LANESBOROUGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Office of the Superintendent

115 Church Street

Williamstown, MA  01267

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

THIS YEAR’S BUDGET (FY09) AND NEXT YEAR’S PRELIMINARY FY10 BUDGET 

March 13, 2009

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I would like to take this opportunity to address the current difficult economic crisis and its impact on our school at the mid-year budget cycle for this year, FY09, and for next year’s Preliminary FY10 Budget.

CURRENT YEAR BUDGET (FY09)

This year’s budget has been significantly challenged as a result of the need to fund contractual obligations and continue to support the addition of essential staffing to meet mandated student services. This year’s non-appropriated school choice funds were used to cover these expenses thereby depleting all reserve funds and creating a budget deficit of approximately $15,000. 

                In an effort to maintain fiscal stability, this year’s budget was frozen in September and teachers and administrators were asked to “hold the line” on discretionary spending. Their supportive efforts greatly helped to stabilize the budget. Furthermore, our PTO graciously stepped in and funded classroom field trips. They continue to support arts and humanities programs, stipends to teachers for classroom supplies and host family events. We appreciate all they do for our school.

 NEXT YEAR’S BUDGET (FY10)

The administrators, Mrs. Boshe, Mr. Mays, Ms. Coscia, our part-time Business Manager, and the School Committee are working with me to build a FY10 Budget for next year that is fiscally responsible and supports our educational priorities. Our goal, to preserve quality education and programming for our children and to maintain staffing based upon enrollment and program needs, guides our decision-making.  In the past 5 years, enrollment at Lanesborough Elementary has decreased 9%. We currently have 287 students in grades PK through sixth grade — down from over 300 students.  Despite our financial challenges, we have continued to maintain an average class size of 18:1.

 We are experiencing a budget gap in our school budget in FY10. How? Our revenues are not keeping pace with our expenses. The revenues received from the town toward funding our $2.5 million budget are increasing by only 2% ($48,300) — while our school operating expenses are increasing at 5.9% ($153,000) next year.

 In addition, state revenues are in deficit and, although Gov. Patrick has announced level funding for school aid (Chapter 70) next year, this won’t be confirmed until summer. Economic instability may continue to threaten us in the months to come.

In August when our current budget exceeded revenues, we reduced expenses peripherally to the classroom (field trips, school supplies, professional development, maintenance, travel, etc.) while attempting to preserve and expand essential staffing. Because the current budget has been reduced to “bare bones”, we have no recourse but to reduce staffing to cut expenses to cover a proposed budget shortfall of $144,500. 

PROPOSED REDUCTIONS TO ADDRESS NEXT YEAR’S (FY10) BUDGET DEFICIT

The following recommendations are proposed to address the Preliminary FY10 Budget deficit.

      1.       Attrition Due to Retirement: Loss of The Reading Teacher Position

·         Our reading teacher, Elizabeth Leonard, is retiring after 33 years of exemplary service to the Lanesborough students and school community. Ms. Leonard works with small groups of students in reading. This position will not be replaced. Other staffing, including the Title I tutor working with classroom teachers will help work with small groups of students to support reading.                                               

2.   Reduction of Paraprofessional Positions from 16 to 13:

·         Our paraprofessional staffing will be reduced to address the deficit and we will reallocate their responsibilities and duties.  All special education paraprofessional positions will be maintained.

        3.       Elimination of One Bus:

·         Ms. Boshe is working with our school bus company to evaluate student ridership and routes to determine if there is an opportunity to reduce our needs by one bus.

Other Considerations That May Impact the FY10 Budget

Federal Stimulus Funding - Figures are currently being released, but we don’t know how these funds will be earmarked and distributed. This additional funding is a “one-time” event. It is just unfolding in towns, municipalities and schools across the country and we hope we can apply it to our budget.

                This is the most complicated budget season that I have experienced in my nine-year tenure as Superintendent and I regret the reduction of members of our capable staff.  However, we are not immune from the current fiscal crisis gripping our nation. Many school districts throughout the state and in the Berkshires are facing similar, if not worse, situations than Lanesborough and the outlook looks bleak through FY10.  Much of next year’s budget is built upon funding estimates that have not been confirmed and will take months to solidify; however, I want to assure you that we will continue to work diligently to preserve the exceptional education our children receive at the Lanesborough Elementary School. My hope is that, together, we will weather the extraordinary complexities of this budget cycle.

                Please plan to join us on Tuesday, March 24th at 7pm for the annual Public Hearing on the Preliminary FY10 Budget at the School Committee meeting in the school library.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rose Ellis

Superintendent

DR. ROSE ELLIS

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL YEAR 2008-2009!

I am pleased to welcome you back to the Lanesborough Elementary School and to the recently formed School Union 71 as your new Superintendent. Following my appointment on July 1st , I visited Lanesborough throughout the summer and began my orientation to the Lanesborough School Community by interacting with teachers, staff and Principal Ellen Boshe. Everyone was so helpful. I look forward to meeting many of the Lanesborough parents over the next few months. Please feel free to stop by my Office in the Lanesborough Main Office and say hello.

OPENING DAY

We opened our doors on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 with enthusiasm and excitement. Lanesborough teachers and support staff spent many summer hours planning curriculum and preparing their classrooms. The classrooms were ready and inviting! New and returning students and families were warmly greeted by teachers, paraprofessionals and support staff. It was wonderful to welcome back students to the new school year.

In my opening Web newsletter, I’d like to highlight three areas: The Williamstown-Lanesborough School Union 7,1 the LES Professional Learning Community and the Reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Legislation (NCLB).

THE NEW WILLIAMSTOWN-LANESBOROUGH SCHOOL UNION 71

“New Friends”

This year we open school as a member of the newly formed School Union 71 with Williamstown Elementary School located on 115 Church Street in Williamstown.

A School Union is a district organizational structure sanctioned by the Massachusetts Department of Education for two or more towns to share central office administration staff and expenses. On July 1st, the Union 71 School Committee voted to appoint me the Superintendent of the newly formed Williamstown-Lanesborough School Union 71 and I subsequently appointed Paul Mays the Director of Pupil Services (SPED). The Union 71 central office administration housed in Williamstown consists of four members: The Superintendent, the Director of Pupil Services (SPED), the Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent and the Business Manager.

I am delighted to be the Superintendent of the new School Union 71 and look forward to working with both communities and both faculties for the benefit of its youngest residents. As a UNION, together, we can expand educational opportunities/resources and strengthen educational programming for all students served by the Mount Greylock Regional School.

I will spend 60% of my time in Williamstown (approximately three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and 40% in Lanesborough (approximately two days a week, Tuesday and Thursday) and maintain an office in both schools.

Our new Director of Pupil Services, Paul Mays, the former Director of Pupil Services in Lanesborough, will also divide his time between the two towns with an office in Williamstown and Lanesborough. Lynne Guntlow, the Administrative Assistant will remain in Williamstown and you can reach me at the LES Main Office at 442 2229 or at the Union Central Office in Williamstown at 458-5840 or rellis@mail.williamstown. The two school budgets, school committees, parent organizations and teacher contracts of the respective school districts are unaffected by the Union structure.

TEACHERS AND STAFF: A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY

“Lifelong Learners”

Lanesborough Elementary School teachers work collaboratively with grade-level colleagues reviewing/revising and designing curriculum – even in the summer! This summer many staff members were busy participating in graduate-level courses in pursuit of additional certifications and degrees in the area of reading/literacy, mathematics and writing. Other teachers took workshops and participated in specialized training.

Learning as a community of dedicated educators drives the Lanesborough annual professional development planning. This year the staff will continue as learners and will explore the four essential questions developed by Dr. Richard DuFour, a renowned practitioner and researcher in the field of education:

* What is it that we expect our students to learn?
* How will we know when they have learned it?
* How will we respond when they don’t learn it?
* How will we respond when they already know it?

Ongoing evaluation of literacy programming and mathematics will continue, including increasing assessment data to chart individual student progress and investigate intervention programs. Evaluation and alignment of the science program with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks will continue in 2008-2009.

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: Reauthorization of the Federal ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT (ESEA)

This year, Congress was scheduled to reauthorize the 43 year old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the law known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Educators across the country were looking forward to a new and improved version of ESEA. (It has become a collection of 93 disjointed programs that were added in each of succeeding 7 reauthorizations.) However, the reauthorization was not completed because although there is a broad consensus that the current law is flawed, a consensus has not formed about what needs to be done to reframe and revitalize ESEA. Therefore, all school system, including Lanesborough, must continue to comply with the existing requirements of NCLB. The reauthorization of NCLB is an issue to watch as the year progresses.

IN CLOSING

I am excited about the opening of this new school year in Lanesborough and look forward to working with staff and parents on behalf its young students who we want to educate for the future — for life and work in the 21st century.

Please feel free to stop by or to contact me at 442-2229 in Lanesborough, 458-5840 in Williamstown, or at rellis@williamstown.net. I will get back to you as soon as possible.