Middle Schools Take Biggest Hit In School Budget

It was a matter-of-fact statement made with little emotion, but it set the tone for the night. Reading School Superintendent John Doherty started Monday's School Committee meeting by presenting a budget that he said, "is not in the best interest of the students of Reading." It didn't take long to see why.

The superintendent's recommended budget for 2019 included deep cuts to the middle schools including the elimination of the language program, along with a reduction in the number of high school athletic games, and the loss of four elementary school teachers. For a guy who started as a middle school teacher at Coolidge more than three decades ago and has been Reading's Superintendent since 2009, Monday's meeting at the high school library was frustrating.

"What were seeing right now is the dismantling of programs that were here 30 years ago. That's the thing that's most frustrating. We're doing things that are not supporting kids. I said this at the beginning, this is not a good budget for kids," said Doherty.

That FY19 budget represents the fifth straight year that Doherty has been unable to present a level-service budget, meaning even a same-as-last-year budget is impossible. As he explained, "over the last several years, consecutive below level service budgets have resulted in a slow dismantling of our school district, all during a time of tremendous change in education."

When all costs were factored in, the bottom line was a school budget with a projected deficit of $843,551. That meant cuts and they include:

■ 7 middle school teachers, including the elimination of foreign languages and the double literacy block.

■ 4 elementary school teachers, meaning higher class sizes in upper elementary grades.

■ 2 regular education tutors

■ Elimination of the after-school elementary chorus program and the Virtual High School at RMHS.

The middle school cuts came after last budget season when those same teaching positions were cut, only to be saved by an infusion of $100,000 of free cash from the town. But that just delayed the same cut until this year.

"We made it very clear last year that we would not be able to sustain those cuts, that we would have to bring those cuts back up to FY17 levels this year," said Doherty. "We did it for one year to save the middle school structuring piece."

In addition, athletics at the high school would take a hit with varsity, junior varsity, and freshmen teams all playing less non-league games. The planned elimination of two games would save on transportation and officials costs. Middlesex League games would not be effected and varsity football would continue to play a full schedule.

"We felt that this was a better cut because it effects everyone but it's also not going to eliminate any sports or exclude kids," said Doherty.

The reason for the cuts goes back to what Doherty calls "budget drivers" and they're too numerous to list, even for a story living on the internet. But the 98-page budget explanation handed out at the library included contractual increases in salary and benefits to employees, a $200,000 drop in state reimbursements for special education, an increase in athletic expenses partly due to an increase in coaches' salaries along with rental fees for pool and ice rink time, and the hiring of 10 teachers required because of increased kindergarten enrollment along with special education needs. The full explanation of the budget is on the school department website.

The good news on a bleak but not unexpected night is that there's a long way to go and the recommended budget isn't necessarily the final budget.

The process continues Wednesday when Doherty and Director of Finance Gail Dowd will present the two remaining cost centers (or budget categories), to the School Committee -- Regular Day and Special Education. Monday's meeting focused on Administration, Facilities, and Districtwide programs.

On Thursday it's your turn, with public comment invited in addition to what Doherty called the "reconstruction, or override budget." That reconstruction budget will include a wish-list of items for the School Committee to add back into the budget should the Board of Selectmen authorize an override vote April 3. The School Committee will vote on the final budget at its meeting Jan. 22.

Photo by Bob Holmes