The Old Rochester School Committee held a special meeting on April 13 to vote for its approval of the regional agreement amendment proposal that its members hope will be on all three town meeting warrants.
The committee took two votes, the first to approve the amended agreement and the second to establish a system for a capital stabilization fund based on a five-year rolling average of enrollment.
The amendments, as summarized by Heather Burke, bring the language up to current law and state standards. Committee member Tina Rood, not present at the meeting, was publicly thanked for her diligence in examining the existing language and studying best practices.
The new model would be based on a three-year rolling average of enrollment, meant to smooth the budgeting process for the individual towns and avoid massive budgetary hits in any single year. Terms for elected committee members would start on July 1 rather than at the time of their election. Section 1G of Massachusetts General Law also leveraged a change to the “one person, one vote” model in which voting power for each town’s representation will reflect that town’s relative population.
Marion and Rochester school committees also met during the last week, both voting to approve their Fiscal Year 2022 school budgets during their respective April 7 and April 8 public hearings.
Marion’s $6,456,815 assessed based operating budget for FY22 is a $155,648 increase (2.47 percent) over the FY21 figure of $6,301,167.
Rochester’s $6,798,275 assessed based operating budget for FY22 is a $188,444 increase (2.851 percent) over the FY21 figure of $6,609,831.
Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber laid out presentations for both towns displaying total operations budgets, financial offsets including grant funding and circuit breakers, impacts (staffing changes), strategies (foundation, necessities, and commitments), tuition-based programming cost increases, and decreases (building usage, technology, and supplies).
Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson said that ORR made use of building opportunities and CARES Act funding to produce a “modified level-services” budget for FY22.
Taking advantage of decreases of approximately $5,000 to each of Marion’s three school building investments along with technology and supplies, plus a retirement from the teacher’s union and another from the administration/paraprofessional union, Nelson said that Marion made FY22 gains, including advancement from a 0.2 to 0.6 social worker. He also reported that a majority of Marion’s school contract agreements expire on June 30, 2021. State aid (Chapter 70) to Marion will increase by $12,000 in FY22.
In Rochester, one of the budget impacts is a full-time educational interventionist, an addition conceived in discussions with RMS Principal Derek Medeiros and approved by the Rochester School Committee. All of Rochester’s union contracts also expire in 2021; there will be two retirements from the teachers union and a resignation from the paraprofessional union. State aid (Chapter 70) to Rochester will increase by $14,490 in FY22.
Both Marion and Rochester school committees voted for the Memorandum of Approval (MOA) with their teachers’ unions.
Rochester Capital Planning Chairman David Arancio presented to the Rochester School Committee on the Capital Planning Committee’s activity. Arancio shared a presentation showing FY20 projects, including Go Math Curriculum ($30,773) and Video Surveillance Upgrade ($86,817, ultimately funded another way) and FY21 projects, including 2nd Phase Technology Upgrade ($26,776) and HVAC Unit Replacement ($16,800).
FY22 projects displayed by Arancio included: Replacement of 2015 Laptops/Devices ($15,480), Building Alarm System ($12,550), and Irrigation for Playing Field ($38,500) for a total of $66,530.
It is a festive time in the elementary schools, where grades 3-6, as recently as April 5, resumed full in-person learning at a modified 3-6 foot social distancing model with all desks facing the same direction. Social distancing is still 6 feet for faculty and staff and mealtime, and everyone in the school buildings is still wearing a facemask.
Social distancing for K-2 at Rochester Memorial School remains at 6 feet. Medeiros reported a question-answer session on March 29 with feedback from parents and guardians. “Folks brought up some great points to us in areas of concern for us to think about so this week could be successful…. An outstanding job by our students and families,” he said. The in-person pivot has 67 third graders at RMS, 56 fourth graders, 70 fifth graders, and 62 sixth graders. The pivot to full in-person learning led to 49 students shifting back to busing over private rides. Medeiros thanked the Rochester Police for assistance in managing arrival and dismissal.
Sippican School Principal Marla Sirois reported that the cafeteria has 54 desks at 6 feet apart for Grades K-3, while 80 desks are situated in the Multipurpose Room for Grade 4-6. Arrival/Dismissal is the same as it was during the hybrid segment of the school year, and buses are back using the loop behind the school. Band is back in session, as the first graders have been relocated. “The kids are really doing a really fantastic job with the social distancing,” said Sirois, who noted that all singing is outside the school building.
Nelson presented the outline of the district’s 2021-22 academic calendar. No vote was taken; the Joint School Committee will vote on the calendar. That committee’s next meeting is being rescheduled (TBD).
As proposed, the first day of school will be August 31 with a November 24-26 Thanksgiving break, early dismissal on December 23 with vacation through December 31, and an April 15-22 vacation week. June 16 would be the last day of school (five days are built-in for weather), and the Juneteenth state holiday would fall on June 20 should ORR schools still be in session.
Craig Davidson, director of student services, presented the results of an Equity & Inclusion Survey, in which Grade 6-12 students took part focusing on cultural awareness and action. “When we did the survey, hearing the students’ voices was the most important part,” said Davidson.
Nelson stressed that ORR School District’s commitment is ongoing. “Last year, what I heard is we really need data,” he said, saying that the district is now in the middle of the process and looping in cultural-proficiency teams “to make sure we have buy-in…. This is a multi-year process that we’re committed to.”
Nelson said the goal is to “make sure curriculum is representing a balanced story,” to “make sure (ORR) students enter the world with a global (outlook),” and to create ongoing opportunities for the students to continue learning.
Both Marion and Rochester school committees voted to renew Nelson’s appointment as the committees’ designee to the READS Collaborative.
Nelson told the Rochester School Committee that, pending approval at the town level, the purchase of a tent would allow RMS students to take mask breaks in inclement weather. Rochester School Committee put off its scheduled reorganization discussion until its May 6 meeting.
The next ORR School Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 12, at 6:30 pm. The next Marion School Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 19, at 6:30 pm. The next Rochester School Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 6, at 6:30 pm.
School Committees
By Mick Colageo