Monday, March 11, 2013
The School Committee has started crafting next year's budget, but some items are beyond their control.
As the School Committee begins putting together next year's school budget, several areas has them worried because they are out of their control. 1) It may seem like just yesterday the teacher's union signed their contract, and it is close. They settled negotiations last spring, but the contract ended over the summer. School Committee vice chairman John Portz said personnel costs - one of the largest for the district - are uncertain, but it will increase at least $525,000 due to longevity raises. 2) The cost of sending students with special needs to programs outside Watertown can be high and school officials won't know how many students the district is responsible for until April 1, Portz said. 3) The Minuteman Vocational School has …
Friday, December 7, 2012
Gov. Patrick's plan to make up a $540 million shortfall calls for cuts to local aid and special education funds.
Gov. Deval Patrick’s announcement, this week, that Massachusetts communities will lose state funding for local aid and special education was not greeted as good news by Watertown officials but the cuts should not have a major impact. The one percent in unrestricted local aid will cost Watertown about $56,000, and the town’s schools will lose about $85,000 from the special education circuit breaker fund, according to information State Sen. Will Brownsberger, D-Belmont, provided to town officials. The cuts are part of Gov. Patrick’s plan to close a $540 million shortfall in Fiscal 2013 - the current year’s budget. The hole is due to lower than expected tax revenue as a result of the current economic slump. Brownsberger wrote that the …
Sunday, February 5, 2012
The special education parent group will hold the event Feb. 8 at Cunniff School.
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Sunday, February 5, 2012
The following information was sent out by Watertown SPEDPAC: The Watertown SPEDPAC (Special Education Parents Advisory Committee) would like to encourage any parents with knowledge of and interests in applying technology to educate our children to attend our Feb. 8 meeting at 5 p.m. at the Cunniff School library, 246 Warren St., Watertown. Our organization advises the School Committee on Special Education matters. IPADS, android tablets, Iphones, and Ipods are all bringing exciting new ways to help our children. Come join us! Child care and pizza are provided.
42.376954
-71.198468
Cunniff Elementary School
246 Warren St, Watertown, MA
/articles/watertown-spedpac-hosting-event-on-education-technology
768469
/locations/6317853
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The cost of services for special needs students is ever changing, with students moving in and out of the program.
With students moving in and out of the special education program all the time and with the state funding still unsettled, that portion of the budget is tough for Watertown School officials to nail down. The lack of clarity with the cost of services for students with special needs has frustrated School Committee members. Chairman Anthony Paolillo asked when the budget would solidify, to which Director of Business Services Allie Altman responded, “It won’t.” She illustrated the difficulty by pointing out that the day of the School Committee Budget and Finance Committee meeting, May 19, two students were placed into the special education program. “Twice today it changed,” Altman said. As of May 19, the total projected cost of special …
42.36934
-71.17901
Phillips School - Watertown Public Schools District Offices
30 Common St, Watertown, MA
/articles/watertown-school-officials-struggle-to-get-a-handle-on-special-education-costs
768518
/locations/4413917
Bod
7:50 am on Friday, December 7, 2012
Whatever takes to get by in these tough times. i knew this was coming. I hope we all learn a valuable lesson that politics doesn't always give you want you want. more ›