Parents Say They Hoped for More in Watertown School Budget

Watertown parents objected to the school budget proposal presented Tuesday night to the Town Council, saying they did not feel like their concerns during the budget process were being heard.

School officials brought forward a fiscal 2012 budget that would require $34.14 million from the town, a $669,000 or 2 percent increase over fiscal 2011.

While it is 2 percent higher than the current year, School Committee Chairman John Portz said an increase of nearly 5 percent would be required to keep all the programs and staff in the Watertown Public Schools this year.

Among the items lost will be: the lay-off of 4.3 full-time equivalent teaching positions (including 1.7 positions in the elementary level and 5.35 at the secondary level and a teaching aide).

Class sizes will rise by an average of one student at the elementary schools, but will rise in other schools, said Superintendent Ann Koufman.

“We are trying to keep class size small at the elementary level – that’s important to us,” Koufman said. “Class sizes are rising at the middle school and high school. We are losing electives, the type of classes where students can choose to pursue what they love and are passionate about – like music.”

The district will cut 1.5 positions from the music department, and Koufman said the sixth grade will not have as much instrumental music so that the elementary schools can have music instruction.

Parent Chris Lowry said when students and parents came to the School Committee in April to speak about the importance of the music program, they hoped for more.

“We were not asking to shuffle the deck chairs, we were asking to preserve the program we have,” Lowry said.

Other parents wanted to make sure the school bus program is continued. School officials want to cut $50,000 from the cost of busing, and have looked at reducing the number of students riding the bus or increasing fees.

Town Councilor Tony Palomba said he wished that the town could provide a 2.5 percent increase, not just 2 percent.

“Who is impacted most by changes in town? Who has to respond to changes in the population? – the schools,” Palomba said. “I would feel we were not doing our job if the place getting the most money was not education.”

Parents appreciated Palomba’s passion.

“Sitting in the audience watching the Town Council interact with the School Committee has not been fun or pleasant,” said Lowell School parent Elizabeth Pratt. “We haven’t heard people talk from the heart.

“When the talk is all about numbers, it comes across to parents as not caring about the schools. It’s probably not the case, but that’s how it come across.”

Another parent, Allie McCrary, said she would have liked to see Town Councilors rally around the schools like it had for other departments.

“I don’t see a strong reaction from the Council,” McCrary said. “I have seen the Council pull together when Public Works or parks come in. I don’t see that tonight.”

At the beginning of the School Budget presentation, Town Manager Michael Driscoll said the budget increased $2.2 million since fiscal 2009, while budgets for other departments have declined.

Town Council President Mark Sideris, who also sits on the School Committee, said he believes his fellow councilors strongly support the schools.

“I don’t think any person on the council wouldn’t give more to the schools if we could,” Sideris said. “This budget is not perfect, definitely not perfect. We are doing the best we can with what we’ve got.”