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MARS Board Meeting Minutes
January 9, 2007
Present: Reza Namin, Rep. Chris Donelan, Steve Hemman, Mike Zapantis, David
Papagni, Gene Carlo, Mindy Kempner, Joe Kurland, Maureen Marshall, Marguerite
Willis, Dee Dee Niswonger
PROPOSED REGIONAL REGULATIONS
Confusion about proposed regional regulations has continued even though, at this
time, there has been no vote on the proposal by the BoE and therefore, there is
no change yet. Furthermore, the originally proposed changes have been
substantially changed so that, except for adding clarity to what we already had,
there really are no changes. Please note that until the BoE acts, probably at
the end of January on the current draft, the old regulations still are in place.
In all likelihood, the most recent draft (developed by the DoE) will be adopted
at the end of January BoE meeting. To see the most current draft please go to
the DoE web site. Please also note that Chapter 71, Section 16B is the law and
is what both our present regulations and the current draft elucidate. One of the
areas covered by the original proposal was E & D. All the proposed changes have
been deleted in the current draft. E & D accounts are to continue to be 5%
coming forward, handled by action of the school committee, as reported in school
committee meeting minutes, with action taken on specific amounts for specific
purposes. Voting a blanket sum for an administrator to use as needed in not a
legal action. The certification of your E & D money is required. If you are
delayed in requesting certification because of the scheduling of your audit,
please contact the DoR so that they are apprised of your intent.
As far as assessment: Chapter 70 is the law and is the method to be followed
unless a vote by the school committee is taken to use the regional agreement
method. Following the school committee vote it is necessary to get 100%
agreement of the member towns. The 100% vote authorizes the use of the regional
agreement method; it does not vote on the assessment sum. That is a separate
vote. Using the regional agreement method means that a community that sees
itself benefiting one year may see that it loses another year. The October 1
enrollment count changes in two ways: actual number of students may increase or
decrease and/or the percentage of students may increase or decrease. Thus what
is beneficial, fiscally, one year, may not be another year, and therefore the
vote to use the regional agreement method is an annual vote. If the school
committee does not take a vote the Chapter 70 method (ability to pay method)
will be used. It can be difficult for a community to see that while the dollar
per pupil regional agreement looks fair, the equity resulting from the ability
to pay method can be more beneficial.
AGGREGATE WEALTH AND FOUNDATION BUDGET ADEQUACY
The legislature received praise for the aggregate wealth method instituted for
07. It continues to be seen as fair and equitable. 64% of communities will see
their mandated contribution fall, but the remaining 36% need to increase their
contributions and that may take longer than the phase in period for the
decreasing 64%. In some cases districts are put in a serious enough bind that
they need to access the “pot-hole” money, set aside for emergency use. The
decrease in required local contributions has to be made up by increased state
aid by making the foundation budget reflect real costs of education, by an
adequate Foundation budget.
TRANSPORTATION
The DoE’s budget adds 2 million to the regional transportation line item for
FY08. We are suggesting that districts not budget the increase until we have
fuller information, such as what appears in House One. For FY07 expect about 40%
of your ’07 reimbursement shortly, and the rest at the end, as usual.
There may be legislation filed to put regional transportation into the
foundation budget. The thinking behind this is that during poor fiscal times the
line item would not stand out as easy picking by those who don’t have regional
districts. A concern about inclusion is that by separating regional
transportation from the foundation budget, we don’t automatically get hit by
both a cut in the foundation and in transportation. Most recently, when most
regions experienced a 20% cut in Chapter 70 we were able to prevent as deep a
cut in the separate transportation line item.
Cities and towns receive both lottery aid and additional assistance as line
items not available to regions. Regions receive regional transportation aid.
When regions receive transportation aid, their cities and towns don’t have to
pay for that portion of the transportation cost reimbursed by the aid. The
argument goes on and on, annually, over this because there are always new
players, every year.
HOUSE ONE
House One, the Governor’s budget, will be later than usual this year because a
new Governor has an extra month to build his first budget. Expect House One the
end of February.
MOHAWK AND FOUNDATION BUDGET ADEQUACY
Mohawk is the regional district with the most severe examples of effects of
declining enrollment. Because the foundation budget is enrollment based,
declining enrollment districts such as Mohawk suffer. The formula works well in
enrollment flat or growing districts. Once again, the pot hole money needs to be
available for extremes. Analyzing the end-of-year-report for effects for
declining enrollment and population density may show cost distinctions. MARS
will be trying to depict a statistical picture of problems that may be
particular to geographically large, low population districts, such as are most
common in the western segment of the state.
Taking a analytical look at the foundation budget potentially opens Pandora’s
Box because the truth of fiscal problems is real and the solution includes money
and no one knows if there is the money to pay for what may be uncovered. It is
easier not to look.
THANK YOU TO REZA NAMIN and to CHRIS DONELAN
The January meeting was made very interesting for us by being held at Ralph C
Mahar regional middle and high school in Orange. Superintendent Namin provided
muffins and a delicious coffee cake for 8 am, and hosted a brief tour of the
building with emphasis on their media center that is a wonderful space filled
with natural light. Thank you very much, Reza, for your hospitality.
Minutes respectfully submitted by
Dee Dee Niswonger
For More Information Contact:
Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools
P.O. Box 334, Williamsburg, MA 01096-0334
Tel: 413-268-3607
E-mail:
niswonger@comcast.net
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Massachusetts Association of
Regional Schools