===OCR macOS Vision===
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John Henshaw, Vice-Chairman
Hannah Anderson, Secretary
Jay Simeone
George Martin
Marc Luescher
Lunenburg Finance Committee
03-14-19
Michelle Walton
Location: Town Hall
Present: Terri Burchfield, Hannah Anderson, Michelle Walton, John Henshaw,
Jay Simeone, Marc Luescher
Absent: George Martin
Guest: Heather Lemieux, TM.
978.582.4139
FAX 978.582.4148
RECEIVED & FILED
MAY 09 2019
LUNENBURG TOWN
CLERK OFFICE
1. Open Meeting:
The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. This meeting is being recorded and televised for re-
broadcast on the Lunenburg Public Access cable channel.
2. Communications
• Public Comment
Carl Luck, 50 Sunset Lane- In the process tonight, are questions asked in the presentation or at the end
of the presentation? Terri- At the end of the presentation. Carl- I have concerns about the town budget
and review process, every year for at least the past 10 years, the Sewer Commissions first step in the
budget process is to get the year to date actuals for each of the budgeted line items. This is a critical
input to move forward to establish a new budget, taking account how we are doing against prior years
plan so we can learn and approve the line item allocations and accuracy, of the following years plan.
This has served us well and continues to do so. At the town level however, I have yet to see the year to
date actual and the prior year's actual. It is very difficult to know where each departments budget was
actually spent. Or what I being requested or what is being requested is actually needed. As some of
you know, all too well, I have recently become very familiar with the Towns Charter, to this point, the
Charter clearly states in section 6-5 "the proposed budget shall be arranged to show the actual and
estimated incomes and expenditures the previous, current, and ensuing fiscal years". Perhaps this
information is avallable to the Finance Committee in which case pernaps you or the town Manager
could make copies available to the public before the review and the hearing process is complete. If this
document doesn't exist, or available, 1 am at a loss of how the department heads, town manager,
finance committee, or public can do a critical review of the budget. As you can imagine, I have quite a
bit of historical information in my file and did find such a document from October 2015 that the finance
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3. Department 2020 Budget Presentations
• Department of Public Works
Jack Rodriquenz, DPW Director, presented his budget.
*Please see attachment*
Questions
Committee:
Terri- Clarification on open space plan, would the Parks supervisor be tasked with working with the
open space group? Jack- He's going to be tasked to do a prioritized list of things that will be established
by the Town Manager and Park Commission. At that position you are only allowed to work 20 hours a
week, as a temporary employee, so I could not tell you right now what the expanse or the scope of his
service would be. Terri- And the period of time, where you say temporary or? Jack- Obviously being a
park, he or she would be working Spring to Fall. This position hasn't even been okayed sort of speak,
we are working on developing a job description, I hope I can have more information for you as it
Michelle- Along with the position to the parks, is there any possible increase to revenue by better
management of the parks by getting fees, not only collected but billing fees? Jack- Yes. The park
commission that we have now and the past few years, have been very dedicated and aggressive and
have actually made some progress. The well intention of the people of the past, had less of an interest
and didn't get as much done. Those fees either were not charged or were not charged enough. The
beach is a perfect example of that, those folks that are working over there for $7/hour or something, so
we had to get the staff up, and on a parallel track we had to raise the fees which I don't think has ever
been raised. So, we are just seeing the process now of looking at expenditures versus revenue but we
are taking into, is the school going to start getting involved? You know the schools are the biggest
users of Marshall Park, up until this point they have been able to use it with no fees. Zero fees.
Historically they may be asked to pay something, similarly with the basketball court, the little league,
the Phillies Semi-Pro, Babe Ruth league, so scheduling, and if you are going to charge a fee and bring
in some revenue then you need to know when that field is available. That's the point. The commission
will set the fees and policies, but at least one thing one person will do is the scheduling to make sure
the windows are open for the school, the little league is going to get those windows, then we can
charge them per person, per hour, per game, however the commission which in their responsibility
chooses to do it. So yes, looking revenues, keeping an eye on revenues, and some people don't send a
check, they forget, but we will be tracking that money. Definitely. Definite yes to your answer. Michelle-
For the vehicle Maintenace, is there an established schedule for the vehicle Maintenace or is it more as
a crisis comes up, we handle it? Jack- We instituted a software, very elementary software package
down there that tracks everything we do on every vehicle. The parts we use it for reference, the size
filter, what we do, the mileage, hours working om the equipment, and like they do, we have stickers on
cruisers that says look at it at such and such time. The unfortunately thin about it was, it not like the
police lack in any co-operation, it's just not what they do. You get in your car and you might look at it,
but they get in their car, turn the key, and they are going to do what they need to do. And they do it
and i don't so I don't know what it's like. So, we remind them, if we can, and if the car is available
hey will bring it in so that kind of messes up the schedule. The fire is a little more dedicated to the
schedule because they are fire truck, even though they are equally or more important, they are not out
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on a strict schedule? No more than yes, but will it help you achieve what you need on a monthly or
quarterly schedule? Absolutely. Michelle- The outsource position that said for a project manager type of
position, is that a permanent position or just a temporary 5-year position? Jack- That would not be a
town employee, sorry if I didn't describe that. That would be a private organization. Michelle- Okay,
now long are you thinking? Jack- I don't know we've done it one way. It wasn't until 5 years ago that
we took over the responsibility of the buildings, there was never anyone and maybe that's why the
buildings are the way they were but we think right now because of the availability of the people in the
workforce and what they would demand, in a kind sense demand, and what the union which is our
scale on what they are willing to pay them, we can't make up that gap. So, we are going to sub
contract that to an organization that does that professionally, has a whole stable of people, and we are
going to begin that. I am hoping I'm optimistic that it will work because I don't think the gap on what
we can pay people and what people that can do all of this will ever close significantly enough for us to
get a person in house that can do that. I would rather have an employee, but then again, you call
somebody and you outsource, they're there or they have somebody that is there, they don't have two
weeks' vacation and this and that. You pick up the phone and you're working on an a la carte menu
and they are there for you. The longevity of it, I guess would be to be determined.
Marc- On an average snow day, how much does it cost us? Jack- There is no average, because every
storm is different, and I will tell you why. We talk about snow, ice, rain, that might be a 30 hour
episode, and we might get about this much, *hold up his hand to show 5-6 inches or so of what snow
would be, and minimizes the size to about an inch or two of what ice would be*, the ice is what kills
you. We could get 6-8 inches of snow, you plow it, you salt it, you're done. So, it's the duration, with a
duration there is more time for the subcontractors, its's more of your overtime, its more material, it's
more wear and tear on the steel and on the pavement, so I guess I'm not going to give you a very
good answer to that. Certainly, not right now, I could come up with an average a year but I could not
give you an average storm. I honestly do not believe there is an average storm.
John- In a previous meeting we had, you were changing the mixture of sand and salt you were using
on the roads, and just driving down the roads around Lunenburg the last couple of weeks I have
noticed the relative absents of sand on them, is that going to reduce costs in cleaning the roads
subsequently after the Winter season is over? Or is it a non-issue? Jack- It's definitely an issue, but it's
an issue for costs and beyond costs. When I first started here, all they would use was the sand out of
that landfill area, no salt, all sand. Then they started weening in the salt so when I started the mixture
was no salt or one salt to 7 buckets of sand. I saw that and knew that was not the way to go, so each
year incrementally we broke it down, and broke it down, and the last couple years we got it to a 1 to 1
or a 2 to 1 salt to sand, and in the last couple of years we would send trucks out with just salt alone. A
little scary for me because it's not unusual for the state to call up and ask us if we have any sand to do
certain hills, like A coming up to the high school, route 13 going up to Wal-Mart were the trucks get
started, we have areas in town that get no sun, so I'm a little anxious about doing it but this year we
made the leap and did not use any sand. We used a littie more salt but no salt. Of course, sand is less
expensive but to the point of your question, it will make a huge difference, it will decrease the
sweeping time and decrease the amount of silt that gets into the catch basins or brooks wherever its
going which is part of the storm water challenge and also the cleaning of the basins. Hoping next year
to go to a green material where the salt is treated with a calcium or chemicals that turn it green, and
what that does, it lowers the point to which it is active because right now at 20 degrees and the salt is
useless and you don't want to put sand over ice because it insulates it. So, to answer your question, we
went from this much sand *gesturing a lot* to this much sand *gesturing zero* which is none. John-
The custodian/MTC maintenance salaries under facilities/grounds had been tracking in the mid 40's,
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but I can tell you definitively that number $1.5 million is what we have done so far on the full season
starting in project year 2017 and project year 2018. So, it might have been misrepresented in the slide,
2016 was a lower year and we probably only spent about $900K so on the next two years we are up to
about a $1.5 million, and $1.7 in the next year. Carl- So that's not the total. Jack- No that's not the
total, the debt exclusion is $4 million, a million dollars a year, and just in recent conversation with the
Town Accountant and the Town Manager, and I didn't say this, but we are not only under budget to
finish those roads but we are ahead of schedule. I'm not going to tell you how much we are going to
have left over, that's the cardinal sin, if we have any left over, but to justify to say we are ahead of
schedule, way ahead of schedule and under budget to that point of those roadways and what we
anticipated to spend. Carl- The $500K you put up, are we on track with that for the storm water piece
of it? Jack- I made a detailed presentation on that, I think you were away, on the expenditures against
that $500K and if memory serves me, we've got like somewhere between the high $70 to low $90's on
that. Carl- Okay I can take a look at that, so on the line item budgets the first thing that jumps out at
me when I looked, almost everything in the line items is literally exactly or close to exactly as the year
before. And in some items, it is the same as 2013 to the dollar, and that's just kind of a red flag for me,
how can every line item be the same as it was year after year after year and that's what brought me to
like to see what the actuals are because I don't believe the actuals are the same year after year. Some
are like $28K, traffic and signs are $28,253 every year, and just from a budgeting, I have done a lot of
budgeting and that just catches your eye. Jack- You've done a lot of budgeting but you have never
done any Municiple budgeting have you? Carl- I really don't see a lot of difference there. The drainage
is $18K every year since 2013, is that different from storm water management things? Jack- The last
word from the Town Manager and Town Accountant as we dissected it out this debt exclusion went
along. Before the exclusion happened, es that $18K went to drainage related materials and if I have a
target number I meet that target number do not go over, maybe ball park a little from this account or
that, but this is my 24th or 25" budget, I've never over expended, so maybe getting those numbers the
same means is that we are pretty good at getting those numbers and expending to tat number and
stopping expenditures. In terms to your question about the drainage, some of that drainage would go
toward areas in the pavement management because it can, other material of that might go to other
areas because not all drainage has to do with the pavement management plan although we
concentrate on that because that's where the energy is, paving. Carl- Under the Storm Water
Management, the $100K that's in there, that's unfortunate because that wasn't expected to be in the
budget, its $60K more than you had expected, from my understanding, that is basically all engineering
so are we spending $100K for studies or are we going to be able to get some work done with that or do
we hope the $100K gets reduced? It's next year's contract it's not all released. Jack- It's not all
engineering, there are tasks related to the engineering, it's going to be run by the engineer, there are
going to be checking out falls. Carl- It's engineering by the definition of procurement because we are
not going out to bid. Jack- maybe I can get you a better description on that. Carl- So there is no
separate money for the doing tasks? Jack- Nope. Carl- So if we want any money, we need to get it out
of that $100K, so we need to figure out how to get that money down. Jack- That as not unexpected,
we knew, I knew 5-years before we were going to spend $100K a year on storm water and I brought
that to the Town before there was a Storm Water Tasks Force, so that comes as no surprise to me. We
didn't plan well, and the folks in charge of doing that were obviously tasked with doing other things so
it didn't get done. Has to be a self-funded operation fully. Carl- The Traffic Sign and Devices, this is a
$28K line item, it's like $17,500 for lines in the roads, which i am very interested in, the new paved
roads are wonderful but we seem to have lost the lines, so this $17,500 is for the lines we are painting?
Jack- Yes, the lines we are painting, the roads, the handicap parking, the parking spaces, anything
white around town. Carl- So you think we will see lines on the roads anytime soon? Jack- We are now
doing roads on a rotation and obviously if something has faded more quickly, which often happens with
4.
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Gil Gulliv
actions now and is there money in here somewhere to address those? Jack- There is money in there
somewhere, there are no open actions right now, we just had our inspection done, and next year we
will be looking at revising the emergency action plan. We are on a rotating plan. One year we do
inspections and the next year we revise the emergency plan. The money that is in there for that does
not get touched unless we need it so that money is table-marked for compliance with the Shirley Damn
with the division of dam safety because if we give it back we will not see it.
• Public Schools
Dr. Burnham, Superintendent of Schools, presented their budget.
*Please see attachment*
Questions
Committee:
Hannah- Did you say you are trying to get a grant to pay for salary? Dr. Burnham- So we have Title 1
funding, it's an entitlement grant, we will get the grant, we have to write a proposal on how to spend
the money but every year we are allotted an amount of funds through Title 1, we have been advised
we will receive a $30K reduction to the Title money compared to the Title money we received this year.
I have to take a look at what actually comes in July, sometimes they warn us the cuts are coming and
sometimes they are not as severe as they caution that they will be. We prepare based on the
information that they provide us, so we are acting now based on the notion that we will be $30K less in
that grant line but we will see in July. If there is a way possible to fund that literacy coach position,
even if it is a part-time funding then we are going to look at that.
John- Your budget request is $21,029,000 compared to the Town Managers Target Budget $20,695,000
with a difference of 334,000 increase over that, you made a compelling case as to why you need that
money. The question is simple, if the additional money is not forth coming, how would you make
adjustments to your plans to accommodate the towns availability to pay? Dr. Burnham- So you see the
budget cuts that were proposed and you see the impacts, some of the impacts mean my administrative
team will be picking up some of the responsibility for areas that have been cut, the greatest impact you
will see is some shift in increase in class size at the High School for some courses such as our Advisory
Program, our Foreign Language classes, etc. John- I guess I asked the question poorly, could you
reshow me what the consequences are and is there a way to mitigate consequences of those
reductions in say staff positions under your plan, is there a way to mitigate the effects without
increasing your budget? Dr. Burnham-We spent hours and hours, literally, multiple meting sessions for
hours, pouring over the options and the choices you see presented to you this evening are the options
that have the least impact to students. There are other options that would have had a greater impact
on students, this is the best we can move forward at this time with the smallest amount of negative
impact for our students. There is really not any good way to mitigate what you see in those impact
statements. John- You talked about Virtual Highschool at the higher grades, how does that work and is
that a program that can be translated to the lower grades or not? Dr. Burnham- Virtual High School is
limited to high school, there are other options we can take a look at outside Virtual High School, we've
just recently started to explore some of those options and they can translate down to the Primary grade
level. We are not in any position to move forward in that regard in anyway because essentially that is
not face to face learning, it is totally online learning and it would not be my recommendation to move
to that model of learning in the early grades. It is more appropriate for the middle and high school, but
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Michelle- It looks like a big jump this year, is the way the budget is written this year or what you are
proposing, does it put us in a better position next year and in the years to come to not have this
regular increase or more than what we would have expected for an increase? Dr. Burnham- As far as a
budget proposal? Michelle- Yes. Dr. Burnham- No, in all honesty you saw the list of needs we identified
in our original work back in November, we took many positions off the list, because we know at the
time we were budgeting with a guideline of an 8% increase in our health insurance, so that was a
factor because every position you have to factor in the health insurance cost as well. That full list of
positions that we started this process with, factoring in that 8% for health insurance, would have been
an ask from the School Department of an 8% increase and that is not at all feasible or really doable in
any way, so that is when we prioritized this list. What do we have to have for the next year? Example
on tat have to have list, is 1st grade teacher, we currently have five 15 grade teachers. I currently have
6 Kindergarten teachers with a class size of 25 each. If those 6 Kindergarten classes move forward to
five 15 grade classrooms, those classes automatically are going to go to 30 in a classroom. Given that
and tie trot at that we kerg historically , at would now mean would have 32 students in each grade
grade classroom. That is not educationally sound. That can't happen. So, we have to find a way to put
that 15* grade teacher in, that is why that position stayed within this budget, it was in the original
proposed. It is in the 2.5% budget as well. The same need exists for the central office support. Over
time you know, in response to budget crisis in the past, with the economic collapse in example over a
decade ago, budget cuts for positions elimination, but the responsibilities are increasing, there are
constantly new responsibilities coming for tracking data, reporting data, etc. from the Department of
Education. More responsibilities, less people. People are jugging the work, honestly in some cases, the
work of three people and mistakes are made. Then you have man hours lost to correct the mistakes, it
not efficient and it's not timely so that is a position we absolutely have to have in order to have an
efficient operation. The Para Professional, they are not brand-new positions, they are positions that
have been acquired and are currently temporary and are being paid out of the substitute account but
they are employees that we need to carry because students I.E.P's (Individual Education Plan) now call
for that position for their support. Can't continue to carry them as day to day subs when I need the to
report to work every day so that "new" position is just going to be carried into the salary position of the
report. Michelle- I just want to make sure I asked the question correctly; I understand in this budget
cycle you are looking for an increase that is above what the Town Manager is recommending. Are we
going to go through this again in the next budget cycle? Dr. Burnham- Likely, unless there are new
needs that are identified between now and next November, the next big need I have will be to restore
a curriculum director type role. The district has been without somebody to lead curriculum in the district
since 2012, I think. That's really the nuts and bolts of what we do day in and day out, curriculum,
instruction, professional development, all of that work is vilely important. It's not as important as the
need for a 1s grade teacher which is why it is not in this year's budget requests. You will likely see that
position in a budget when I come back next year. Michelle- And the same level of increase in the entire
budget? Dr. Burnham- I can't say that, I really don't know, I can tell you that I continue to learn the
ways in which the district is operating. There is some high level of conversations that need to be had
mainly at the middle school and high school around course offerings, course pathways, if there are
different was that we can approach the instructional model. Potentially with some reorganization there
can be reductions in FTE (Full Time Employees) that can offset the increases that I am asking for. I
don't know if they would be a completely be a net zero. I can't say that I wouldn't be asking for some
bit of an increase, but you have my word that I will do my best to find those places that we can to cut
the cost to have those increases in.
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being a high school teacher myself, I would say the best place to increase sizes in the classroom would
be the high school. Marc- Okay, thank you.
Hannah- I have a question but it is actually for Town Manager, the 2.5% that you recommend, is it
because in the charter we voted on not going above 2.5% for taxes or? Town Manager- No, starting in
December when the budget is sent out departments were sent target budgets, it was all to balance the
budget at that point and time with the revenues that we knew that we projected at that time.
Public:
Carl Luck, 50 Sunset Lane- I have a question not particular to the school's budget but impact upon the
Town particularly OPEB, of the adds, how many new adds are there with full benefits? Michael Cassidy
(Business Manager/HR Manager)- Of all the new budgeted full-time positions, we had a portion of those
positions that we budgeted benefits. Just knowing the percentage, the % of para professionals I
applied that to new positions and for the new teacher I automatically applied some insurance to that
position. Carl- I'm not worried about the cost because the cost is ail in your school; I am trying to track
the OPEB impacts which is just how many full-time benefit people will be added there that will show up
in our OPEB liability. Is there a number, was it 1, 2, 3, 4? Michael Cassidy- I believe there was probably
around 4.
4. Committee/Department updates.
Committee
Public Access Cable-Marc
Capital Planning-John H.
Dept. of Public Works - John H
Department updates
Following up on the conversation relative to the fuel
tanks and I have collected the data on the gallons of
gasoline and diesel collected for the last 3-4 FY's and I
am getting at what cost we paid for buying in bulk
relative to the pump price, and I have one more thing
to follow up on, the pump price of premium.
COA - John H
Library- Michelle W.
Police Dept - Marc
Fire Dept - George
Schools - Hannah
Monty Tech - Hannah
Green Comm Task Force-Jay
Sewer Commission —Jay
Charter Review Comm - Terri
5. Minutes
John Motioned to accept the minutes of 2.28.2019 Hannah Second. Vote 6-0.
6.
Town Manager/Financial Officer Reports
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now for several months, we have a 4.x number and 2.5 number, which number is the recommendation of
the Superintendent and School Committee today? Heather Sroka, our next meeting in in April. Terri- Okay,
at this point then just because there are people watching that can't hear a thing that is coming from over
there, is it sounds like basically based on some of the information that has come forward, it sounds like that
the School Committee will be meeting in April to further adjust the budget as it is. And I'm sure at this
point, do you have an idea of what the gap is between the Town Budget and the Schools? Dr. Burnham- It's
approximately $334,000. Terri- Is that of the level service budget or what is asked? Dr. Burnham- It's the in
between from my recommended 4.2% budget and the Town Managers 2.5% budget. Terri- Okay. Did that
answer your question? Peter- It did but it raised another one, which is you just pointed out that the Finance
Committee is making your budget recommendations on March 26? Terri- March 28th
for the warrant articles that are going to Town Meeting. At that time, the Town Manager will present the
numbers that will be part of the recommendation at Town Meeting. Finance Committee will at that time vote
to make any recommendations or make any movements, there may be movements that are suggested at
the interim. The process is, at the Public Hearing, action will be taken for the Finance Committee to makes
its recommendation to Town Meeting. Peter- Okay, maybe I am the only person in the room that sees
things a little out of sorts here as far as order, so is it appropriate for the Town Manager and the Finance
Committee to make a recommendation on the overall budget without a recommendation from the School
Department budget from the School Committee and Superintendent? Because so far, we don't have one, we
have an explanation of line items but we don't have an explanation on a budget. Terri- I don't know
whether it makes sense but, basically that is how the schedule is going to go based on how the School
Committee is going to be meeting and when we have the Public Hearing. The Public Hearing is by charter
and bylaw required to be when it is. Peter- I understand. Is this a normal course of procedure? Terri- Yes.
Whether or not they have had their additional recommendations prior to our Public Hearing, might have
changed over time, but basically the procedure the way it does go. And again, there are going to be
meetings between the Town Manager and the Schools going right up until that night. Peter- I understand
that, I am fairly familiar with the process although I find this one a little bit concerning, somewhat to do
with the schedule of events as they have occurred of the course of the last several months. School
Department explained it that of their goals of the School Committee are late forward, the last was is the
communication and collaboration. And it sounds like there has been a lot of communication and
collaboration amongst the School Department, the individual members of the School Committee, and the
administration, but there has not been a lot of communication and collaboration between the public and the
parents about the much effects of a 2.5% budget. That's fairly new information. It was published in a letter
It was theshedi and ter
from the Town Manager that came out in the Ledger in February, there was a rumor that came out the
weekend before last that the Foreign Language and extracurricular activities were about to be cut in the
School Department, and discussed openly at a School Committee meeting, I believe for the first tie openly,
last Wednesday. There has not been a large discussion amongst the parents and the community at large of
the effects of what is going to happen in this town when these funding decisions take place. We are looking
at a new assistant Town Manager, we are looking at new operations person in the School Department, we
have a Lunenburg Middle/High School that as two principles in it, and I believe 5 gym teachers and we are
cutting our Foreign Language program, we are going to have one spoken language in the Lunenburg
schools, no language in the middle school, no after school extracurricular activities in the high school, and I
believe this needs some scrutiny, think it needs some leadership on the School Committee to go out there
and fight for more money. 7% in one department, 9% in another department, 11% in another department,
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there is such a thing from the School Department as a level service buget because I saw one thing from a
slide that was not touched on and first would like to know what a level service budget is from one year to
another? And my last comment, I can get that from them, I think a lot of the things that I heard from the
School Department at the School Committee meeting last week have a lot to do with the curriculum that I
would have to agree with the previous speaker. You would think you would involve a lot more from the
parents. Someone that doesn't have children in the school or children at all, I am still concerned that
curriculum choices such as the reduction of one spoken language, that was the one that was probably the
most startling in a School Department and school district that prides itself on being out there teaching a
broad range of subjects, broad range of not just sciences and math's, but the arts, and language, and
cultures as well. That struck me, you would think that reduction of that type would be discussed really early
on and have a lot of input from the all players, not just the School Committee and School Department. So
just three comments to think to consider and I will take the answers from my level service question from my
seat.
Dr. Burnham- As a point of clarification, it's not that there will be no clubs at the high school, we will have
to reduce the number of clubs offered at the high school but there will stll be clubs running. Additionally, we
are not eliminating down to one language being offered, next year we will still have a French offering for
students currently on the French track, they will be able to continue that advanced track as far as they
would like to take it including all the way to A.P. French. We will still have an offering of Spanish and Latin
in our Foreign Language program. And really, we have seen an increase in the registrations for our Latin
offering, which is why currently it is a stronger area of interest for our students. It's not that we are wishing
to eliminate curriculum options but we will gradually phase this out, we will follow the students that are in it.
I am happy to having discussions about retaining perhaps French I and French II but nothing beyond that
eventually. We just cannot sustain the three languages that are currently being offered based on student
interest and registration for the courses. As far as a level service budget we didn't get down into the details
of that because essentially that means we keep exactly what we have nothing more. That percentage
increase, quite frankly, is currently below the 2.5% target. So, to have a discussion about the service
budget, it just doesn't make sense, it does not give us what we need. Honestly, the target budget will give
us more of what we need, but even to hit that target budget, to get the additional positions that are
needed, we have to make reductions and adjustments elsewhere. And there is just not enough room in
supply lines and other expenses to recover that kind of a gap, over $300K. The operational budgets are
honestly very lean. We don't have a lot of wiggle room. I'm a little bit nervous at what to anticipate for that
Kindergarten class coming in. If we need that the Kindergarten classroom, it's not in this budget. So, it's as
lean as we can get it to the 2.5%. It's not what I would recommend, it is not that I am requesting. That's
the target that we have to live with. Those are the cuts that we would recommend. Again, to have the least
negative impact to students, they will still have curriculum offerings, they will still have athletics, we are not
cutting athletics, we are not cutting the arts. We are still scaling down in one language but still they have
choices.
Hannah- You are scaling down to Latin and Spanish, am I under the impression that it is one teacher that
does both? I have a high schooler so I don't get all the information all the time correct but trying to
understand it. Dr. Burnham- So this is the nature of things that get a little tricky, we have some teachers,
Foreign Language teachers that have licenses in multiple languages. It's one of those things where you
have a teacher of Math you have a Math license, you don't have an Algebra I license, Geometry license, a
Calculus license. In the Foreign Languages, you have to be licensed in a particular language, we have some
that have multiple licenses. They can teach Spanish and French. We have one teacher that is licensed in
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to say t again here and am going to keep saying It, because i don't feel as if it is being conveyed enough,
it's not just what I feel, but my current students feel, and it's what my past students feel when they
discovered that my program, our program in Lunenburg, which has been in Lunenburg for decades and
decades and decades is being dismantled. Are the numbers lower? Yes, they are. And I was talking to
somebody else, also a long time Lunenburg resident, that had heard about it and I said Yes, it's being
phased out and she said that's terrible, I went to Acton schools and I took Russian and in my senior year we
had a class of four and we just had the most amazing experience in a Russian class of four. I realize there
are incredible budgetary demands at the lower levels; I am not saying that those should not be met. It's
absurd to have a class of thirty 1st graders in one classroom. I do not know how money can be changed
and reallocated but I am going to say a few things about not just the Foreign Language program but some
things that are being affected that made a huge difference to kids. The first is advisory, we instituted that
purpose for our accreditation through NEAS because we needed to address the social and emotional needs
of our students, it has been a wonderful experience in most advisories and we are coming up for an
accreditation process and we are going to take that away. Which we put in place specifically to satisfy the
demands of the NEASC committee. In the goals that we put up in the beginning of the Lunenburg Public
Schools, we want to offer a well-rounded education, that should include choices for students and I have a
problem with looking at languages and saying because it is not the most popular, we should take it away.
Because when you are a child, as any parent would know, your child has certain interest and you want to
try to expose them to as many things as possible so they can grow into directions that maybe they had
never considered. By offering three languages, student get that possibility. They can grow in ways that they
had never expected. To look at French numbers and say, they are the lowest numbers so that program has
to go is just devaluing to the kid's experiences that have happened for years and years and years. The
schools need more money. This is a program that I think needs to be preserved. It's been here for decades.
We are losing a Foreign Language teacher that is a full-time Spanish teacher from Uruguay, she's a native
speaker, she's young, energetic, fantastic, and we are losing her and increasing class sizes in all Spanish
classes. These kinds of cuts may be small numerically have a small impact but they have a ripple effect. It's
going to decimate our program. We have two languages and one of which isn't spoken. Okay so Latin
numbers are growing, that's fantastic, I'm sorry it's a different kind of a skill to read Latin and transiate
Latin, but try speaking it. That's a skill that is valuable. But these are skills that are extremely important to a
well-rounded student should be. We should be the district that preserves these kinds of choices for our kids.
Thank you.
Tom Alonzo-wanted to publicly apologize to the School Committee because they did have handouts for
their slides.
Carl Luck, 50 Sunset Lane- I would like to go back to my starting public comment and formally requests at
least a copy of the towns budget with expenses to date on the line items, I got to believe that at least exists
somewhere and I would like to request a copy of that for the towns budget at least. Terri- Karen Brochu will
be posting that on the Towns Website.
Marc- I am in a lucky position that I get to speaks four different languages. Yes, I learned it the hard way
because my parents moved me to a country that I didn't speak. It was like, here's the school, it starts at
7am on Monday, have fun. I need to say it was an interesting but great experience. I can leverage all my
languages only on a daily basis. In the job I am an IT, it helps a lot to address people in the language that
they want to be spoken too. I still struggle with the Canadian French but that's something different. But I
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9.
Adjournment
Hannah made a motion at 9:50pm. John second. Vote 6-0
Attachments:
DPW Line Item
Lunenburg Public School Line Item
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