Reading School Committee Hears Growing Needs Of Special Ed

The Reading School Committee, minus one member along with much of the emotion of a year ago, continued its budget work at the RMHS Schettini Library Thursday night.

The Regular Day and Special Education budgets for FY2020 were the focus of a three-hour meeting that was held minus Sherri VandenAkker, who resigned from the committee last week. Also missing were many of the parents and teachers who filled the room a year ago when proposed cuts fueled a passionate response. When Reading passed its override last April it meant $2,654,969 additional dollars for the school system. This year's message to the town is much different than last winter.

"Since the last Superintendent's budget message one year ago, there have been significant fiscal changes in our district, most of it has been positive," said Superintendent John Doherty in his overview. "For the first time in my 10 years developing and recommending budgets, I do not have to focus my introductory message on the funding challenges facing our school district."

That doesn't mean Reading doesn't face challenges, especially when it comes to the growing cost of special education. Of the five cost centers, special ed has the largest increase. The $14,927,638 request is 7.4 percent above last year. Regular Day, which comprises 58.1 percent of the budget, asked for $27,0115,632, an increase of 1.4 percent.

"We are spending tax payer's dollars, we understand that, we get it," said Sharon Stewart, Interim Director of Student Services.

From cost of living adjustments, to the need for additional staff, to increases in out-of-district tuition and transportation, special education is a challenge for school systems across the state and it's only getting worse. Even with the budget increase, its possible that other costs will force the school department to ask for additional funding from the April or November town meeting. Principals Beth Leavitt (Barrows) and Sarah Marchant (Coolidge) illustrated some of those challenges at their schools.

Much of the increase in the Regular Day budget comes from teacher salaries including cost of living adjustments and salary steps as a result of collective bargaining agreements.

The Superintendent's Recommended Budget now faces a public hearing next Thursday (Jan. 24) followed by a vote by the School Committee on Jan. 28.

One member of the committee wasn't revealing his future plans. Nick Boivin's seat is up in April and he said Thursday he wasn't making his decision known until after the committee finished its budget work ... with VandenAkker's departure, the committee by law must tell the Select Board of the vacancy within 30 days. Committee chair Elaine Webb will attend next Tuesday's Select Board meeting. The committee's feeling is that the vacancy should be left unfilled until the April 2 town election. Even if they wanted to fill the spot, it's up to the Select Board to fill the vacancy and the process takes time. The feeling was that by the time a new member was selected, he/she would only join them for one March meeting before the election. Webb felt that didn't make sense and if asked will convey those feelings to the Select Board ... Doherty said the Rise Preschool will start at 8 a.m. next year ... Doherty also warned of potential postponements this weekend and with Martin Luther King Day events because of the incoming storm. Coolidge has already moved its Sunday musical to Saturday and will now have shows at 2 and 7:30 p.m. More changes could be coming Friday.

Photo by Bob Holmes