|
Home
Up
News
Contact Information
Member Directory
Next Meeting
Search
Links
| |
MARS Board Meeting Minutes
February 12, 2008
Present: Christine Lynch, Steve Hemmen, David J. Ferreira, David Papagni,
Michael Zapantis, Mindy Kempner, Maureen Marshall, Gene Carlo, Dee Dee Niswonger
MARS FUTURE
MARS Board of Director members who are interested in being part of a
subcommittee to determine possible future directions for MARS please contact
either me, at niswonger@comcast.net
(or 413 268 3607) or Maureen Marshall at
mmarshal@nmiddlesex.mec.edu or Gene Carlo at
ecarlo@assabet.org to indicate your interest. There will be one
meeting on Monday, March 3 at 1:30 at Assabet. This meeting is intentionally in
advance of the regular March MARS meeting so that at the regular meeting the
subcommittee will be prepared to make suggestions to the other Board members and
attending MARS members and to have a sound discussion of the future of the
organization. It is therefore very important that all the Board members plan to
attend the regular March meeting on the 11. It is also important that we have
good participation at the subcommittee level. Please take this opportunity to
help work out a good future plan for MARS.
CHAPTER 70 AND OTHER NUMBERS
The Governor’s budget numbers are seen as “good” for Chapter 70 and for minimum
contributions. They might increase but it is very unlikely that they will go
down. With 2 billion in the “rainy day” fund, the state is not going to touch
the DoE’s minimum contribution numbers.
Included in the budget is 147 million covering many items of real use for all
districts and they should be heartily supported to your local reps and senators.
Every district can benefit from this money.
E & D
We need to thank Chris Lynch for her understanding of and support for a sound
solution to the E & D issue. More about that in the future.
There are fourteen districts that have not yet certified their E & D. There is
now language from the DoR that allows the DoE to withhold state aid to those
districts. The DoE does not want to do this but may be forced by the language to
do so. E & D is supposed to be certified in October.
LOTTERY
The “lottery has tanked” is a common refrain, and one with serious implications.
The Governor has budgeted $835 million in lottery money and $124 million from
casino fees to bring cities and towns up to $959 million for cities and towns.
Since the cities and towns are not interested in losing that money the lobbying
for it will be intense and if the casino plan does not fly, then the $124 will
have to come from somewhere else, such as the $147 million mentioned above. The
state government is not going to take the political hit of not paying out the
money these cities and towns expect so they will find the money. Therefore it is
incumbent upon each and all in education to work hard to retain those $147
million dollars for education.
CASINOS
The greater importance of casinos is seen by some as the ripple effect on local
employment if one or all are built: restaurants, gas stations, and so forth all
stand to benefit from increased business, as well as the employment the casino
can provide.
The possibility of casinos working as convention centers offers huge benefits.
SECRETARY OF EDUCATION CABINET POSITION
There is concern that such a position will interfere with the currently good
working relationship between districts, the DoE, and the BoE. It is of concern
that the Secretary of Education could undo decisions made by the later groups
and undercut the educational directions in the Commonwealth. The legislature
appears to favor the cabinet position. To nix it they will have to act; if they
don’t act it appears that the change will just go ahead and happen.
REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION
Some districts have expressed concern because they did not get a full 50% in
this first reimbursement payment. One should not expect 50%. 40% is more likely.
Ultimately for 08 you should get 90- 91%. If you fill out your reports wrong,
and some do, your numbers will not be what you want.
Any special needs student riding as a regular student can be counted for
reimbursement, but any special needs student being transported as a special
needs student cannot be reimbursed. There is no reimbursement for SPED
transportation, but a SPED student traveling as a regular student can be counted
as regular. An ed plan requiring travel makes that transportation SPED and not
reimbursable.
There are two ways to figure transportation, by student and by miles. If you do
it per student you use equal per student; if you do mileage you correctly
increase your reimbursable expenses but you have to assign a cost to every
student, even those within the 2 mile limit who aren’t reimbursable. (This
subject will be on the MARS agenda for March)
The DoE is studying various problems associated with providing routing software
or access to such for all, supported by $400,000 available for use. Universal
software could be made available, thereby providing easy access to data.
On May 13, probably costing $25.00, there will be a MASBO workshop session on
transportation. This event will be the day before the MASBO Annual Conference,
in Harwich at the Wequassett Resort. Through Chris Lynch MARS will send out the
agenda when it is available, and those desiring to attend can directly contact
MASBO.
MEDICAID CUTS
These cuts are particularly serious in cities with multi million dollar losses.
Yet another fight here to try to preserve this federal money.
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
|
Massachusetts Association of
Regional Schools