March 26, 2012 Budget Sub Meeting

Agenda

Quincy School Committee
School Budget and Finance Subcommittee
Ms. Barbara Isola, Chair
2nd Floor Conference Room, NAGE Building
March 26, 2012, 4:30 p.m.  

  1. Monthly Budget Status Report - Mr. Mullaney

  2. Spring Curriculum Purchases/Projected Pilot Costs - Mrs. Roberts

  3. Other Items

  4. Adjournment – Thank You

Minutes

Budget and Finance Subcommittee Meeting

Monday, March 26, 2012

A meeting of the Budget and Finance Subcommittee was held on Monday, March 26, 2012 at 4:30 pm in the 2nd Floor Conference Room at the NAGE Building. Present were Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Mrs. Emily Lebo, Mrs. Anne Mahoney, Mr. David McCarthy, Ms. Barbara Isola, Chair. Also attending were Superintendent DeCristofaro, Mr. Kevin Mulvey, Mr. Jim Mullaney, Mrs. Colleen Roberts, Mr. Keith Segalla, Ms. Allison Cox, President, Quincy Education Association, and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.

Ms. Isola called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. The first item on the agenda was the Budget Status Report. Mr. Mullaney reported that as of February 29, 2012, the Academic Classroom Teachers and Academic Program accounts are on track for the year. Clerical and administrative accounts are on track. There is some concern about the aides line, where there is a deficit of $112,000 mostly attributable to SPED one-on-one assignments. Overtime deficit is for custodial and bus drivers ($100, 000); maintenance is on budget. In total, surpluses and deficits align and we are looking at a small deficit of approximately $66,000.

Mr. McCarthy requested clarification of the surplus as it relates to Security. Mr. Mullaney said that there were two retirements and subsequent new hires, so some breakage to be found there. Mr. McCarthy also asked about the Part-Time Professional Support in both Academic and Non-Academic Support. Mr. Mullaney explained that those related to ELL Tutors and Physical Therapy. Mrs. Lebo asked about the overtime for Transportation; Mr. Mullaney said the deficit is primarily due to contractual overtime. Mrs. Mahoney suggested that the Transportation line items get broken down into their subsets (contractual, athletics, academic).

For expenses, Mr. Mullaney explained that 50% of the academic expenses have been spent to date; SPED tuitions represent the largest amount still left to be spent. In past years, significant savings in tuitions have allowed for investment in other areas, such as Technology. For non-academic expenses, 40% of the budget is still to be expended, but should be able to cover all of the expense line items in the budget. Ms. Isola asked if Mr. Mullaney felt that we will be able to cover the salary budget deficit and he agreed.

For the revolving accounts, Food Services and Rentals are projecting surpluses; Transportation has a small deficit, as does Athletics. Athletics and Transportation deficits will be covered by revolving account balance from previous years. (Mr. Mullaney will show revolving account balance from previous years in subsequent reports.) The $100,000 Rentals surplus will be transferred to cover utility expenses.

The next item on the agenda was Spring Curriculum Purchases/Projected Pilot Costs. Mrs. Roberts told the Subcommittee about her recent negotiations with the publisher of Go Math! The Pupil Editions are consumable, so she is recommending a 5-year purchase ($13/per year per student vs. $19 per year if bought annually). The publisher is offering the Grade 1 and 2 manipulatives (worth $50,000) for free for making this 5-year purchasing commitment. Supplemental workbooks for Grades 4-5 and 6-8 would total $13,300 (one-year purchase at $4/per student). Agenda books for Grades 4-8 would be purchased for $12,000. In addition, Mrs. Roberts would like to purchase informational texts for all grades, particularly high school, and is researching costs for these.

In next year’s budget, Mrs. Roberts is proposing purchasing Grade 3 of Go Math! For the Reading pilot, the publisher is providing the Journeys materials for Grades K-4 at Lincoln-Hancock and Grades K-5 at Squantum for free. These two schools piloted Grade 3 Go Math! this year, so Grade 3 teachers would not be implementing new Math and Reading simultaneously. Mrs. Roberts is also looking at Title I money to see if a couple more schools can be added to Journeys pilot at a cost. Mrs. Roberts is also looking at a K-8 Writing program called Write Traits (aligned with Journeys).

The final discussion of the meeting was when the budget meetings for FY2013 should begin; last year they began in late April. Dr. DeCristofaro said the Mayor will be setting up a meeting in the first two weeks of April to present the Quincy Public Schools budget number, so the meetings should be able to begin in late April this year as well.

Ms. Isola made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 5:10 pm. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.