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Andover High School Budget Forum Andover Middle Schools' Budget Forum Andover Elementary Schools' Budget Forum
Andover High School Budget Forum Meeting Date: December 9 Meeting Time: 7:00 PM Location: AHS Library Meeting Notes: District/Budget Forums/AHS Forum.pdf
AHS Budget Forum Note of the Meeting- December 9, 2002 Summary of discussions and recommendations from the various groups, totaling approximately 65 participates
The Assignment:
1. Introduce yourselves 2. Appoint: · facilitator · recorder · reporter 3. Assuming that that the high school would have to reduce approximately $400,000 (about 31%), how might we find this amount in the AHS budget? (What does that look like?) 4. Talk about: What do we most value at AHS?
Core Values What We Value
1. We value the teachers most at AHS 2. Keep current credit requirement for as many students as possible, even class sizes go up, keep students occupied, less writing assignments, less group assignments. 3. An academic curriculum 4. Core academic classes 5. A.P. classes 6. Music/art classes 7. Diversity of classes 8. Class size 9. Heterogeneous classes opportunities for electives. 10. Leveling for academic courses 11. After-school activities (sports, music, TV. production) 12. Student government - student input
Areas to Cut/Change
1. Increase class size (33?) and reduce number of teachers. Consider lecture/recitation model. 2, Cut some of electives certain "fun" courses, certain applied tech, T.V. production, Power Point courses. 3. Low enrolled courses - cut. 4. Certain language courses (German) - cut. 5. Reduce P.E. requirements only 1st two years. 6. Increase fees 7. Offer T.V. production after school. 8. Continue fees for clubs (beyond sports). 9. Cut paper flow - more efficient use. 10. Charge student supply fees. 11. Open Teacher contract – reduce salary increase 12. Raise parking fee higher than bus fee. 13. Reduce fine arts offerings 14. Fewer personnel (teachers) in music 15. Decrease math course offerings/sections at AHS 16. Use school building in summer for classes to generate money. 17. 14% of teacher staff revert back to old schedule (yuck) 18. P.E. waiver for athletes (Andover's requirement greater than state requirement) 19. Technology classes (change the requirement?) find grant $ to finance 20. Reduce fine arts 21. Take small cut from guidance 22. Cut a little from every area 23. Fund athletic director's salary with user fees 24. Increase parking fee, athletic fee, extra curricular fee, busing fee 25. Reconstruct school schedule to save on heating costs.
We need a process not an event · Give the output from this session to Peter Anderson · Let him work with the high school stakeholders to determine how to most effectively utilize the dollars that you allocate to him · Administration and school committee then review the output
Suggestions for Peter's consideration · Examine the breadth of course selections - consolidate small class sizes. · Increase user fees - athletics, parking & auction closest spaces, etc. · Facility costs (hours of operations) energy conservation and community use. · Early graduation. · Block vs. conventional schedule. · A/P fees for non-credit courses. · Benefit package (health). · Technology. · Renegotiate some aspects of AEA contract · Parking - total current raised $12,500 - $25,000 by raising to $75
Possible reductions in non-Andover High School areas or in areas not specific to high school: · Central Office. · Examine redistricting of Shawsheen = Preschool only and district office. · Laptop program
· Substitutes: total spent $95,000-$45,000 · Athletic, extracurricular, fine arts user fees · Make health part of P.E. $200K · Reduce operating budget $20K · Eliminate technology (keyboarding) $150K · Increase class sizes selectively (e.g. Advanced math) $30K · Make parking fee 2x bus fee $100K · Elem. Health ($208,000) · Close Shawsheen ($300,000)
Andover Middle Schools' Budget Forum Meeting Date: January 14, 2003 Meeting Time: 7:00 PM Location: West Middle School Library
ANDOVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS
Middle School Budget Forum January 14, 2003
Summary of discussions and recommendations from the various groups of participants, totaling approximately 100 people.
The Agenda 1. Presentation of the Budget 2. The Assignment A. Talk about what we value in our middle schools B. Debate and attempt to agreement upon a plan for reducing the middle schools’ budgets by approximately $1,000,000 to meet the shortfall
3. Core Values (Talk in groups about what we value in our middle schools) Functioning Teams Child-centered focus Multiple intelligences Diverse opportunities Exposure - varied Subject matter expertise (comfort level) Inspired instruction Quality teachers Mastery of skills - ongoing guidance and support for student learning Preparation for transition to Andover High School Keeping class size down - middle school philosophy
4. Ideas for reducing the shortfall Buy no new books or programs Do fund drives
Challenge state mandates Level fund salaries of all school department employees, except high paid administrators who should consider a 5% cut (union considerations) Charge for transportation - entire school system (the law requires we provide transportation for K through 7 students) Consolidate duplicative functions, i.e. business offices of the Town and School Departments Keep only the core teachers, including I.A. teacher, to preserve team concept Increase pupil/teacher ration Maintain a "valued curriculum" that is all inclusive core subjects and health, art , music, I.A, chorus, band, P.E.
4. Items to keep/Thoughts to keep mind Hire and maintain quality teachers Maintain guidance position Maintain after-school activities as part of the middle school concept "Team Approach" Keep class size at the median of 25 Evaluate responsibilities and priorities of guidance counselors i.e.student well-being vs. private school obligations Keep all that is currently in place: academic program, the arts, team - m.s. phlisophy & approach Use site based decision/management if cuts are made Maintain choices for students Maintain diversity Remember support systems
Ideas to Raise $$$
Cuts
studies, writing, L.A.)
for guidance media, fine arts (music/art)
Andover Elementary Schools' Budget Forum Meeting Date: January 22, 2003 Meeting Time: 7:00 PM Location: West Elementary School Cafe. ANDOVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS
Elementary School Budget Forum January 22, 2003
This is a summary of discussions and recommendations from the groups who participated in this forum, totally approximately 250 people.
The Agenda1. Presentation of the Budget – Business Administrator, Bernie Tuttle 2. Assignment a. Talk about what we value in our elementary schools b. Debate and attempt to come to agreement on a plan for reducing the elementary schools’ budget by approximately $1,000,000 to meet the shortfall.
3. Core Values (Talk in groups about what we value in our elementary schools: Class size Diversity of curriculum Quality of innovative programs Small class sizes Well-prepared teachers Quality of professional staff Multi-dimensional curriculum Hands on interdisciplinary curriculum with variety Creativity in teachers Nurturing environment Variety of programs Keep teaching materials current Literacy support Adjustment counselors Shawsheen open as a functioning school (neighborhood/no bus) Reading specialists Long history of a superb school system Principals knowing all students School system cooperation - shared resources Current salaries (so look for fees) Principals/Administrators Technology and diversity of programs Teacher salaries Basic curriculum Programs & staff that serve all students Meeting the needs of our students and having professionals to support all students' needs Making sure school attendees are real taxpayers Specialists - enrichment to academic program, health, media, P.E., art, music Focus on whole child - well-rounded curriculum
4. Ideas for reducing the shortfall Parents contribute $100 per child Offer extended day care at each school Pare down specialists but maintaining the curriculum Sell town land via lottery Slightly increase class size with support Look for ways to increase revenue opportunities (fees extended day) Campaign for prop 2 1/2 override Redistribute funds from town to school Reduce Specialists to every other week to reduce headcount Pay cut/no increases Cut aides in classroom Create Donation Fund Create School Scholarship Have businesses sponsor a special group Do (more?) inclusion in regular classrooms Offer early retirement Increase revenue via grants, rental income on buildings Pay for consumables Add a supply fee Lengthen school day (30 minutes and shorten school year) Tap into local businesses Increase PTO funding Cut reading teachers Cut instructional assistants Repeal mandated programs i.e. MCAS Cut back on days per year/hours per year Repeal unfunded mandates Look closely at Town's budget model Charge fees for bus transportation K-12 Do Job sharing Have shorter summer and longer winter vacations Lessen out of district placements Rent Shawsheen to private sector Have summer school Create school/corporate partnerships Ask for alumni donations Increase full day K Bring back out of district special ed. placements Offer extended day program Increase all day kindergarten tuition by $500 Rent out Shawsheen for full-day K (tuition based/privately run) Talk to legislature about nonfunded state mandates Charge Phillips Academy a user fee for the students who use our public schools and do not pay Increase property taxes Revisit property values Put 2 full day Ks in every school Sell excess school land Channel some $ that DCS pays to the town for school use back to schools
Cuts Put technology on hold for now - tech teacher - eliminate Make small cuts across the board - rather than eliminate any particular program Eliminate/cut back on earning specialists Cut media specialists Cut Technology (-$350,000) Streamline SPED administration Require more contribution for benefits Reduce adaptive P.E. Eliminate MCAS (eliminate associated admin. costs) Consider eliminating temporarily 1/2 teacher prep days Have no new adoptions Put hold on laptop program If possible, reduce 1-1 SPED Assistants (share) Reduce frequency of specialists programs Have volunteers (subs in class) Change calendar (save on heat) Create early retirement incentives Eliminate one secretary at each school - more parent volunteers Eliminate rest of assistant principals Eliminate assistant superintendent Have l less custodian per building Reduce number of periods/week Charge for books Reduce town budget by 2% and give it to schools Charge more for food services Consider alternatives to Shawsheen Eliminate stipends Reduce P.E. Consolidate vacations Combine health/P.E. - Media/Reading Decrease specialist time (times per week) Have voluntary (or not) school user fee Take School Choice/tuition students Use Shawsheen for another purpose or leave it open as a preschool Cut elementary health - renegotiate planning time Eliminate/cut back on Technology/learning specialists' services Re-evaluate non-classroom positions (direct services to children) Eliminate teacher prep day at Collins Center Take a 15% reduction at the district level Normalize assistant principal in district Keep programs; reduce frequency Decrease professional development Eliminate Web Master Do not hit a whole program - once program is hit (disseminated) it is very difficult to get it back. Departments or programs take 10% instead of cutting out entirely Reduce number of aides
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