Concord School District Amended Budget Fails

The Concord School Board needed seven votes of its members tonight to approve an amended fiscal year 2014-2015 budget that would have raised property taxes slightly more than expected to pay for a food service deficit and other items. However, the increase failed to get the votes needed for approval, due to two lone members disappointed in a decision by the administration to hire an outside behavioral firm, at nearly twice the food service deficit, something that they claim was not voted on or approved by the full board.

On Oct. 22, members voted 6-2 to approve the amended budget, failing by one vote. District C member Rusty Cofrin was the only member absent.

Both Melissa Donovan and Barbara Higgins chose to vote against the budget, which would have raised property taxes to 5.09 percent. For now, they stand at 4.8 percent.

According to documents, the food service program is currently running a $123,000 deficit. Currently, about 60 percent of students in the city qualify for free or reduced lunch, so the program is not sustaining itself as well as it has done in the past.

Donovan and Higgins stated though that the decision to vote against the amended budget and tax hike had nothing to do with the food service deficit but instead, was about a move by the administration to implement a behavioral specialist plan at an added cots of $240,000 a year.

According to the members, in March, the board discussed the implementation of the plan, also known as the Bill White Plan. The specialists were to assist students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Several board members requested more information about the proposal but it was agreed that more funds would be earmarked.

A non-public meeting was held by the Instructional Committee about the idea in early April, since it dealt with personnel matters. Donovan wasn’t in attendance but Higgins led the meeting and it was agreed that a plan would be moved forward at some point to the full board. But it never was and Bill White and his associates were hired by the district.

Higgins and Donovan found out about the decision months later. They say the minutes of the meetings show that no decision was made to hire the firm.

“My concern is that this was not brought back to the full board for a vote, nor was the overview of this meeting outlined at the May full board meeting,” Donovan said. “Thus, I was unaware this plan had been implemented until earlier this month.”

She added that she thought White and his associates are “fantastic at what they do.” But that wasn’t the point, she said.

“I have a hard time justifying a $240,000 expense that essentially outsources educational professionals trained to help students with these disabilities,” she said. “There is no reason why we cannot train our own CSD staff, build capacity, and make a long term investment in our own teachers and paras.”

Higgins agreed.

“My main issue was that it isn’t OK to not follow protocol,” she said. “Make decisions in secret and then try to back peddle … The opinions of teachers matter as well as parents, taxpayers, and board members.”

The move also appears to have skirted the law. The state’s open records and meeting law has strict provisions on what matters and decisions that can be made in private. With some exceptions, decisions made by any board in private need to be publicly disclosed unless a vote is held to seal the minutes. Decisions about financial matters also have to be held in public. The board regularly approves the hiring of teachers and coaches at its monthly board meeting.

Both Donovan and Higgins believe that the food service program is also doing a fine job of taking care of kids in the district, including the most needy. The decision also doesn’t change the food service program. 

Higgins noted that while the move carries over a small amount of debt into next year, it kept the tax rate lower and below 5 percent, which will help property taxpayers who are also feeling the pinch.