Camera Shy ?

The School Committee will be holding a budget workshop next week.  Most likely it will not be televised -- despite efforts by some members to have the discussion delayed for the next regularly scheduled meeting so that it COULD be broadcast.

The concern expressed was that they didn't want to delay the discussion any longer.

The reality is that that ship left the dock months ago.  The Board of Selectmen has spent the entire summer discussing the budget section by section in televised public meetings.

The School Committee ?  Well, you know ... not so much.

Lately, prior Committees have been criticized for holding workshops (although I don't recall more than 2-3 in each of the past 2+ years).  Workshops are all public meetings and are all subject to the same rules as regular meetings, except they generally dispense with discussion of anything other than the topic at hand, usually there aren't votes taken, and generally there is no public comment (although those items are usually at the discretion of the Chair).  Usually they are added to the schedule at the last minute and aren't televised.  The focus of the workshop meetings is for the members to gather information, rather than to update the public.

So, why is this case different?

This Committee is facing a Perfect Storm of fiscal realities.  It needs to make an effort to gain an understanding of the issue themselves AND THEN be able to convey that understanding to the Public.  The Public needs to have confidence that the Committee has some sort of an idea of what's going on.

From what I've seen so far -- none of those things are happening.

Last night, far more time was spent discussing payroll timing differences, and the concept of "encumbrances"  than the fact that SPED costs were almost $1 million over budget.  This group seems to be having trouble grasping issues with more than 4 digits to the left of the decimal point.

Despite the fact that some members campaigned on the premise of being "watchdogs", the reality is they have no financial experience, background, or education and seem to have NO IDEA of what they're looking at.  The watch dogs need  seeing eye dogs!

There are several serious icebergs out there.  Specifically:

1.   A projected municipal deficit of $2.25 million (approx $1.5 million is school money)

2.   Projected contractual salary increases (steps, lanes, COLA's) of almost $1 million 

3.   A pending lawsuit by the former Assistant Superintendent

4.   A possible lawsuit from the current Superintendent

5.   A probable search to hire a new Superintendent

6.   A proposed $5 million capital override for the Fall to begin fixing years of neglect 

7.   All town employees took a two year wage freeze.

8.   Many School employees took a 1-2 yr freeze, BUT the SEA contract remains unsettled.

9.   Any School Override request will likely be voted separately from any municipal request

10.  Poor national & local economy that is negatively affecting almost everyone

11.  Little public appetite for ANY increase in taxes/fees for ANY purpose

12.  The Selectmen have been discussing this very publicly for months

Although people have complained about not seeing discussion of prior years' budgets -- the reality is that televised public meetings were held almost every week during budget season and the entire budget book was also available online.

While it is not essential that public meeting time be devoted to public comment on the budget this early in the process.  (Is anybody planning to get up and say, "Cut MY program please?".), it is essential that this Committee begin having serious on-camera budget discussions so that can ask "real" questions and begin to gain an understanding of The Big Picture issues that seem to escape so many of them.

These televised discussions provide an important opportunity for the public to gain a better understanding of the problems facing the District --- AND who they elected to represent them.