By Melissa Fales
Reporter
Paquette notes favorable changes in School Choice numbers
Andrew Paquette of the Management Solution offered a budget update for fiscal year 2013 at the Jan.30 meeting of the School Committee. Paquette noted an increase of approximately $6000 in the amount the district will take in as tuition for students who are School Choicing into Ware schools. He added that the amount the district pays for tuition of students who are School Choicing out of the district has decreased by approximately $18,000.
Other budget news
Paquette added that the cost of transportation to and from school for homeless students is projected to go over budget by approximately $12,000. He noted that the town, not the school, pays for transportation costs.
Dr. Mary-Elizabeth Beach, Superintendent, said she’s had the first budget meeting with the administrative team to review the requests for the district’s fiscal year 2014 budget. “We’re over by about half a million,” she said.
Beach warned the committee against getting too excited about the proposed $600,000 increase in the amount of Chapter 70 funding to the district, based on Governor Deval L. Patrick’s budget. “We need to temper that excitement with the knowledge that this is the first go-around,” she said. Paquette explained that the district has 32 more students this year than last year, leading to the increase in funding.
Beach added that the first draft of the district’s fy2014 budget does not include any potential reimbursement from the town for the money owed due to its erroneously including retired teacher’s health insurance costs in the net school spending figures. “We did not build any of that into the budget,” Beach said.
Committee approves hiring Jennifer Knight as SMK nurse
The Committee voted to approve hiring Jennifer Knight to serve as the full-time school nurse at Stanley M. Koziol Elementary School. Voters at the Special Town Meeting in November approved the hiring of an additional nurse so that each of the three schools would have a full-time nurse on duty. Marie Haley will become the nurse at Ware Middle School and Jane Saletnik will be the nurse at Ware Junior Senior High School. Beach said Kinght’s first day will be Monday, Feb. 4.
Beach introduces her intern, Dr. Sherri Killins
Beach introduced Dr. Sherri Killins, who will be interning with her. Killins has been the Commissioner of Early Education and Care for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since 2009. Killins said she was looking forward to working with the children of the district and thanked Beach for the opportunity.
Concerned citizen suggests Project Purple presentation
Aaron Sawabi, who led the meeting in Chair Christopher Desjardins’ absence, shared information he received in an email from a concerned citizen. The citizen recommended that the district considering offering a drug education program called Project Purple. Project Purple was established by former Celtics player, Chris Herren, and aims to assist individuals and families who are struggling with substance addiction. Herren, who was at one time addicted to heroin, now travels to schools to deliver his positive message to students. Beach said she was looking into whether the district wanted to pursue having a Project Purple presentation and that she was discussing the idea with the school adjustment counselors and administrators. Sawabi thanked the citizen for her suggestion. “I really appreciate her taking the time to send us this information and giving us something to think about,” he said.
The School Committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 13.
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