Taking a ‘serious look’ at costs

Falling revenues and increasing costs may force some drastic changes in the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District, School Committee members, residents and officials from both towns have been warned.

School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes said the panel will have to “take a serious look” at how the district operates and may have to consider eliminating high school athletics, closing the Maquan School and consolidating those students into Hanson’s Indian Head School, staff layoffs and double sessions to save money.

“All of those things are on the table,” Hayes said. “This is not ‘we keep coming to you and crying wolf,’ this is serious. Every year it gets worse and worse and worse.”

Hayes said the district is just beginning of the process as a proposed level-service budget for fiscal 2018, that is $2.7 million in the red, was rolled out at the Wednesday, Feb. 1 School Committee meeting. That hole is due to a $1.8 million increase in expenses and a revenue shortfall of more than $800,000. That is a combined revenue decrease of 1.5 percent.

W-H’s per-pupil expenditure of $11,703 is 11th from the bottom of spending among all districts in the state and both towns remain below target share, a figure that the state has looked to since 2011 as it determines Chapter 70 aid levels. W-H now receives 63 percent of its funding from state aid. The state average for per-pupil spending is $14,935

Declining enrollment in both towns can also have an impact of state aid levels, according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner.

She said the budget includes a level-service proposal of $48,937,127. The increase in the budget’s bottom line — not to be confused with operating assessments to towns — is $1,857,987 or 3.95 percent.

Gilbert-Whitner said the FY 2018 budget needs to provide the 21st century education students deserve, rather than the education of the 1950s or ’60s, in very challenging fiscal times. Critical thinking, communication and technology skills are part of that.

“We have to come up with an assessment,” Hayes said. “Obviously, some of this [deficit] may get erased with new state funding. It may get worse. We’re going to have to take some serious looks at some serious issues.”

Business Services Director Christine Suckow said assessments based on a level-funded formula, because of enrollment shifts, would see Hanson’s assessment go down $162,000 and Whitman go up by the same amount.

Last year, the committee voted to transfer almost $950,000 out of excess and deficiency, an account intended for emergency expenses not for balancing the budget, Hayes noted. That account has been replenished to $1,246,484 due to end-of-year savings in utilities, insurance and special education.

“When you keep hitting E&D — and we’ve been doing that for several years — it’s a very, very dangerous, slippery slope that you can go down,” he cautioned. “You just pray for the rest of the year that nothing happens.”

State representatives Josh Cutler, D-Hanson, and Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman, and Rick Branca, an aide to state Sen. Mike Brady, D-Brockton, attended to give an overview of state budget implications for the W-H budget. [See related story]

District health insurance costs continue to strain the budget, Gilbert-Whitner said.

Strategic goals

The district again provided cost estimates for universal all-day kindergarten — at an estimated $400,000. That possibility is among the strategic action plans involving three pillars: healthy bodies/healthy minds; a cohesive PreK-12 curriculum and safe and secure schools; approved by the committee in September.

One-to-one devices such as ChromeBooks and iPads were also part of that discussion.

The action plans were points of discussion proposed for the Feb. 15 School Committee meeting, and have not been totaled into the fiscal 2018 budget.

Parents are now charged $3,200 a year per student for all-day kindergarten, which 82.1 percent of Massachusetts school districts provide at no cost. W-H’s half-day program is free.

There is also a request in the action plan for $300,000 over three years — $100,000 per year — for more classroom sets of one-to-one devices throughout the school system.

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Patrick Dillon argued the devices could be used to continue educating students in another school’s gym if a school building had to be temporarily closed. They can also be valuable as standardized testing becomes more digital, he said.

“I only have three ChromeBook carts in the building for 1,200 students — all through fundraising through the Panther Education Trust,” WHRHS Principal Jeffrey Szymaniak added.

School Committee member Fred Small suggested funding the devices through a capital request to help them survive budget cuts.

Non-mandated busing — transportation provided within 1.5 miles of a school and not required by law — is not reimbursed. W-H has about 1,000 non-mandated riders and 2,000 mandated, according to Suckow.

More than $1 million could be saved by eliminating busing from the budget completely, Suckow said in response to a question from Hayes. The district must provide transportation for homeless students who must stay in out-of-district shelters, however, under the federal McKinney-Vento Act adopted by the state of Massachusetts. The state under-funds that program, school officials said.

Going to all-day kindergarten would pare about $64,000 from the transportation costs by eliminating a mid-day bus run, Gilbert-Whitner said. She also pointed out that hospitalizations of students for anxiety-related illnesses are still rising and social workers provided at the elementary schools are funded by a grant that runs out June 30.

The high school program for at-risk students is supported by a grant that is also starting to go away.

A licensed social worker, who is also the parent of a Conley School student, said she was concerned to see high school sports coaches receiving a $63,000 raise while social workers in the schools are a greater need. The budget only adds about $6,000 for social workers.

Another parent argued social workers lower special education out-of-district costs.

“If you look at kids today, they’re facing a lot different challenges that we just never thought of when we were growing up,” Small agreed. “We’ve got fourth- and fifth-graders cutting themselves. … I know if I hadn’t heard [of] it, and seen it, I’d be oblivious to it.”

The district received $1.6 million in grants for the 2016-17 school year, not including a $20,000 grant recently received for safe and supportive schools. Grants fund nearly 85 positions in the district.

The elementary grades science curriculum is completely funded by a foundation, with the district responsible for consumable supporting materials.

state funds

Added state funding from local legislators’ efforts, which increased per-pupil funding to $55 each in state aid last year, allowed the district to hire four library assistants in the elementary schools. The district posted a job opening for a librarian to oversee them, but have not been able to find a qualified candidate. Retired high school librarian Kathy Gabriel has returned under a stipend to provide professional development for the four library assistants, Gilbert-Whitner said.

In the district-wide budget, the assistant superintendent for teaching and learning position has been cut in view of increased responsibilities for the director of curriculum positions.

Director of Science Curriculum Mark Stephansky argued for more up-to-date teaching materials for state standards that require more hands-on learning, and noted that the current eighth-grade textbook, copyrighted in 2000, has a picture of a space shuttle on the cover. NASA ended that program in 2011.

“That predates three standards,” he said, adding that now only half the curriculum is from a textbook. The other half is online. He advocates a curriculum materials upgrade that includes seven years of online access.

One parent asked that the school committee retain the $200,000 in the district budget so the new textbooks do not get cut.

“Knowing that my son laughs that Pluto is still mentioned [as a planet] in one of his science books, it’s really a concern,” she said. “We will not be able to have our students achieve at higher levels unless we have current information in front of them.”

Legislators offer state insight

State representatives Josh Cutler, D-Hanson, and Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman, along with Rick Branca, an aide to state Sen. Mike Brady, D-Brockton, attended the Wednesday, Feb.1 School Committee meeting to provide an overview of state budget implications for the W-H budget.

Diehl outlined Gov. Charlie Baker’s budget as it pertained to the district school budget.

Added state funding from local legislators’ efforts, which increased per-pupil funding to $55 each in state aid last year, allowed the district to hire four library assistants in the elementary schools.  They are looking to new legislation as a more permanent solution to the funding need.

“We’d like to replicate that this year, but don’t hold your breath,” Diehl said, noting that this year, Gov. Baker is back to asking for $20. “I think you’ll see the House increase that number and, usually, the Senate tends to have an increase beyond that. The horse-trading has really yet to start.”

Cutler explained that where last year’s success in increasing the per-pupil funding had support from 71 co-sponsors, that is the only way regional schools can obtain Chapter 70 increases.

“I want to credit you for kind of lighting the fire,” Cutler said. “We would have done our jobs anyway, but we understood what a challenging situation it was and we took that message out and spread it through the legislature.”

This year they are going to try to replicate it, but Cutler said they know they don’t want to have to try doing so every year.

That’s were a small language change proposed in the language of MGL Chapter 70 Section 2, would require a $50 per pupil minimum. The temporary House Docket No. is 3156 until the legislation is assigned a permanent bill number in about two weeks.

“It’s not a crazy idea, because it used to be that way,” Cutler said. “Obviously when times are good, we’d like to see that figure go even higher, but at least we’d have that minimum brought up from where it was before.”

Cutler said a good cross-section of South Shore legislators have already signed onto the bill.

Branca said Brady would work on behalf of the bill on the Senate side.

Diehl added that casinos, approved in 2011 and the recreational marijuana law, both passed with the intention of adding funds to the education budget, would not provide assistance for a few more years. The marijuana law won’t even be in effect until 2018.

He explained the hold was placed by the Legislature to adjust tax regulations and address public safety concerns about enforcement, using Colorado as a model.

“I wouldn’t expect them to be a potential revenue savior for awhile, if at all,” Diehl said.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner also expressed concern about transportation costs under chapter 71. Non-mandated busing — transportation provided within 1.5 miles of a school and not required by law — is not reimbursed.

The allocation was already down by $110,000 in the governor’s budget, she said. Subject to appropriation, the reimbursement is supposed to be 100 percent.

“We haven’t seen that since 2007,” she said. “If we did not have to transport students, we would then be able to charge — whether people would like that or not, I don’t know.”

She said it is not unusual at the high school to see, at the second half of the school year, the buses are not full as students earn drivers’ licenses or stay for sports.

“A lot of money goes out for bus transportation for buses that are not full,” Gilbert-Whitner said.

Cutler said, while he can’t predict dollars, the House bill will be better. Diehl also cautioned there are also pending 9C cuts.

  

HANSON — The new Recreation Commission officially went to work Thursday, Jan. 26, holding its first meeting to hear a review of work Town Administrator Michael McCue has done as interim director, brainstorm possible recreation events and elect officers.

Serving on the new commission are: Brian Fruzzetti, Rachel Gross and Brian Smith through June 30, 2019; John Zucco and Sondra Allen through June 30, 2018; and Annmarie Bouzan and Diane Cohen through June 30, 2017.

“I appreciate your stepping up to do this,” McCue said. “It’s always difficult to get people to serve on a board, especially one this large. The fact that we actually have a full seven-member board really does say something and is going to make things a lot easier on me, a lot easier on the town and a lot easier on the board itself.”

Bouzan, who has worked as an administrative assistant at Camp Kiwanee about five years ago, was elected chairman, Gross as the vice chairman and Cohen as the clerk.

Selectmen Bill Scott, who also attended the meeting, indicated he would continue, along with a member of the commission, to help McCue interview candidates for recreation director. He had been appointed by the Board of Selectmen to work on the interviews before while there was no sitting Recreation Commission.

“I will still be willing to be part of that if they want me to do that,” Scott said.

“My intention is to still have you do so,” McCue said. “We try to be a team, we’re all pulling in one direction, hopefully.”

Both McCue and Scott left after McCue’s update, and the commission spent more than an hour discussing policies and procedures as well as possible agenda items for future meetings.

Their concerns in that arena involve security protocols, the enforceability of a ban on firearms even for those licensed to carry, billing oversight, the extensive job description for the recreation director, caterers’ responsibilities, use of social media for marketing, cabin upkeep and the event planning process as a whole.

The commission plans on meeting twice a week until the members feel caught up and then will shift to a twice-monthly meeting schedule.

The public meetings are held at 7 p.m. at Camp Kiwanee’s Needles Lodge.

Fruzzetti of 370 Elm St., is an advertising consultant. Gross of 35 Katy-Did Lane, owns an event marketing company and has worked both on weddings and community events for the past 15 years. Smith of 38 Sandy Terrace is a facilities supervisor for Eversource. Zucco of 101 Glenwood Place is also an entertainment specialist, specializing in corporate and social events. Allen, of 188 Elm St., is a life-long resident who has maintained a family pass at Kiwanee and is active in Boy Scouts. Cohen of 767 Pleasant St., is a teacher who moved to Hanson 18 months ago. Her son has taken swimming lessons at Cranberry Cove for about five years.

“Your experience here at the camp and within the town is going to be beneficial in a liaison area,” Gross told Bouzan during the selection of officers. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I would love to review the applications for the director.”

The other commission members agreed that Gross’s professional background would make her a good choice for that role.

McCue provided ethics and open meeting regulation forms and copies of new lodge and cabin rental application forms as well as policies and procedures, all of which were drawn up by town counsel. For discounted contracts, the commission will vote on applications for reduced rates and forward the applications to McCue, who will bring it before the Board of Selectmen for final approval.

The new recreation director will recommend contracts for McCue to sign — as he does with all town contracts.

Rental contracts are more detailed on liability issues that had been a concern in the old contracts.

Selectmen will give final approval to the policies and procedures after the Recreation Commission has a chance to provide feedback.

“There’s an awful lot in there that wasn’t in there before,” McCue said. “What I will consider is some additional information, but by and large, the information you have in front of you — that’s going to stay. … I’m very hesitant to tinker with anything the lawyers gave me.”

McCue also provided an update on maintenance projects at the camp.

He has already done a level-funded budget, including a director’s salary, which was due before the commission met. A part-time employee in the Treasurer-Collector’s office is serving as the temporary administrative assistant to the Recreation Commission.

“I’m taking a bunch of trees down, and it’s not because I don’t like the trees — they’re dead,” he said. “Our fear is … if we get a good enough wind, if we get a heavy snow, they’ll come down and crash on this roof.”

He has consulted with the tree warden and Conservation Commission on which trees should be removed and potential impact on the pond. He also plans for a new septic system for the lodge; caretaker’s cottage and bathhouse have been changed because of the number of trees that would have had to be removed in addition to the high financial cost.

“The beauty of this place, the thing that makes this place unique, is the trees,” McCue said.

The lowest bid had come in $50,000 to $60,000 higher than budgeted so the bids were dismissed. The project is now being approached in phases.

He also plans to have a rotting garage on the property torn down as a liability, possibly within the next couple of weeks. That project, too requires input from the Conservation Commission due to the dry streambed near the gatehouse. A fence between the swimming area and an abutter’s property must also be extended to deal with a trespassing problem on the abutter’s land, but the Conservation Commission must also be consulted on that project, according to McCue.

The Recreation Commission will also have to hire lifeguards for Cranberry Cove in the spring for the upcoming summer swimming season, which starts the day after the last day of school.

“The weddings pay for a lot of things that go on up here, but it has to be a hand-in-hand thing,” Bouzan said. “Why have it here in Hanson for all of us to enjoy if we can’t. I’m really anxious to turn that around and make it so it’s a great place for us.”

Gross said she would like to see farmers’ markets take place at Kiwanee, community pot luck suppers and other community events.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Gross said.

WHITMAN  — Fire Chief Timothy Grenno is again seeking additional firefighters with EMT or paramedic/EMT certification for the department in his fiscal 2018 budget — this time only three — in an effort to deal with steadily increasing call volumes and a staffing level that has not changed since 1965.

Two years ago, Grenno had asked for eight additional firefighters, but the department did not receive the grant funding sought to pay a portion of that effort.

This year’s request, which will cost an estimated $292,700 including benefits for the three firefighters, will enable the fire department to add a firefighter to each shift to increase safety, fire response and patient care outcomes, Grenno argued.

While noting that a part override more than 12 years ago failed, as did the grant application two years ago, Grenno said he is seeking the funding for the new firefighters outside the levy limit.

“All I’m asking for is to let the taxpayers have the final say in this eventually,” Grenno said. Selectmen are expected to vote on Town Meeting warrant articles within the next few weeks.

Grenno is seeking a separate override question if there is a school override put before the voters.

At $292,648 — rounded up to $292,700— he said the tax rate impact would be 19 cents per $1,000 valuation or $56.18 increase in a tax bill on an average home of $291,413.

“I’m not trying to meet national standards, I’m not trying to get the big pie in the sky, I’m just trying to get us so that the majority of people that we see and the majority of responses that we go to are fair and equitable across the board,” he said. “This is a goal to increase efficiency, productivity and patient care.”

Grenno made his presentation to the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 24, a week after his official budget presentation to the Finance Committee.

Selectman Daniel Salvucci asked if the cost for the new firefighters could be funded within the levy limit.

“[It] sounds like a lot of money,” Salvucci said. “But it isn’t a lot of money in one way.”

Budget challenges

Town Administrator Frank Lynam said insurance costs, the school budget and other line items are expected to increase and the only way to meet Grenno’s request is to increase the levy limit.

Lynam said, since Whitman is a residential community with 93 percent of revenues coming from residents’ taxes, people must decide what kind of community they want to be.

“That’s all I’m asking,” Grenno said. “As fire chief, my job is to come before you and present the state of the fire side of public safety in the town. … I’m not in the ballgame to take from other people’s budgets.”

Lynam said all the town’s fixed costs increase each year by 4 to 5 percent.

“The only thing that enables us to keep up with it is the combination of growth and increases in the levy limit,” Lynam said. We’re not expecting to see much support from the state. … This is our job.”

Finance Committee Chairman Michael Minchello said he and Grenno have also talked about that, but there is a concern within his committee about overtime costs.

“I totally understand where the Finance Committee is coming from,” Grenno said. “Their job is money, my job is public safety and we have a very difficult time — and sometimes can’t do it — with five people a shift.”

The Whitman Fire Department became a full-time service in 1965 with five members per shift. In 1973, with an ambulance service added to the department, staffing levels remained at five per shift, where they remain today.

In 1965 call volume for both fire and medical emergencies was 496 runs during the year. Last year, call volume was up to 2,664 runs.

Medical emergencies make up 64 percent of all responses.

When calls come in, priority EMS calls — chest pain, shortness of breath, seizures and overdoses, for example — all five firefighters on a shift respond. For non-priority first calls — such as orthopedic cases — three firefighters respond, leaving two and possibly a shift commander to respond to subsequent calls, Grenno explained.

“We’re pretty good [on national treatment standards] on the first call out the door — four persons, most critical task, at least 80 seconds faster,” he said. “Four people on a priority call is the ultimate. Three is OK, two persons is substantially less. Second EMS calls or EMS calls secondary to a fire incident are somewhere between the three and two-person less effectiveness in patient care.

“That’s where we stand today and, to me, that is unacceptable,” Grenno said. Last summer, the department had to respond to an overdose call with one firefighter aided by police officers.

The cost

In the past three years there have been two house fires that caused $100,000 damage, but Grenno said the damage could have been limited to $20,000 to $25,000 with full staffing available.

Last year, the fire station was empty 18 percent of the time due to call volume, with subsequent calls dependent on mutual aid, which helps but takes from 20 minutes to an hour to get to a call.

Patient demographics have also “changed substantially,” Grenno said, and include Baby Boomers hesitant to call for help until a more serious condition develops, and another group “who call us for everything.”

The call-back system for summoning off-duty firefighters is also a problem due to second jobs, or family demands when a spouse has to go to work.

Minchello asked if Grenno had given thought to sending four members out on priority cases, as required by the national safety standards, instead of five. Grenno said that has been considered, but would break up a two-person engine company, which is also against safety standards.

The department’s current policy is, when secondary calls come in, if personnel have to go by the station they pick up the extra ambulance. Many secondary calls, however, occur in the same area to which the first response was dispatched.

Ambulance funds

Minchello also asked about past plans to fund new staffing from the ambulance account.

Grenno explained that the Governor’s Task Force for Health Insurance, to reduce costs across the state, met recently with the Legislature’s Health Committee without representatives of public safety, hospitals, private ambulance companies invited. Only insurance company representatives were in attendance to look at cutting health insurance costs and are beginning to look at pre-hospitalization services such as ambulance services and walk-in clinics. One of the proposals is to reduce ambulance transport coverage Medicare and Medicaid rates across the board, and the department is losing money in that new practice.

“That would be devastating to our department,” Grenno said.