RON RIX
WESTFIELD – Mayor Brian P. Sullivan opened the School Committee meeting on Monday in the auditorium of South Middle School for the FY2019 budget presentation presented by Chief Financial Officer Ronald R. Rix.
The FY19 budget Rix presented totals $61,540,790, which is a 2.25% increase of $1,365,775 over FY18.
Rix began his presentation by citing the district priorities for the region, the first is to ensure a smooth transition in the fall. Other top priorities include maintaining class sizes of 20 students in grades K-2, and 25 in grades 3-12.
Expanding career and college opportunities and continued academic growth at all levels, and positive district and school climates are also priorities, as is integrating technology into the curriculum. Attending to deferred maintenance and safety both remain a priority for the district.
“We built our budget based upon our need to redistrict, and meet the needs of the kids,” Rix said.
Rix then highlighted some of the changes in the coming year, in terms of expenses. There is $1.1 million in additional staff costs, due to a contractual 2.5% salary increase. He said there is also a savings of $300,000 in severance, which will be eliminated over the next five years, decreasing by half each year.
Rix said the personnel versus expense budgets are still at 80% to 20%. 67.5% of personnel are Unit A teachers and counselors, and 9% paraprofessionals; totaling 76.5% hands-on positions, according to Rix.
There are also anticipated increases in insurance, settlements, and substitutes, totaling $214,000.
The cost of transportation is going up by $308,000. Rix said the cost increase includes one mini-van. The district will explore implementing a transportation fee for grades 7-12, in order to reduce the number of empty seats. Rix said that the district is required by law to transport students who live further than 1.5 miles, but the fees would reduce saving the seats for students who don’t take the bus. Transportation makes up 30% of the district expenses.
Rix said the district will also look at increasing the parking fees at both high schools, which would then be used to improve the parking lots. He also anticipates a savings in utilities of $34,000, due to the lighting fixture changes and other cost savings implemented by Westfield Gas & Electric.
Out of district vocational tuition is decreasing by $67,000; and leases by $90,400, due to students returning from Russell elementary school.
Three costs formerly on the city side of the budget include $106,000 for trash pick-up, which the city has privatized. Also new to the school budget is the technology and PowerSchool line item of $112,000, and Safety (CopSync) of $28,000; the three changes totaling approximately $250,000.
“I hope people don’t think the city put the burden on the schools,” said Mayor Sullivan. He said the city has gone to a third party vendor for trash pickup, and is changing the routes. He said by splitting the routes between the city and the school district, the city is saving money.
Sullivan also said the Technology and PowerSchool item is an opportunity for the district to have a dedicated technology person in house, which they need. He said CopSync is the notification and safety system for the schools. He added that they are looking at other programs to see if there are better ones.
Special Education programs will also increase by $218,000. Another $75,000 increase is for the Career Center, a priority of the district to offer students expanded career and college opportunities.
$52,000 will be realized in savings in textbooks and materials, as the district moves to online educational materials.
Rix said the district has received nearly $4 million in grants, an increase over FY17. “We made some real strategic moves with grants,” he said.
Enrollment at the new charter school in West Springfield could potentially mean a loss of $400,000 to the city in funding, Rix said. There will be openings for 71 students each in West Springfield, Agawam and Westfield. “We are going to be impacted by that,” Rix said.
Ward Two Councilor Ralph J. Figy
Ramon Diaz, Jr. said the district can’t reduce staff because some students choose to go to a charter school. “It does affect us and take funding away, but we don’t get to reduce staff,” he said.
“More students are coming in than going out,” Mayor Sullivan said. He also said that he is working with Rep. John C. Velis and Sen. Donald F. Humason to get maximum funding from the state.
School Committee vice-chair Kevin Sullivan said the district would be at a level-funded budget without the impact of the charter school, the move of $230,000 from the city side of the budget , and the $300,000 increases in special education and expanded ELL (English language learners) programs in Munger Hill and the high school.
“If you go back two years, we’d be at level funding. I asked everyone to level fund, knowing we had a 2.5% increase in contracts,” the Mayor added.
Diaz, who chairs the Finance sub-committee, said they will be going through the budget line-by-line at their meeting on April 30 at 7 p.m. Following that meeting, a final recommendation will be given to the School Committee for a vote.
“I’d like to congratulate the Superintendent and his team for getting the budget out this early,” said Ward 2 Councilor Ralph J. Figy, liaison to the School Committee with At-large Councilor Brent B. Bean, II.
“We understand we are going through structural changes, grade realignment and redistricting. We appreciate the hard work and timely submission for the FY19 budget with a focus on student achievement,” Bean said.
