hears the #WorcSchools bottom line

This means it is time for my annual reminder of MGL Ch. 71, sec. 34:

"The vote of the legislative body of a city or town shall establish the total appropriate for the support of the public schools but may not limit the authority of the school committee to determine expenditures within the total appropriation."

Russell asks about Worcester East Middle and windows, which is a capital expense, which is both not under WPS purview; it's also not in this section of the budget

Augustus agrees that it is about $7M; some question on if the state ARPA funds could be used for that. "That would be my suggestion" rather than adding to the city debt.
Also discussed other needs, boilers and the like, and he'd defer to the district.

Russell asking what the dollar amount would be to get it started.
"as far as the capital plan for the schools, is there anything that can be done
Augustus: city provides $3.5M for capital, and $500K for equipment

$3M for Foley "we're taking that out of our budget, not out of the $3M of the schools"
$10M from ARP for schools requiring ADA for upgrades for work that has happened in the past

Since borrowing is coming up, here’s what that has looked like (this is page 427 of the WPS budget)

Toomey says she thinks it's a fire issue; Allen notes that WPS receives a certificate of occupancy each year.
Toomey asks what is being done in the capital budget

I would note that annually, they ask the WPS CFO about the capital spending on the schools and that is a CITY BUDGET

Augustus: I don't know that the $10M will be the biggest needs but we don't have a choice
"I don't know that this is the best use when we have boilers and things that are on their last legs"

maybe you'd be doing something else in another building if you hadn't triggered that cost

Toomey: can windows be phased in so as not to trigger ADA?
Augustus, they anticipated that

(yes, that was "can we duck the ADA?" as the question)

Bergman don't want to replace the windows only to build a new building

Council orders in the past about combining Grafton Street and WEMS (um what? that's not a thing)

Just so we're clear: we're a half hour into the WPS hearing, and we haven't yet talked about an actual cent that is the WPS operating budget

Rivera: studies looking at economics and education
asks diversity in hiring
Binienda: CDO reports to superintendent, has added position

Rivera: not just hiring, but looking at equity in curriculum and equity all around
Binienda: that's correct (it is?)
Rivera talks about the UPCS science lab

King: remembers Binienda's first budget hearing, now at her last
know Council role, not SC's role
"every budget hearing I talk about the need to increase social workers in our schools"

we're now once again into our annual "if you were on the School Committee, this would actually be under your purview" section

King: "for the last several years, you've consistently added school social workers"

student decreases in enrollment in Head Start and kindergarten; budget impact

Allen: last year lost 1000, this year 250; up about 500 students since October
what that means for financial impact; 250 students is a loss of $2.5M in the FY23 budget

Binienda: we've been down 4 psychologists all year, can't find them
if when we interview, have more, come back to the school committee and ask for further (that...isn't represented in the budget)

King: met NSS?
McGourthy: scheduled to break even
$334K projected for next year

King: what were we in FY21 and FY20?

McGourthy notes that FY21 was an outlier of $10M (due to COVID) and was $3M in FY20

Augustus OF COURSE interrupts here to talk about debt service, so let's go to the actual budget impact of that!

https://twitter.com/TracyNovick/status/1525886477619568640?s=20&t=6-nGJ4LTbaaoqi_CXl3Xiw

And the superintendent is now reading a whole section of the budget to Councilor King...and I'm a little unclear on why?

King asks about salaries of "lower range educators" but also asks about diversity
talks about ESSER funds for MTEL, teacher leader residency program

King: lower salaried educators in the WPS
King: can you share the data on hourly wages...
Allen notes that wages are done through collective bargaining which is done by the School Committee
(and we're in negotiations now)

.@Etel_Haxhiaj one of the parents who has been frustrated by bus service encouraged to see buses
coming in house; cost savings? service? alternative fuels?

@Etel_Haxhiaj Allen: about a $4M eventual savings
some will be used for additional service for additional staff
procuring buses; purchasing 165 buses, gasoline

@Etel_Haxhiaj don't have infrastructure in place for other alternative fuels as yet
some leased buses coming off will be looking at other alternative fuels
plan working towards
plan to have at least 13 vehicles in FY24 that will be alternative

@Etel_Haxhiaj Haxhiaj: $2.5M in maintenance; how to increase further
Allen: $1M increase specifically to principal requests for building repairs
now built in $1M for school based facilities
"as a result of the Student Opportunity Act" as that was one of the underfunded lines

Colorio: was there an increase of mental health cases this year?
Binienda: more students exhibiting anxiety
being out of school
May have skills that kids need to learn

recently looked at discipline data; "we already had had an analysis, will be presenting at next meeting"
"And it isn't true"

(that last about analysis presented at last School Committee about increase in needs)

Colorio: huge proponent of parental rights and involvement; have them been efforts on this?
(remember; "parental rights" is a watchword)

response is about COVID limiting people in schools

Colorio: "biggest hits"
Binienda: "math...because it's something you can't really teach yourself"
(what?)

and we're WELL outside of purview here again...

Mero Carlson: questions with regard to transportation
"do we currently have enough staff for the busing and when does that start?"

Allen: self-operation begins for summer schools, full operation for school year
Durham was required under the federal WARN Act to notify of future layoffs

dol.gov/agencies/eta/l…

"have discussed with Durham drivers" offering positions
"as of today, we do not have enough drivers...currently training drivers through MassHires and NightLife" and expecting drivers to come over

Mero Carlson: "is that same rate the same as it was driving for Durham"
Allen: were until most recent contract; taken care of through collective bargaining process

Mero Carlson: how will new transportation be communicated?
Allen: only change is that all buses will be operated by WPS; routes and distances will not change

.@Brian_E_Allen "excited to launch the MyStop bus app next year so parents and students will be able to see where their buses are in relation to their house"

@Brian_E_Allen AND APPROVED

#worcpoli

@Brian_E_Allen all of that in a blog post here: who-cester.blogspot.com/2022/05/worces…