East Longmeadow Public Schools

Executive Budget Summary
FY 2008-2009 (Revised 4/22/08, without Utilities)
Dear Members of the Town Appropriations Committee and
We respectfully submit the
We are truly appreciative to the Town Appropriations Committee for recommending a budget last year that allowed us to fully fund the exorbitant special education costs that hit our budget last year. Even after the town meeting, we had to use our budget to again absorb NEW special education costs rather than fill requested positions for the new year. This year, within the FY09 budget, you will notice that we have had to budget for special education new costs. These costs hit us this year- so we know we have to budget for them for next year (FY09).
Maintaining existing staffing th
Once again, the School Committee
and administr
There are no “wish lists” here,
only essential needs. As always, I am
available anytime to discuss our budget with you and your committee. On behalf of our School Committee, administr
Respectfully,
Mr. Robert Mazzariello, Chair Mr. Thomas McGowan, Vice Chair
Mr. Daniel Manley, Mrs. Angela Thorpe
Mr. William Fonseca Dr.
Edward W. Costa II, Superintendent
I. INTRODUCTION:
The following information is presented in four sections: Introduction, Organization, Finance, and Information. Each of the sections has pertinent information to the budget for fiscal year 2009.
The enclosed 2008-2009 budget (called the Fiscal Year 09 budget) for East Longmeadow Public Schools reflect the guidelines as stipulated by the Town Appropriations Committee, as well as School Committee budgetary requests. As you can see in the graph below, instructional services, student services, and utilities are the main ingredients you will find in our requests.
The FY09 budget reflects the essential needs of the school district for next year. The school budget is built upon six categorical blocks: Instructional Services, Student Support Services, Maintenance, Utilities, Site Administration, and District-wide Central Office services. The following chart demonstrates the six categories of our FY2009 budget. Please see graph below.
FY09 Budget Categories Graph:

To further dissect our budget, each of the six categories above are charted in depth showing each specific line item and its corresponding cost. Specific line item correlation can be found on page 10.
The Instructional Services category is by far the largest category for any school district. These services include 17 sub-sets of data including: certified teacher salaries, support salaries, special education salaries, library salaries, instructional equipment and repairs, instructional supplies, and special education and vocational tuitions. The FY09 budget includes contractual salary increases for existing instructional staff. In the FY09 budget, you will also see $423,682 of new special education tuition money. New staffing includes two 5th grade teachers for our new 5th grade classrooms (one at Mapleshade, and one at Mountain View). Both Mapleshade and Mountain View Elementary Schools have requested a part time Fine Arts Teacher each, which is a full-time position split between them.
Meadow Brook has requested a new half-time Reading Teacher and a half-time guidance Counselor to handle the caseload of students and parents (ages 3-8). Both of these positions already exist part-time, so this simply adds hours to existing positions. Birchland Park has requested a part-time ( 2/10th FTE) Reading Teacher. This part-time position simply adds hours to an existing position currently at BPMS.
The High School is requesting Instructional Supplies and Textbooks for this year. Many of the High School textbooks are old and out of print- in need of replacement and need to adhere to the new Curriculum Framework Standards. Finally, due to the importance of state MCAS testing, and maintaining a 100% graduation rate, we are requesting $115,811 to retool our entire math curriculum for better alignment with the Frameworks.
Please see the chart below.
Instructional Services Graph:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Student Services include 12 sub-set categories associated with today’s modern student such as: special education supervision, special education and regular education legal services, medical services, guidance services, student technology, psychological services, transportation, athletic costs, student clubs & organizations, and school security. The FY09 budget includes contractual salary increases for existing instructional staff. In the FY09 budget, you will find new requests including a new school Adjustment Counselor for Birchland Park Middle School, and High School athletic dollars to assist in keeping user fees low (student athletic user fees will go up $10 per student/sport, and the School Committee budget will pay $16,234).
Additionally, a Speech Therapist position is needed in our school
district so that we will stop paying consultants to do this job. We can hire this position and actually save
money in the big picture.
Please see the chart
below.
Student Services
Graph:

The Schools Maintenance category includes custodial salaries for cleaning and
sanitizing the inside of our schools, custodial supplies, maintenance of our
grounds (DPW does most of the work, but we must purchase the supplies they use
on our grounds), maintenance of our buildings (including hiring contractors to
do specialized work that the town does not perform, and maintenance of school
equipment that we already own.
Inside the FY09 budget
you will find only existing contractual salaries as the sole increase in this
category. Please see the chart below.
School Maintenance
Graph:

The Utilities category is divided into two main sub-set
categories. Electricity, fuel oil and natural gas is now managed by the
Town Hall centralized utility process. School
Dept utilities include plumbing, phone services, and alarm services.
Please see the chart
below.
School Utilities
Graph:

The Site
Administration category includes
contractual principals’ salaries, their office secretary salaries, retirement
costs, school office supplies, and building-wide supplies such as report cards,
postage, etc.
School Site
Administration Graph:

The final category is
the Central Office/ District-Wide
services. This category contains School
Committee expenses, research, salaries for the superintendent, business
manager, two central office secretaries, the bookkeeper and payroll clerk,
district-wide data processing expenses, district-wide network expenses, and
district-wide student management software for state and federal reporting. The FY09 budget includes contractual salaries,
for all current staff. No new staff positions
have been added to central office since 1999.
Additionally, we have
one of the flattest administrative central offices in
Central Office Graphs:

_________________________________________________________________________________________


II. ORGANIZATIONAL SECTION:
East Longmeadow Public Schools
includes five schools on different campuses.
Meadow Brook is our primary elementary school and houses grades
Pre-Kindergarten, kindergarten, grades 1 and 2.
Meadow Brook also serves special education students from age 3 (federal
law). Mapleshade and Mountain View
elementary schools house grades 3, 4, and 5.
Please see the chart below.
Ten Year Past Enrollments
Graph:

The ELPS budget is, in part,
Chapter 6 of the ELPS Str
The
Our mission in the East Longmeadow Public
Schools is to promote
in all endeavors as we educate
today for the challenges of tomorrow.
The
GOAL 1: FOSTER A CLIMATE OF COMMUNICATION AND
COLLABORATION
THROUGHOUT THE
DISTRICT.
GOAL
2: MAINTAIN A FAVORABLE STUDENT-STAFF
RATIO.
GOAL 3:
IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL
EMPLOYEES.
GOAL 4:
PROVIDE A WELL-BALANCED AND APPROPRIATE CURRICULUM
FOR ALL STUDENTS.
GOAL 5: MANAGEMENT OF ALL LEVELS OF THE EDUCATIONAL
SYSTEM
WILL BE PRODUCTIVE,
EFFICIENT, AND ACCOUNTABLE.
GOAL 6: ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO BE PARTNERS IN THE
EDUCATION OF
OUR CHILDREN.
GOAL 7: ENCOURAGE AND DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL
BUSINESSES AND
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
GOAL 8: PROVIDE A SAFE AND ATTRACTIVE ENVIRONMENT AND
APPROPRIATE FACILITIES
FOR ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF.
GOAL 9: CREATE, FACILITATE, AND
EVALUATE SITE-BASED SCHOOL
IMPROVEMENT PLANS TO
GROW AND EVOLVE WITH THE
COMMUNITY.
GOAL 10:
EACH STUDENT WILL BE ENABLED TO PASS THE
COMPREHENSIVE
ASSESSMENT SYSTEM (MCAS.)
Budget Process
Throughout the year, school site-based budgeting committees work to
develop budget priorities for each of our five schools. In October of each year the superintendent
and administrative team of the district prioritize total budgetary needs. The budget requests are validated, verified,
and documented with rationale and impact from each school. In December of each year the budget document
draft is submitted to the School Committee for its review, discussion,
modification, and voted approval. By January
10 of each year the formal ELPS Budget Plan is submitted to the Town
Appropriations Committee.
On-going meetings are held
between the East Longmeadow Public Schools superintendent, administrative team,
School Committee, and the Town Appropriations Committee throughout the early
spring. During the months of January
through April, the School Committee hosts several budget forums for the public
to attend. These forums serve to inform
the community on the budget process underway.
In March of each year, the Town Appropriations Committee and Board of
Selectmen hold the annual town budget hearing for the citizens of
Comparison Budgets Graph:

III. FINANCIAL SECTION: Revised 3/20/08
Please see the attached
spreadsheets for “Essential Needs Budget” and “3% Appropriations Budget”.
Please see the 8.5 X 14
size spreadsheets.
IV. INFORMATION SECTION:
East Longmeadow Public Schools uses the cohort survival method of determining future enrollments. This is the standard process used by hundreds of educational planners, including the School Building Assistance Bureau at the State Department. As you can tell by the graph below, East Longmeadow Public Schools not only reached, but exceeded the projections for this current school year with 2,941 students. Additionally, the town continues to grow. Staffing needs and classroom space needs will continue to be an essential need during town growth. As always, the school system is simply a mirror of our community. Housing developments and the sale of farms and acreages to developers will continue to create these needs for our school system. Please see the chart below.
Enrollment Projections Graph:
|
Birth Year: |
Current |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
E.Long. LB: |
Year |
134 |
146 |
161 |
151 |
153 |
153 |
153 |
153 |
153 |
153 |
|
Sch.Year: |
2007-08 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
|
|
|||||||||||
|
K |
183 |
169 |
184 |
203 |
190 |
192 |
192 |
192 |
192 |
192 |
192 |
|
1 |
205 |
206 |
190 |
207 |
228 |
214 |
216 |
216 |
216 |
216 |
216 |
|
2 |
205 |
214 |
215 |
198 |
216 |
238 |
223 |
225 |
225 |
225 |
225 |
|
3 |
220 |
210 |
219 |
220 |
203 |
222 |
244 |
229 |
231 |
231 |
231 |
|
4 |
223 |
227 |
217 |
226 |
227 |
210 |
229 |
252 |
236 |
239 |
239 |
|
5 |
214 |
231 |
235 |
225 |
235 |
236 |
218 |
237 |
261 |
245 |
247 |
|
6 |
221 |
225 |
243 |
248 |
237 |
247 |
248 |
229 |
250 |
275 |
258 |
|
7 |
226 |
231 |
235 |
254 |
259 |
248 |
258 |
259 |
239 |
261 |
287 |
|
8 |
227 |
230 |
235 |
240 |
259 |
264 |
252 |
263 |
265 |
244 |
266 |
|
9 |
247 |
243 |
247 |
252 |
257 |
278 |
283 |
271 |
282 |
284 |
262 |
|
10 |
242 |
242 |
238 |
242 |
247 |
252 |
272 |
277 |
265 |
276 |
277 |
|
11 |
237 |
237 |
236 |
233 |
236 |
241 |
246 |
266 |
271 |
259 |
270 |
|
12 |
244 |
229 |
229 |
229 |
225 |
229 |
234 |
238 |
258 |
262 |
251 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
K-5 |
1250 |
1257 |
1261 |
1280 |
1300 |
1311 |
1322 |
1352 |
1363 |
1349 |
1351 |
|
6-8 |
674 |
687 |
714 |
742 |
755 |
759 |
759 |
752 |
753 |
780 |
812 |
|
9-12 |
970 |
951 |
951 |
956 |
966 |
1000 |
1035 |
1052 |
1075 |
1081 |
1060 |
|
PK |
47 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
|
PK-12 |
2941 |
2950 |
2980 |
3033 |
3076 |
3125 |
3171 |
3210 |
3246 |
3264 |
3277 |
National Budget Comparisons
Finally, East Longmeadow Public
Schools compare favorably to national expenditures of school districts across
the country. On a percentage basis,
National Budget Comparison
Graph:


The graph below
demonstrates the performance level of our schools at each grade level of the
state-wide Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS.) The school operational budget is the vehicle which
allows quality instruction to be maintained, sustained and see continuous
improvement. Please see the chart below:
Current
MCAS Chart:

East Longmeadow
Public Schools Str
And Finance: Looking Into The Future
An inform
Over the next four months,
much will be said and discussed about our town budget that culminates with the
Annual Town Meeting. The following is
provided to inform our town leaders of what our public schools have been
working on within our strategic plan.
Unlike the traditional
one-year budget plan, working a strategic financial plan lets you look into the
future of our schools.
What's the difference between a budget and a financial plan? Think about maneuvering a rowboat. The energy you use to make the boat move is like the money you have to spend. You can row all day, but if you don't spend any time steering, you'll never arrive at your destination. Budgeting, like rowing, provides the resources needed to keep our school district moving forward on a daily basis. Financial planning, like steering, focuses our effort on our destination. Rowing without steering, or budgeting without a long-range strategic financial plan, will keep you moving - but not necessarily in the right direction.
Most school districts’ finance efforts are directed at budget development, financial compliance and reporting, and control of expenditures - important tasks, but ineffective ways to chart a strategic course. Most districts spend far too little time evaluating how effectively their funds are being used, identifying future financial needs, and gauging the impact today's decisions will have on future needs or goals.
How does a School Committee achieve effective fiscal stewardship? The answer is financial planning. You would never build a new house only to tear down part of it because you didn't budget enough to finish the entire building. Unfortunately, that's how some districts often handle funds. Some build a district vision for student success one year at a time and often end up spending so much on small projects that they don't have enough for the programs that would really make a difference. But building a successful district requires a strategic plan, improvement goals, and a financial plan to support the vision - plus the fiscal stewardship to make sure tax dollars are being directed to the most effective programs and departments.
1.
Purpose - compliance versus fiscal stewardship. Budgets are usually developed to
match revenues against planned expenditures and comply with state budget
development and reporting requirements (state law rarely requires financial
plans.) The purpose of strategic financial planning is to project the long-term
sources and uses of funds, evaluate the effectiveness of programs and
departments, and focus financial resources on programs that help attain the
district's vision for students.
Enrollment histories, enrollment projections, patterns, and strategic
goals are all imperative to the planning and purpose.
2.
Process - routine versus evaluative.
The budgeting process usually involves routine review of annual expenditures.
Budget center directors are given directions on spending limits and possible
increases, and new programs are occasionally introduced. Each year, school
officials spend a lot of time reviewing these budgets, when all they're really
doing is approving last year's budget with a few changes. Financial planning,
on the other hand, takes the district through an evaluation process that
identifies areas in which district funds are being overspent or spent on
ineffective programs. With financial planning, programs are renewed if they
produce material results for students - not because they have become part of
the way of doing things. Site-based or
School-based improvement plans and their evaluations are the impetus to
continuous improvement.
3.
Focus - tactical versus strategic.
The focus of a budget is on taking care of day-to-day operating needs, such as
staff, supplies, utilities, and benefits. Financial planning focuses on
allocating resources efficiently, making long-range plans for new funds, and
ensuring that funds are directed toward goals and priorities of a strategic
plan that is well thought out in advance, implemented, and followed. East Longmeadow Public Schools publishes and
evaluates its district strategic plan for education and its site-based school
improvement plans from each of our five schools. These are also located on our town’s website
at www.eastlongmeadow.org.
4.
People involved - middle- to lower-level employees versus top administrators. The superintendent, business manager,
building principals and the people who report directly to them are involved in
financial planning, which plays a more strategic role than traditional
budgeting and places accountability on those managing budgets and
departments. The School Committee
reviews and monitors the district’s finances throughout the year, including
written reports monthly at regular School Committee meetings. You can also see our budget and School
Committee minutes on the Town website.
5.
Information - revenue projections and budget allocations versus spending
trends, performance benchmarks, district goals, and performance. Most traditional budgets focus on the
collection of minutiae, from headcounts, to supply use, to salaries. Strategic
financial planning uses this information as a foundation and builds on it.
Districts that use only the traditional budget document as a management tool
force the board and superintendent to review information that is the proper
domain of mid-level administrators. Strategic financial plans, on the other
hand, provide information on issues of fiscal stewardship, effectiveness,
vision, and change - the rightful domain of the School Committee and
superintendent.
6.
Time frame - next year versus next five years. Traditional budgets usually provide
data for the budget year and the previous year. Financial plans, in contrast,
generally provide two or more years of history and a three- to five-year
projection of future expenditures based upon strategic documents. Such documents can include enrollment
histories and projections, facility ages, and capital needs for maintaining
each building’s infrastructure, staffing patterns, and its ability to
adequately serve the number of students under its roof.
7.
Accountability - spending questions versus goals questions. Traditional budgets ask, how is your
department or program going to spend its funds next year? Strategic financial
plans ask, what will you achieve with the level of funding requested for the
next five years, and how does that compare to other alternatives for the same
goal or service? In addition, financial
plans have contractual negotiations as the impetus for accountability. The ability to restructure financially during
collective bargaining is paramount for the vision of a school district and
community.
8.
Issues addressed - operational versus strategic. Budgets address the immediate
operating needs of the district: how much money is spent on salary versus
supplies, for example, and how much is spent on each department. Strategic
financial plans address critical issues, such as when new funding will be needed,
the cost of alternatives for improving academic performance, the long-range
impact of reducing class size or adding a new school, and the total annual
capital and operating costs to fully implement and support technology. Most important in East Longmeadow, financial
planning addresses whether the district is investing funds in programs that
support district goals and vision.
Districts that don't use financial planning seldom learn about their
educational inefficiencies. And when the adults have chosen comfort and status
quo over work and change, the children will suffer in the long run. Financial
planning and analysis ensures that students of
9.
Ability to influence district vision - short term versus long term. Traditional budgets affect what
happens during the coming year, while strategic planning affects results for up
to five years. Without the benefit of financial planning, a simple budget
cannot effect the long term.
10.
Communication with taxpayers - dollars and cents versus results. Traditional budgets show categorical
spending only. Strategic financial plans
show whether the funds are being used effectively, what funds are used for,
what they will accomplish, and, most importantly, what affect the money will
have on students and education. It also tells taxpayers that we are open about
our district's financial condition and that we are responsible and care how
taxpayers' money is being used. In
short, financial plans are the most effective tool school and town officials
have for achieving results and establishing accountability.
The
current tough economic times require strong fiscal leadership. You can’t have leadership without fiscal
stewardship. In
End of Executive Summary.