June 2, 2010 School Committee Special Meeting

Agenda

Special Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
June 1, 2010

7:00 p.m. Public Hearing
Lloyd Hill Auditorium, Quincy High School

I. Public Hearing: CONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 71 SECTION 38N OF THE GENERAL LAWS, THE QUINCY SCHOOL COMMITTEE WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON ITS FY2012 PROPOSED BUDGET ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2010 AT 7:00 P.M. IN THE LLOYD HILL AUDITORIUM, QUINCY HIGH SCHOOL. ALL INTERESTED PERSONS WILL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.

II. Approval of Minutes: None

III. Superintendent’s Report: None

IV. Old Business: None

V. New Business: None

VI. Additional Business: None

VII. Communications: None

VIII. Hearings: None

IX. Reports of Special Committees: None

X. Executive Session: None

XI. Adjournment:

Minutes

Quincy, Massachusetts - June 2, 2010
Public Hearing of the Quincy School Committee

Public Hearing

A Public Hearing on the Quincy School Committee FY2011 Budget was held on Wednesday, June 2, 2010 in the 2nd. Floor Conference Room, City Hall. Present were: Mr. Dave McCarthy, Ms. Barbara Isola, Mrs. Elaine Dwyer, Mrs. Jo-Ann Bragg, Mrs. Anne Mahoney, and Mayor Thomas P. Koch, Chairman.

Chairman Presiding

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The Superintendent called the roll and Mrs. Lebo was absent. Also present were: Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Mrs. Tefta Burrelli, Clerk; Messrs. Mullaney, Mulvey, Draicchio, and Keith Segalla; Ms. Roberts, Tenaglia, Todd, and Hughes. Ms. Tracey Christello, Citywide, and Donna Niosi, Student Representative.

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Supts. Remarks

Superintendent DeCristofaro told the Committee that they continue to work hard on the budget. These are difficult times. Mayor Koch was granted the authority by the School Committee to negotiate with the QEA to gain a deferral and Anne Mahoney, the School Committee, and QEA have come to a wage deferral agreement. We welcome back 40-50 staff members. The Mayor has also given us $500,000 in increased funding for budget deliberations and funds from the restoration of positions attributed to anticipated unemployment savings. We will have over $3 million to invest in our budget. He thanked the Mayor.

The Mayor said he expressed gratitude to the QEA for the wage deferral. It will help mitigate some of the hurt we are facing.

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Public Hearing

Consistent with the provisions of Chapter 71, Section 38N of the General Laws, the Quincy School Committee will hold a public hearing on its FY11 proposed budget. All interested persons were given an opportunity to be heard.

Speakers

At 7:05 p.m. the Open Forum began. The following citizens, students, and staff addressed the Committee: Conevery Valencius, David Egan, Margaret O’Connor, Lori Hagborg, Deborah Barrett, Susan Rheault, June Christo, Samantha Enbar-Salo, Steven Bernardo, Bryan Doherty, Edie Kabakoff, Sandy Verhault, Eileen Lawlor, Suzanne Lawless, Jen O’Dwyer, Mike Hurley, Max Harvey, Jim Bryson, Jaclyn Bryson, Pam Bonfiglioli, Chris Chetwynd, Bill Zamzow, Naomi Loomis Bennett, Joseph Gaffney, Bill Sturella, Scott Allesandro, Eileen Lawlor, Renee McMillen, Martin Akins, Kathleen Brink, Aliza Schneller, Gail McDonald, Mary Ainsley, Tackey Chan, Paul Jacobs, Erika Ramos, and Tracey Christello. Mrs. Lebo arrived at 7:49 p.m.

The people were very passionate about the programs proposed to be cut. They asked the Committee not to cut ELL, all day Kindergarten, literacy, media, the music program, Foreign Language in middle schools, close libraries, sports, Paras, clubs and activities, and the Career and Technical programs. They asked the Committee to do what’s best for the children of Quincy. There is a concern with the proposed large class size in foreign language. Cutting the foreign language program, they said, will cause irreparable damage. The elementary band was cut some years ago and is just now coming back. They also expressed their concern with the anxiety and panic caused by teachers sharing too many details with students. Students are worried that their favorite teachers will be cut.

Some proposals were made to raise money -- advertising in the schools, fund raisers, bake sales, yard sales, business partners, rent facilities, etc. This could bring in some needed revenue for the schools. The request was to be creative.

People asked why the school department was taking an unfair cut. Quincy doesn’t spend as much money on their students as other communities in Massachusetts. Concern was raised with the value of homes in Quincy going down with the school system. People move to Quincy for their phenomenal school system. Some citizens said they were willing to spend more on taxes to save the schools.

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SC Responds

The Committee thanked the people who came out to speak. They told them that it is a hard path and a $6 million cut is a big challenge. They are still working on the budget. As of now, no decisions have been made. There will be a Budget Subcommittee meeting tomorrow evening, June 3, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. in the 2nd Floor Conference, Room, NAGE Building. It is an open meeting.

For those citizens who would like to contribute to the schools, they can donate to the Quincy Education Fund. That money will go directly to the school department.

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Adjournment

On a motion by Ms. Isola, seconded by Mr. McCarthy, the Public Hearing adjourned for the evening at 9:01 p.m. The ayes have it.