Williamstown Fin Comm Advises Amended School Budget to Town Meeting
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Finance Committee on Monday voted 6-2 to recommend that the annual town meeting approve the amended elementary school budget passed last week by the School Committee.
After more than two hours of discussion that frequently veered off into conversations on pedagogy despite the best efforts of Chairman Michael Sussman, a majority of the panel decided not to second guess the conclusion of the administration and School Committee and instead endorse the request for an additional $58,424.
That means the school district on Tuesday evening will ask the town for 6.35 percent more money than the district received in fiscal 2016.
Ironically, the district's business manager noted on Monday, a typographical error in the printed warrant errantly depicted the district's original "ask" as a 6.3 percent increase. In fact, Nancy Rauscher told the Fin Comm, the budget line in the town meeting warrant represents a 5.34 percent increase over FY16, which means the amended budget — while higher than the bottom line printed in the warrant — has the approximately the same percentage hike that voters will see on the printed page.
But that discrepancy was not what consumed the committee's time at Monday's special meeting.
Most of the discussion was focused on the frustration many in the community feel about the district's decision not to offer a full-day pre-kindergarten section for the 2016-17 school year.
Resident Sam Crane, a frequent critic of that decision on social media, told the Fin Comm that the School Committee's budget was the product of a bad planning by the district.
"I would urge you to vote against it because it's a bad budget," Crane said. "It's been a bad process to get here. How has the public been able to scrutinize a public budget for a public school in such conditions. Process matters because process leads to product."
Former WES Principal David Rempell said the district's budget sacrifices a successful program that in the past has allowed the school to accommodate pupils who walk in the door unexpectedly in September.
"I would urge us as a community to do whatever is necessary to maintain the full-day program in anticipation we may get children who need that level of services," Rempell said. "It doesn't make sense to me to cut a program that has served so many students. I would argue on the town meeting floor all evening to spend that money to serve those kids."
Rempell said that he did not believe that 3- and 4-year-olds on individualized education plans, or IEPs, who need a full-day of preschool would be served by "mixing them with different children in morning and afternoon sessions."
Later, the Finance Committee asked Director of Pupil Personnel Services Kim Grady to address that particular point.
Grady explained that some transitioning throughout the school day is natural and won't interfere with pupils' IEPs.
"There will be sections of your day that will be repeated, and there are some who need that repetition because they're being pulled out for ancillary services [during the school day]," Grady said.
Grady said she could not tell the Fin Comm how the children's day would be structured minute by minute, but said, "I can say morning and afternoon will not be 2 hours, 50 minutes of repeat."
Finance Committee member Dan Gendron, who ultimately voted against recommending the amended budget, joined Crane in criticizing the district's process. Gendron implied that the School Committee should be asking the town for more money.
"If there's a way to incorporate what a lot of people want, which is a full-day program and more access, if we need the money, we need the money," Gendron said. "It's as simple as that.
"I'm going to say no on this because I think you're being timid."
Gendron and Fin Comm member Charles Fox, who also voted no, each suggested at various points that the the Fin Comm table the amended budget request from the School Committee and let the chips fall where they may on Tuesday night.
Sussman vehemently opposed that idea.
"I feel [tabling] is not addressing our obligation as member of the Finance Committee," Sussman said. "This is a fiscal motion brought to us. It is a money motion. We deal with monetary motions. This is our responsibility.
"Not addressing it and taking a vote is not being a member of the Finance Committee, as far as I'm concerned."
From a fiscal standpoint, Town Manager Jason Hoch told the committee that the extra $58,424 of what already was a more than $6 million budget would be raised through new revenue and unused levy capacity.
Two members of the Fin Comm, Elisabeth Goodman and Paula Consolini, said they were persuaded by the argument made by former WES Superintendent Paul Jennings, who told the committee that voting to endorse the additional $58,424 would give the School Committee added flexibility.
"I think clearly the School Committee recognizes the process could have been improved," Jennings said. "This is a step toward offering services to children.
"Because it's an omnibus budget … I'd rather see this pass [Fin Comm] and have a motion on the floor [of town meeting] to add more money than have the School Committee have less flexibility."
Goodman picked up on that point.
"I'm of the inclination to align my vote with Dr. Jennings' recommendation," Goodman said. "They've asked for the money and can use it how they choose to. They might go back and vote for a full-day Side-By-Side."
In the end, Goodman said the district's amended budget increases access to Side-By-Side, and that is what matters.
"It's beyond our capacity to make them do a full-day or not do a full-day," Goodman said. "They're asking us for an additional $58,000. I don't see how rejecting that is going to make them provide more access."
At one point, Sussman noted that Gendron — or any resident — is welcome to make a motion on the floor of town meeting that the elementary school's appropriation be raised or lowered, but town meeting cannot tell the district how to spend the money.
The School Committee was reminded of that fact when it briefly continued its meeting — held jointly with the Fin Comm — in the a different meeting room after the Fin Comm vote.
"If town meeting wants to give you another $100,000, don't oppose it," Stephen Narey told the School Committee. "There are plenty of ways that money could be used — Shakespeare, the garden, math and science."
Tags: Finance Committee, preschool, school budget, town meeting 2016,
