To create or not??


What the Massachusetts General Law states:

Chapter 39 - Section 16:

Section 16: Appropriation, advisory or finance committees; appointment; tenure; powers and duties

Section 16. Every town whose valuation for the purpose of apportioning the state tax exceeds one million dollars shall, and any other town may, by by-law provide for the election or the appointment and duties of appropriation, advisory or finance committees, who shall consider any or all municipal questions for the purpose of making reports or recommendations to the town; and such by-laws may provide that committees so appointed or elected may continue in office for terms not exceeding three years from the date of appointment or election.

In every town having a committee appointed under authority of this section, such committee, or the selectmen if authorized by a by-law of the town, and, in any town not having such a committee, the selectmen, shall submit a budget at the annual town meeting.

Also, there are mention of the Finance or Advisory Committee (s) in the Handbook for Selectmen and Handbook for Finance Committees.

So, unless a Town has a by-law stating the selectmen shall submit a budget to Town Meeting, it would be the job of the Finance or Advisory Committee. Templeton has Two by-laws on this topic, which means we have conflicting by-laws guiding the Town on how we do things. This was questioned by the Templeton Advisory Committee through a Town Administrator, Robert Markel, the question was sent to Town Counsel and options to deal with these issues were provided but as of yet, not dealt with. 

No matter who does what, it is kind of hard to make and present a report to Town Meeting without first creating one, so to the Anonymous poster who stated Advisory Committee is to advise not create would be wrong. If one does more research, you will find one of the most important jobs of the Finance or Advisory Committee is to oversee the Town's reserve fund. There is a process to request money from the reserve fund, it is commonly called a policy and it was created by the Advisory Committee.

With some talk of an increase in school assessment for Templeton and perhaps an override (tax increase) to support that possible increase, it should be noted that there are two members who make up the Narragansett Regional School District.

One member has always paid it's required minimum local contribution, one member has always paid it's target local contribution, in fact, this member has always paid more than required, not including any other tax overrides. This can be confirmed by looking at Town records (annual Town reports), district paper work and information from the department of elementary and secondary education, which is available online. This member also has shown it's continued support of the schools and especially the children by way of agreeing to fund the building of a new elementary school. This member of the Narragansett School district would be Templeton!

Despite the fact that some Templeton residents always question the moves of the district school committee and it's spending of taxpayer dollars, Templeton has always paid it's share. This fact should not be lost in any discussion of a future increase in Templeton's Town assessment to support the school.

If one takes the time to check, either online or through direct contact with the DESE, you should be able to confirm that a minimum local contribution is required and the target local contribution need to be met as well (by requirement of law?), so the point of this information is to inform anyone interested, that despite claims by some, Templeton has not only met it's required contributions, it has paid more and that is not required by law. Again, this post concerns Templeton because that is the Town that concerns me. It also apparently concerned another Town resident who took the time to research this subject and prove it true. The Town resident also managed to get the then superintendent of the district to acknowledge that the information was true. For some reason, the resident was unable to get it published in The Gardner News, even after several attempts to do so.

Templeton provided more dollars than required to support the schools and additionally providing more dollars to build a new elementary school. Too often said that Templeton residents do not support the schools because they fail to provide even the minimum required dollars and that is simply not correct.

Looking through some older newspapers for information on bleacher replacement, I came across some interesting articles that might raise some eyebrows, at least in the context of how this school project is still in murky water (my opinion)

November 3, 2017, The Gardner News, page 1, the article states that the Narragansett Regional School District School Committee voted to accept a bid from Fontaine Brothers for 32.5 million dollars for the new elementary school in Templeton. I thought this was  a Town rather than a district project.

November 15, 2017 in The Gardner News, an article has Town approves $25,000.00 in inspection Fees for new school project. Templeton board of selectmen stated it is a Town project and Narragansett Regional School District cannot pay for these charges by statute. These are/will be  Town expenses.

Okay, who is on first and I don't know is pitching. What exactly is being pitched seems to be a wild guess. Right up there with a secretary in the selectmen's office rather than the Town Treasurer processing bills/invoices for the elementary school. Seem to recall this concern being brought up before and a repy was the Treasurer was going to get trained and handle this. Oh wait, I do not think that particular Treasurer is with the Town any longer. Did Templeton hire and experienced/certified Treasurer/Collector the next time around? No, they did not. They are right to suspect an override will not pass.

Now about them bleachers.

from the Narragansett budget presentation for fiscal year 2017;
Executive Summary:

At Narragansett, we are committed to providing our students with the highest quality education that we can. The proposed FY 17 Genera Fund budget of $19,458,752.00 reflects an increase of 2.42%. The revenue to fund this budget is made up of chapter 70 state aid, local assessments from our member towns, revolving funds and $255,000.00 from excess & deficiency.


from the Narragansett budget presentation for fiscal year 2018;
Executive Summary:

At Narragansett, we are committed to providing our students with the highest quality education that we can. The proposed FY 18 Genera Fund budget of $20,015,181.00 reflects an increase of 2.72%. The revenue to fund this budget is made up of chapter 70 state aid, local assessments from our member towns, revolving funds and $415,000.00 from excess & deficiency.

Also from the FY 2018 budget presentation;

This year, in developing the FY 2018 budget, we started with a $848,439.00 shortfall. The budget sub committee looked at all of the budget requests very closely and asked that a level service budget be presented. The level service budget was prepared and still presented a $518,974.00 shortfall of expenses over income. The superintendent was asked to reduce the proposed budget by $289,469.00. This task resulted in the loss of five positions: digital literacy teacher, horticulture teacher, guidance counselor, health teacher and media center paraprofessional, as well as a realignment of a math tutor, math coach, preschool paraprofessional, custodian and our automated notification system. After reducing the budget by the above positions, there was still a shortfall of $229,505.00 that the budget sub committee voted to ask for from the towns. On March 29, 2017, the Narragansett Regional School Committee voted to certify the district's budget at $20,015,181.00, which includes the shortfall of $229,505.00.

On a side note, when I was in school, math help or any other subject, usually consisted of a teacher staying after school and help any student who showed up, as in, all for the kids. The only coaches I am aware of were sports coaches. I do know, times change, but perhaps it is time to take a hard look at how we do business today.

I may be in the minority here and it kind of goes against my financial conservatism, but just like back in the summer of 2013, I still think for long term stability, a one million dollar override should have been asked for back then and that is still the case today. There also needs (as in must) be a hard look at how things are done in Templeton. What other services can be bid out or done in a different approach to benefit the Town financially. Would it devastate the Town to at least look at bidding for a private company to provide ambulance service to Templeton and perhaps provide a positive cash flow to the Town, while having ambulance service to the Town. Would there be a financial benefit in doing so? Would it hurt to ask the question?

bid.

Bid Date & Time: 08/10/17 10:00 AM

Owner Solic Number: BD-18-2000-NRS01-NRS01-18294    Status: bidding    Report: 7929115

Country :United States     State: MA    County: Worcester

Location: Templeton

Est. Low Value: $150,000    Est. High Value: $250,000

Scope: Supply and Install for home side 300 seat bleachers- Approx size: 114’ x26’, 12 risers Material: Wood floor and seat boards. Steel.

Notes: Additional POC Craig Wilbur, Tel: 508-808-3168, Fax: 617-445-3511, cwilbur@pinck-co.com.

Plans: From Owner, see attached bid Ad.

Owner Type: Public

Buyer: Narragansett Regional School District
Address: 462 Baldwinville Rd
City: Baldwinville	State: MA	Zip/Postal Code: 01436
TEL: 978-939-5661	FAX: 978-939-5179
Contact: Ann-Marie Geyster
TEL: 978-939-5661	FAX: 978-939-5179
Bid Pkg Source: Narragansett Regional School District
Address: 462 Baldwinville Rd
City: Baldwinville	State: MA	Zip/Postal Code: 01436
TEL: 978-939-5661	FAX: 978-939-5179
Contact: Ann-Marie Geyster
TEL: 978-939-5661	FAX: 978-939-5179

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No questions; just the facts.

41.06: Excess and Deficiency Funds

(1)  Every regional school district shall maintain an excess and deficiency fund on its books of account. At the end of every fiscal year, any surplus or deficit in the district's general fund shall be closed to the excess and deficiency fund.

(2)  On or before October 31 of each year, every regional school district shall submit to the Department of Revenue the forms and schedules as the Department of Revenue requires for the purpose of reviewing and certifying the balance in the regional school district's excess and deficiency fund. At the discretion of the Commissioner, the Department may withhold release of all or some part of the quarterly state school aid for the regional school district if the regional school district has not filed the required forms and schedules by such date.

(3)  A regional school committee may use all or part of the certified balance in the excess and deficiency fund as a revenue source for its proposed budget. If the certified balance exceeds five percent of the proposed budget, the regional school committee shall use the amount in excess of five percent as a revenue source for its proposed budget.

Narragansett Regional School District

Excess and Deficiency calculation - listed as fiscal year 2016 on DLS gateway

Submitted by Ann Marie Geyster with the DOR field rep being Deb Wagner

form states date received 12/10/2015

submission complete on 03/07/2016

Unreserved fund balance/excess and deficiency -          $339,200.00

Less:   other receivable, overdrawn accounts, deficits

             Title I grant                                                                        2,985.00

             Phillipston Police Scholarship                                              69.00

             Cash Variance                                                                        300.00

Total certified unencumbered excess and deficiency      $335,846.00

Excess and Deficiency calculation - listed as fiscal year 2017 on DLS gateway

Submitted by Ann Marie Geyster with DOR field rep being Matt Andre

form states received 12/23/2016

submission complete on 01/04/2017

Unreserved fund balance/excess and deficiency -             $469,233.00

Less:  other receivable, overdrawn accounts, deficits

            Kindergarten revolving                                                           106.00

            Charpentier fund                                                                        46.00

            Cash variance                                                                          1,074.00

Total certified unencumbered excess and deficiency         $468,007.00

Excess and Deficiency calculation - listed as fiscal year 2018 on DLS gateway

Submitted by Ann Marie Geyster with DOR field rep being Matt Andre

form states received 12/19/2017

submission complete on 01/08/2018

Unreserved fund balance/excess and deficiency -             $404,154.00

Less:  other receivable, overdrawn accounts, deficits

            Kindergarten revolving                                                           106.00

            Capital project BioMass boiler                                           9,316.00

            FY 16 Preschool grant                                                          3,284.00

            FY 17 Title I grant                                                                  1,242.00

            Cash Variance                                                                           380.00

Total certified unencumbered excess and deficiency         $389,826.00

Some thing to keep in mind when looking at a school district budget, which includes the number of teachers, teacher aids and even guidance counselors.

The Inter-District School Choice Program

The inter-district school choice program allows a parent to enroll his or her child in a school district that is not the child's home district. Because of space limitations, not all school districts accept out-of-district students under this program. Every year the school committee in each school district decides whether it will accept new enrollments under this program and, if so, in what grades. The school district profiles page on the Department's website shows, for each district, whether they are accepting school choice students.

If you are interested in having your child attend school in another district under this program and that district is accepting students, you should contact the superintendent's office in the district in which you want to enroll your child. It is advisable to contact districts in advance, generally during the winter or spring prior to the year in which you want to enroll your child. Districts generally require the submission of an application. If more students apply than there are spaces available, the district will hold a lottery to select which students will be admitted. If a district has fewer applicants than it has seats for school choice students, it may choose to accept students at any time during the school year. A sibling of a child currently attending school in another district under school choice will receive preference in the admissions lottery.

Your home district does not have to approve your child's application for admission to another district. Your child is eligible to apply for the school choice program in another district even if your home district is not accepting enrollment through school choice.

Once your child is accepted into another district under school choice, he or she is entitled to attend that district's schools until high school graduation. You do not have to reapply each year.

Transportation is not provided for students attending another school district under this program. You are responsible for getting your child to and from the school.

For additional general information about the inter-district school choice program, contact the Department's.

So, how much does Narragansett Regional School District report they spend educating each student; the pupil cost?

How much does the district receive for each out of district student (school choice students)

If you receive say $5,000.00 from the state for each student of school choice but you report spending say $11,000.00 per student to educate them, how does it make economical sense to participate in accepting students from school choice, which seems to be up to the school committee. Does accepting students from outside the district equate to having larger numbers of students in the class room? Does accepting students from outside the district have an effect on the number of teachers and teacher aids (para-professionals) required to be hired, which in turns adds to the cost of operating the district, which can cause increases to Towns school assessment charges - tax payer dollars.