Minutes
Quincy, Massachusetts - June 2, 2010
Public Hearing of the Quincy School Committee
Public Hearing
A Public Hearing on the Quincy School Committee FY2011 Budget was held on
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 in the 2nd. Floor Conference Room, City Hall. Present
were: Mr. Dave McCarthy, Ms. Barbara Isola, Mrs. Elaine Dwyer, Mrs. Jo-Ann
Bragg, Mrs. Anne Mahoney, and Mayor Thomas P. Koch, Chairman.
Chairman
Presiding
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The Superintendent called the roll and Mrs. Lebo was absent. Also present were:
Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Mrs. Tefta Burrelli, Clerk; Messrs. Mullaney,
Mulvey, Draicchio, and Keith Segalla; Ms. Roberts, Tenaglia, Todd, and Hughes.
Ms. Tracey Christello, Citywide, and Donna Niosi, Student Representative.
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Supts. Remarks
Superintendent DeCristofaro told the Committee that they continue to work
hard on the budget. These are difficult times. Mayor Koch was granted the
authority by the School Committee to negotiate with the QEA to gain a deferral
and Anne Mahoney, the School Committee, and QEA have come to a wage
deferral agreement. We welcome back 40-50 staff members. The Mayor has
also given us $500,000 in increased funding for budget deliberations and funds
from the restoration of positions attributed to anticipated unemployment savings.
We will have over $3 million to invest in our budget. He thanked the Mayor.
The Mayor said he expressed gratitude to the QEA for the wage deferral.
It will help mitigate some of the hurt we are facing.
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Public Hearing
Consistent with the provisions of Chapter 71, Section 38N of the General
Laws, the Quincy School Committee will hold a public hearing on its FY11
proposed budget. All interested persons were given an opportunity to be
heard.
Speakers
At 7:05 p.m. the Open Forum began. The following citizens, students, and
staff addressed the Committee: Conevery Valencius, David Egan, Margaret
O’Connor, Lori Hagborg, Deborah Barrett, Susan Rheault, June Christo,
Samantha Enbar-Salo, Steven Bernardo, Bryan Doherty, Edie Kabakoff,
Sandy Verhault, Eileen Lawlor, Suzanne Lawless, Jen O’Dwyer, Mike Hurley,
Max Harvey, Jim Bryson, Jaclyn Bryson, Pam Bonfiglioli, Chris Chetwynd,
Bill Zamzow, Naomi Loomis Bennett, Joseph Gaffney, Bill Sturella, Scott
Allesandro, Eileen Lawlor, Renee McMillen, Martin Akins, Kathleen Brink,
Aliza Schneller, Gail McDonald, Mary Ainsley, Tackey Chan, Paul Jacobs,
Erika Ramos, and Tracey Christello.
Mrs. Lebo arrived at 7:49 p.m.
The people were very passionate about the programs proposed to be cut. They
asked the Committee not to cut ELL, all day Kindergarten, literacy, media, the
music program, Foreign Language in middle schools, close libraries, sports,
Paras, clubs and activities, and the Career and Technical programs. They asked
the Committee to do what’s best for the children of Quincy. There is a concern
with the proposed large class size in foreign language. Cutting the foreign language
program, they said, will cause irreparable damage. The elementary band was cut
some years ago and is just now coming back. They also expressed their concern
with the anxiety and panic caused by teachers sharing too many details with students.
Students are worried that their favorite teachers will be cut.
Some proposals were made to raise money -- advertising in the schools,
fund raisers, bake sales, yard sales, business partners, rent facilities, etc. This
could bring in some needed revenue for the schools. The request was to be
creative.
People asked why the school department was taking an unfair cut. Quincy
doesn’t spend as much money on their students as other communities in
Massachusetts. Concern was raised with the value of homes in Quincy going
down with the school system. People move to Quincy for their phenomenal
school system. Some citizens said they were willing to spend more on taxes
to save the schools.
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SC Responds
The Committee thanked the people who came out to speak. They told them
that it is a hard path and a $6 million cut is a big challenge. They are still
working on the budget. As of now, no decisions have been made. There will
be a Budget Subcommittee meeting tomorrow evening, June 3, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.
in the 2nd Floor Conference, Room, NAGE Building. It is an open meeting.
For those citizens who would like to contribute to the schools, they can donate
to the Quincy Education Fund. That money will go directly to the school
department.
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Adjournment
On a motion by Ms. Isola, seconded by Mr. McCarthy, the Public Hearing
adjourned for the evening at 9:01 p.m. The ayes have it.