Franklin MA School Budget Reductionsv2

Franklin School Budget Reductions 2003 - 2009

Prepared by Stephen Sherlockbased upon information from the

Franklin School Department

4/8/2008 franklinmatters.blogspot.com/ Page 2

Table of Contents

• Fiscal year 2003• Fiscal year 2004• Fiscal year 2005• Fiscal year 2006• Fiscal year 2007• Fiscal year 2008• Fiscal year 2009• Position Summary• Program Summary• Fee Summary• Other items of interest


Common Terms

CET - Curriculum Enhancement Teacher ESP - Educational Support PersonnelFiscal year – for budget purposes the calendar runs from

July 1 through June 30th; FY 09 refers to the budget year ending in June 2009

MCAS - Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System

NEASC – New England Association of Schools and Colleges

PCC – Parent Communication Council PE – Physical Education


FY 03 School Budget ReductionsPositions• Six elementary positions in Health/PE (half of the staff) • Six middle school positions in Health/PE eliminated (reduced by one third)• Two elementary Music positions eliminated• One middle school Music position eliminated• Two elementary Spanish positions eliminated• Two middle school Science specialist positions eliminated• One 6th grade teaching position cut at Remington, increasing class size• Five middle school ESP positions cut (reducing the number of staff to help with special education

students and tutor students having difficulty with MCAS tests)• One HS Special Education Teacher eliminated (increasing class size)• One HS Reading/English Teacher eliminatedPrograms• Elimination of the 4th grade Instrumental Music Program• Elementary Spanish instruction reduced from twice to once a week • Elementary Health eliminated• Elementary PE reduced from twice to once a week • Middle School guidance eliminated Fees• Pay-to-Ride Transportation initiated • Building Use fees created• Athletic fees increasedOther• Supply and equipment purchases curtailed• PCC's funded more programs, athletics & extracurricular activities


FY 04 School Budget Reductions

Positions• Twenty-one teaching positions eliminatedPrograms• Limited public access to schools on weeknights and weekendsFees• Began charging bus fees to older students and those living within 2

miles• Increased student-athlete fees • Increased lunch cost Other• Reduction in Technology budget • Reduction in budget for materials & supplies • Eliminate budget for District-wide Textbooks

– (04-07 Textbooks purchased through ~Capital Funds or supply budgets) • No new maintenance funds



Positions• Elimination of one Foreign Language position Programs

Fees

Other• Reduction in general and maintenance supplies for the

schools • Reduction in Professional Development• Assumed $100,000 in trash costs



Positions• Two Central Office positions

– Title I Coordinator– Assistant Director of Finance

• Two Custodians

Programs• Elimination of weekend security for school facilities• Elimination of Facilities summer job program• Elimination of French at Middle Schools

Fees

Other• Reduction of Professional Development



Positions• One ESP

Programs

Fees

Other• Three Trades staff transferred out of School

budget to Town budget


FY 08 School Budget Reductions*Positions• Fourteen Professional Teaching Positions

– Three Technology CET's – Three Middle School Health/PE– One Middle School Adjustment Counselor– Seven Elementary Teachers

• 1.6 Content CET's at Franklin High School• One High School Administrative Liaison • One High School Foreign Language Director • 1.5 ESP's (Franklin High School & Brick School)• Eight Custodians• One Technology Administrator • One 0.5 Special Education Coordinator Programs

Fees• Extracurricular Fees $25/student High School Clubs, Middle School Clubs • Increase High School Athletic Fee to $125 • Increase Pay to Ride by $25

Other• NEASC Dues Elementary & Middle Schools • K-5 Coordinator Stipends (Tech, Science, Spanish) • Reduction of HS substitute budget • Reduction of Facilities cost / Brick School • Reduction in general supply budget K-12 & Central Office

* After passing the first operations override which provided $2.1 million in additional funding for schools


FY 09 School Budget Reductions (Proposed)

Positions• One Central Office position• One High School administration position• 17 High school teachers• 12.5 Middle school teachers• 15 Elementary school teachersPrograms• Eliminate curriculum teams• Eliminate late busFees• Increase Pay-to-Ride bus fee (+$100/student)Other• Reduce professional development/workshops• Reduce text books/Test Wiz software• Reduce out-of-district tuition


Summary – Franklin (MA) School Department Positions Lost

Franklin (MA) School Budget Reductions

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009Teachers 21 21 1 16.6 44.5School Administrators 1 2 1Central Office Administrators 2 1Custodians 2 8ESP/Special Ed 6 1 2

28 21 1 4 1 28.6 46.5

Cumulative positions 49 50 54 55 83.6

Note: Cumulative positions lost does not include FY 2009 as these numbers are still a “proposal” and have not yet been voted on the School Committee or Town Council. Years 2003 through 2008 are actual.

Note: One ESP position for 2008 was funded outside the budget with the contribution from Brick School Association (via Garelick Farms) for the position at Brick


Programs Eliminated/Reduced

• Health eliminated– Elementary (2003)– Middle School (2003)

• Physical Education reduced– Elementary (2003)– Middle school (2003)

• Language– French

• Eliminated at middle schools (2006)– Spanish

• Reduced at elementary from twice to once per week (2003)

• Music– 4th grade Instrumental Music Program eliminated (2003)


Fees – Introduced/Increased• Transportation

– Introduced bus fees for Middle School, High School and students within 2 miles (2003)

– Eliminated late bus (proposed 2009)• Pay-to-Ride

– Introduced (2003)– Increased (2008, proposed 2009)

• Building Use– Introduced (2003)– Access to schools after hours restricted (2004)

• Student activity– Introduced (2008)

• Athletic– Increased (2003, 2004, 2008)


Other items of interest• The Forensic Audit (PDF) found a number of problems with

accounting and recommended a number of corrective actions– The Assistant Director of Finance was one of the positions cut in 2006

which coincidently was when the accounting problems started.• The EQA report found deficiencies in special education

– Special education and ESP positions were reduced in FY 2003, 2007, and 2008

• The EQA report found deficiencies in professional development– Professional development has been reduced in 3 of the 6 years

summarized here (2005, 2006, 2009)• The MetroWest Health Survey results found opportunities for

improvement– Health was eliminated at the Elementary and Middle School level in

2003• The “Good to Great” budget proposal for FY 08 might be better

understood now as a restoration of positions lost over time and not a “reaching for the stars” proposal

http://www.franklin.ma.us/school/public/SCHOOL_AUDIT.pdf

http://home.comcast.net/~fpssc/Documents/Franklin_EQA_report_2007.pdf

http://home.comcast.net/~fpssc/Documents/Franklin_EQA_report_2007.pdf

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2007/12/metro-westedc-adolescent-health-survey.html

Economy & Finance

Franklin MA School Budget Reductionsv2