Good Coverage of School Budget
This is why I just adore having three citizen blogs in the city of Lowell (besides also having the CM’s blog). There’s always something being covered that I can’t, and then I can just write about it. 
Jackiedoherty.org reports that:
As noted in today’s Sun, Lowell City Manager Bernie Lynch informed Superintendent Baehr yesterday that the city could provide an additional $200,000 in funds for the schools next year, enabling the restoration of four key positions to its FY09 budget. The enhanced communication between the city and its schools, along with an early commitment from the state on its education funding, have improved the school budget process—even though the approved budget required extensive staffing cuts due to limited resources.
Good news, indeed. Ah, to have professionals running the show at last…
There will be cuts, however. With a 1% increase in the budget, a very modest one considering health care and cost-of-business inflation, which is far more than 1%, Jackie notes we’ll have a loss of 60 positions. She tells us that “This is the seventh year in a row of school cuts that total 360 positions eliminated since 2002.” Though the schools are doing the best they can with what they have, we are losing the battle for quality education. The trend must reverse soon if we’re to keep making good gains for our students.
Go read the rest of Jackie’s post, which has other good info. And Margaret also writes about the Citywide Parent’s Council meeting tonight (televised on channel 22), which will feature a Q&A with school department administrators, as well as a call for interested parents to join the board of the CPC, which will be chosen tonight.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
My question is: Are the “four key positions” teachers or just administrators? What about the list of other priority positions to be restored?
I hope I’m wrong, but something tells me they’re not all teaching positions.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:36 am
And “administrative” positions are not vital, right?
So sick of that argument, if that’s where you were headed. So far as I can tell, there is no evidence that there’s too much “overhead” administration in Lowell schools (ie “wasteful” administrative positions). Key positions could be teachers, but running a school isn’t a one-person job either. A “key position” could be a school nurse, or guidance councilors, a librarian or people who work in the office or the cafeteria.
If people are so concerned about how much “administrative” jobs there are in schools, why don’t they go and volunteer their time full time doing that work so we can lessen the “admin” costs, then? Save us the money.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Lynne, when they go asking for more money, they always claim that they will have to layoff teachers, not cafetaria workers. So yes, it does matter.