(by John Monfredo. To appear in In City Times on March 14.)

During the past few weeks the Worcester School Committee has been extremely busy in attempting to lobby for additional funding. As we listen to what is happening on the state and local level we have become very concerned with the state of affairs for our children.

Just recently I suggested to my colleagues that we ask our City Manager and the City Council to consider a line item in the 2009 budget that would support the schools with a 2% increase above the foundation budget. The concept was supported by all School Committee members for we want our City Council to support a line item with additional money set aside for education.

Massachusetts was one of the first states to establish the concept of a foundation budget. The foundation budget is the minimum amount of funding needed by each school system to provide an adequate education for its children. The foundation budget formula was first enacted in 1993 and since then it has been used annually to calculate state aid allotments and minimum local funding levels. Unfortunately, little work has been done to update the foundation budget and make it a realistic workable document. Thus, the money in our school budget is the minimum requirement established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Any money above the minimum has to be voted on by the City Council and taken out of our City Budget.

Of the 328 School Districts in Massachusetts our City ranks in the Bottom 5% of giving above the minimum. On an average, according to the Department of Education Website, many districts in Massachusetts spend 18% more than their foundation budget. Our school system is two-tenths of a percent above the minimum. Thus, I filed the agenda item for we as a City need to prioritize education. Being near to the bottom is NOT prioritizing education and this is SHAMEFUL! We have to do better!

Even with the additional two per cent (5 million dollars) added on above the foundation budget we will still be below the 18% level of funding.

We as a city need to realize that nothing is more important to the development of a city and the economy of that city than the quality of the public education system. One of the first things that new families look at when they want to settle in a city is to find out information about the school system. We need and want young families to stay in Worcester and to know that their school system is outstanding. We need to keep the many middle class families in Worcester for our city needs them. We need to expand our tax base to be a thriving city. Everyone needs to understand that education is an investment in our community and the failure to educate is the real expense.

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The general feeling of the School Committee is that we cannot enter our seventh year in a row with another deficit budget and still maintain a quality school system. Unlike businesses, we can’t make up the lost year in a child’s life. Remember our children have already gone through six years of multi-million dollar budget deficits and we just cannot go through another deficit budget and try to be an effective school system. Since the year 2002 we have disrupted the lives of our children by closing eight schools, cutting vital services to our children, cutting 600 positions and cutting over $50 million dollars from our budget.

In addition, the early numbers for next year call for 50 classes with 30 or more children and 100 classes with 28-29 students. This is not a pretty picture!

Yet, at the City Council meeting, prior to the School Committee even discussing this agenda item, we were called irresponsible for asking the city for additional revenue. Let me say that we would be irresponsible if we did not ask for additional funding. The job of school committee members is to advocate for our children for we need to speak up for the children of this city.

It has been stated at the City Council meeting that the Worcester Public Schools has realized two million dollars in savings by the city adopting section 18 health insurance for retirees. The City Manager indicated that these savings would be re-directed back to the classroom. However, the City Council, prior to this fiscal year cut the budget of the Worcester Public Schools by two million dollars because of those anticipated savings. Therefore, we have not realized those savings.

Now we often get compared to statewide averages on test scores, so how do the Worcester Public Schools compare to statewide average on money given to other cities? We are 25 Million dollars less! Just think where we would be if we had the additional 25 million dollars!

Another comment at the City Council meeting stated that Worcester Public School budget received an additional two million dollars from the city above the minimum in both 2006 and 2007. However, the Worcester Public Schools funded one million dollars of those two million dollars for each year by reducing the much needed capital building repair money for classroom teachers. So in reality the city’s contribution was only one million dollars more. This was also verified by the business manager, Mr. Brian Allen.

None of the one million dollars came from the city’s street and sidewalk funds as it was new money as requested from the City Manager’s additional two million dollar budget for streets and sidewalks. In no way was this taken out of the sidewalk fund for in essence the sidewalk fund was increased by one million dollars instead of two million dollars. The reason for mentioning that fact is to get the information correct. The Worcester Public Schools did not raid the sidewalk and street fund!

A member of the City Council also spoke about a report from the City Manager showing that Chapter 70 State Aid has increased by over 200% since 1990. Let’s get the real story on the increase for according to Business Manager Brian Allen since that time the following has taken place within the school budget:

• There has been an increase in our enrollment of 33% costing the system $53 million

• We have spent 54% or $87 million on health insurance, retirement assessments and charter schools. Also, tuition and the merger of Worcester Voke and the School Nurses (Previously under the budget of the City but now under the Worcester Public School Budget) are factored in these numbers.

• Since FY93, the total budget of the Worcester Public Schools has grown $160.1 million, from $87.9 million to $248.0 million, from both city funds and state aid.  When the Education Reform Act was adopted, the WPS was spending $20 million below the foundation budget.  The purpose of the Education Reform Act was to infuse state funds to urban districts over a seven-year period in order to reach the foundation level of spending. 

Of the $160.1 million increase in the budget, $53 million (or 33%) is directly attributable to increase in funding for a 6,764 student enrollment growth between FY93 and FY04.  If the foundation enrollment of the WPS did not change during this time, we would not have received this $53 million.

Second, 54% of this increase ($87 million) has gone to fund line-items of the WPS budget that did not exist within the WPS prior to the Education Reform Act; such as health insurance, retirement assessments, charter school tuition, as well as the merger of the Worcester Vocational Schools and the school nurses with the WPS.

The remaining increase, $20.1 million, represents the true educational increase under the foundation budget for the WPS.  This amount represents the amount that the WPS was under the foundation budget spending in FY93. 

Since the last School Committee meeting, parents have called and sent E-mails voicing their frustrations with the pending budget. One parents stated, “… I am horrified by reports in the newspaper this week that the School Committee’s request is “irresponsible.” Another parent wrote, “ I applaud in your request for additional funding for the school because one way or another I am funding the school by sending in pens, paper, and money for ink cartridges” and another stated that her PTO has spent over $18,000 on school materials for their elementary school.

In our quest for additional funding the School Committee also met with our Legislators two weeks ago and implored them to find additional revenue for our schools. We asked them to advocate for the Telecom tax, passage of the Municipal Partnership Act (giving Worcester the option to tax motels and hotels,) tax on tobacco and alcohol consumption, raising the income tax and taking money out of the“rainy day fund.”

It is the hope of the School Committee that both the City Council and the Legislators are listening to our plea. No one is looking to point the finger at one group but facts are facts and we do need to address this problem by finding a solution to the educational funding. Criticizing the school committee for being advocates for our children is not the answer. Let’s work together on addressing the issue and bring all parties to the table and brain storm for solutions.

I am also appealing to our community and asking that everyone be responsible to our next generation and support our schools. Readers, please help us! Let’s do it for the children.