Some Numbers to Consider
May 20, 2008
Dear Quincy Residents,
Mayor Tom Koch creates the city budget including giving the School Committee the bottom line for their budget. For next school year the Mayor’s budget included $82,733,562 for the schools. This allowed for a level service budget that included increased costs for mandated programs such as Special Education and English Limited Learners, adding a small amount of teachers to keep class size within guidelines, $3.136 million to cover negotiated raises for teachers and other personnel as well as providing for increase of costs of gasoline, utilities, textbooks and educational supplies. Last week the City Council made $5 million in cuts to the Mayor’s Budget. This included a cut to the school department of $2,925 million which is 60% of the overall cuts the City Council made. The City Council can only cut or accept the Mayor’s budget. In my 28 years of involvement with education in our city I have never seen the City Council make a cut like the one we are facing today. The City of Quincy received for this present school year $14,388,553 in Chapter 70 money from the state, Chapter 70 funds is earmarked for education. But the funds are not received by the schools they go into the city general fund. For FY09 which is next year’s budget the City of Quincy will receive an increase of $1,738,114 in Chapter 70 money. With the budget cut of $2.925 million to the schools’ the bottom line for next year’s school budget is less than the increased aid. We will be buying less and spending more money since all costs have risen from textbooks, paper, learning supplies and so on. The School Committee and Superintendent’s team is working to make cuts as far away from the classroom as possible. But the School Committee’s options of what can be cut will be painful if the $3 million Council cut stays. We need to work together and be as creative as possible. We hope and are working to ask the City Council to reconsider their vote. Thank you for your efforts to make education important to the families of Quincy.
Respectfully,
Jo-Ann M. Bragg
Quincy School Committee
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1.
Anne Mahoney | May 20, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Jo-Ann, thank you so much for breaking out the numbers for people to review. It is a large some of money we disperse to run the school system and each penny is put to good use. Most of this budget is expensed on salary….
Trying to pull out $3,000,000.00 is a daunting task to say the least. We are working hard at the budget process. The approach is to try not to adversely effect the student. But unless we can change this vote the ripple effect will be felt and have dramatic impact.
The next two days are critical we need to reach out to as many people as we can and have them join us in unison at the Council meeting.
I ask that over the next two days that you tell people to come out to the meeting. Make it point to discuss the situation with other parents at pick up and drop off. Or at the bus stop… If people are not informed send them to the blog to get some insight and if they want to share some thoughts.
SO PLEASE tell people to come and join us.
If we come out in numbers we will be taken seriously… No one person can make this change on their own. We need your support.
2.
concerned parent | May 21, 2008 at 5:15 am
Just a thought…..maybe a school committee member should review her grammar before commenting. It is not a “SOME” of money, it is a “SUM” of money.
The word will be spread about this huge issue. Thanks for bringing to our attention.
3.
Larry Chretien | May 21, 2008 at 5:51 am
I’ll take Mrs. Bragg’s experienced analysis over the Council’s “ready, shoot, aim” approach anyday – regardless of grammar.
The question is this: Is the City better off by cutting education? In the short-term, I am convinced we can get through this difficult year without slashing the budget. We are fortunate that the mayor’s budget did not require a Prop. 2 1/2 override – which has been done in so many communities throughout the state. Or a trash fee which is also a fact of life in many towns.
In the long run, the answer is obvious. Quincy is better off by choosing educational excellence.
4.
Ali Crehan Feeney | May 21, 2008 at 7:34 am
Thanks to the Mahoneys for putting this blog together.
For us political neophytes – you all keep referring to a meeting we need to attend, but haven’t said whose meeting (I’m guessing City Council, but I’m not positive) and where and when the meeting is. Could you please provide these details?
Thanks very much!
5.
KevMah | May 21, 2008 at 8:00 am
THANKS ALI!
I believe this blog has been a positive and constructive forum. It needs to reach more people however, so please pass the URL along in a email to friends. And yes, we are talking about the City Council meeting on Thursday 5/22. I will make a formal post with the exact time to meet, very soon. Please check back.
Thanks again, Kevin Mahoney
6.
Brian Angell - Teacher | May 21, 2008 at 10:10 am
I am under the impression that much of the deficit in the budget is due to the Honeywell improvements to the public buildings. Can anyone confirm that? If so, can we review the bid that Honeywell gave to the city? If this new system saves enough money, can it pay for itself over the coming years? I am also under the impression that the city has a large sum of money in a “rainy day” fund that can cover the $5 million. If we pull money out of that fund, can the money that is saved with the improvements be used to replenish the the “rain day” fund over the coming years?
I think it is important that we offer possible solutions to this problem. This way, there are choices for committees to make instead of just upset people. We can figure this out. Keep those ideas coming!
7.
paulunion | May 21, 2008 at 12:26 pm
The QEA blast email service will ask QEA educators to come to the City Council meeting on Thursday evening. I hope we will have a huge turnout.
8.
Christine Swierk-Murphy | May 22, 2008 at 12:14 am
So thankful to have you on the School Committee Ms. Jo-Ann Bragg…you’ve accomplished GREAT achievements throughout your career, and your dedication to EDUCATION in our city for so many years is MUCH appreciated!!!! I am certain with your *leadership* and the support of Quincy parents and civilians throughout the city…….teamed up with the valiant efforts of Paul Phillips……that this unthinkable MESS and much deserved public outrage over such a ludicrious and unacceptable misallocation/budgetary forecast of FY09 expeditures and funding that the battle about to ensue will and must be won. The recently drafted budgetary projections can return right back to the negotiating table with our CHILDREN, in mind, our FUTURE in mind. I am terribly shocked and disheartened to read your statement and learn of this illogic, yet I am comforted and encouraged to know personally the dynamic fervor within School Committee members like yourself and the power of persuasion!!! Thanks to all responsible for highlighting the sudden nightmare that those who serve in public office and the parents/citizens of Quincy are now faced with. The fact that such daringly and outlandish cuts to Education have been so audaciously attempted is unthinkable, *disaster* lies ahead. Every option and effort must be exhausted in order to bring forth the results we are now seeking.
As a graduate of the QPS system and as the mother of a child about to enter into the QPS, I proudly applaud any and all forceful resistance to the City Council’s initial attempts in having the present FY09 Budget approved.
Very simply said, “Not a ~chance.~ “