Schools not all that hot
Published on January 14th, 2004
STONEHAM, MA - For months now, the South School has had its share of ups and downs, in temperature that is.
Last Thursday, the School Committee heard about a plan to correct the situation that has students donning ski sweaters one day and summer T's the next.
Joe Bonanno, a representative from the mechanical and electrical consulting firm Richard D. Kimball Co., apprised the committee of findings his company uncovered in investigating the three year-old building's state of the art HVAC system.
"Basically, the systems were installed per plan and specs," reported Bonanno, but the problem of erratic heating and cooling stems in large part from the improperly operating control settings of individual unit ventilators in classrooms.
Certified technicians took apart two unit ventilators, tested them, identified the problems and restored them to working order. South School Principal Nick Leonardos has reported back to R.D. Kimball that since that work, the two continue to run well.
Bonanno outlined his recommendations for the system to the School Committee which included evaluation of each unit ventilator in the building to ensure all are working in the same mode, changes to the building automation system, and training of a building employee on the system to troubleshoot problems.
School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly said he would propose a shared cost arrangement with the town for this employee who could service both town and school buildings.
"We feel this can be a system-wide or town-wide HVAC system person to help coordinate all six buildings and town buildings."
School Committee member Marie Christie praised Bonanno's presentation of the previous evening to the School Building Committee and reported that the SBC voted to appropriate funds up to $40,000 to resolve the South School HVAC system deficiencies as well as to employ R. D. Kimball Co to oversee and implement the necessary work.
"The Building Committee was very impressed with the thorough job your company did."
"The good news is that we now believe we know what the problem is. The Building Committee was very, very proactive in appropriating money and hopes to have this resolved in a few weeks," Connelly added.
The $40,000 would come from anticipated unexpended funds from the building project. With regard to where fault lies for the system's deficiencies, Connelly said that will be looked at but the immediate task is to get the system in sound working order.
According to South School Principal Nick Leonardos, short term heating problems have been immediately addressed on an as needed basis by a local firm, but long range corrective action is needed.
FY05 Budget
Connelly presented the fiscal year 2005 school budget to the School Committee last week highlighting the highs and lows while emphasizing that the draft one budget represents a "pared down reduced budget that barely meets our needs for next year."
"The draft one budget is not a starting point. It's really an ending point."
Budget holders have been working on the FY05 budget since October, discussing their needs and making difficult decisions. Established guidelines dictate level funding or reduction of budgets from the current year.
The current year's budget stands at $21,979,138. Draft one FY05 budget calls for $22,992,155, representing an increase of $1,013,018 or 4.6 percent.
Despite budget guidelines, the 4.6 percent overall increase largely represents uncontrollable cost increases in a variety of areas such as new staff salaries, negotiated step and level salaries, mandated nonsalary areas and special education costs.
With regard to salary increases, higher enrollments, MCAS requirements and time on learning needs demand $250,000 worth of new staff. Step and level raises require an increase of $198,000.
Nonsalary increases total $268,000. With each new elementary school equipped with two to three new copier machines, the system wide copier maintenance contract will increase by $25,735. An additional $17,000 is needed to supply the system's several hundred printers with ink cartridges for the year. Maintenance contracts for other systems in the schools, including HVAC, telephone, security and elevators are expected to increase by $22,000. Heating the school buildings should increase by $33,000. Technology capital replacement is expected to go up by $19,000.
While the town increases fees for various services, the school system will be hit with an ice bill that is $9,000 more than the current year's. A six to seven percent increase in employee health insurance will translate to an additional $113,000. And while Connelly stated that the school department is being selective with new textbook adoptions, this line item is still expected to rise by $18,000.
Mandated restraint training classes will cost the system $6,500. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Joseph Casey was successful in securing a grant to cover this cost this year and if similar grant money becomes available for next year, this cost will go away.
Special education mandated increases total $250,000.
To put the draft one budget increase into perspective, Connelly stated that the above uncontrollable increases represent 4.4 percent of the total 4.6 percent overall increase. The remaining .2 percent translates to a $45,000 increase in the remaining 200 line items.
Some bright areas regarding the budget have shown up including pothole grant money that was secured on the suggestion of Christie who heard of additional available state funds while attending a conference last fall.
"I'm very pleased to announce...Stoneham did receive a $200,000 pothole grant," Connelly said, to help offset the costs of ongoing repair work to the Middle School and High School. $622,000 was appropriated by fall Town Meeting for the required work and once the repair projects commenced, additional costs have been incurred for unanticipated problems including asbestos abatement.
Electric rates are expected to be about $53,000 lower for next year due to a change in supplier enacted by Town Administrator David Berry. Unemployment insurance looks to be about $44,000 lower.
Building rental revenue should go up by $55,000 as the East and North Schools continue to be a good fit for the SEEM Collaborative. Rental of other areas will continue to be looked at as needs arise. The old Central School building continues to be an important topic of budget conversation as the town of North Reading continues to express interest in renting the building for a two year period. Before finalizing any lease agreement, the town of Stoneham will hold a public hearing.
Budget offsets for FY05 are expected to total $1,393,000 and are comprised of revenue from building rentals, after school child care program, full day Kindergarten program and grants.
"Unlike many towns that use this type of revenue to enhance and enrich and do additional things for the school system which we would love to do, in Stoneham...we're forced to use this revenue just to offset the operating budget which we are willing to do in these tough times," Connelly said.
Without these offsets, many of which are the result of creative thinking and hard work, the FY05 budget would be closer to $25 million.
"Your leadership in these financial times has been very well appreciated.. This is a significant distinguishing quality between Stoneham and other communities," said Committee Chairman Marc Grimaldi.
Committee member Kristin Russo pointed out that in addition to increasing only where mandated, about $350,000 in cuts over the current year have been made to various line items.
"Draft one is really almost a final budget...cuts have already been made, it's already had a lot of rigorous scrutiny put into it...we really made an effort not only to bring the budget in below level but we have exceeded that to the tune of over $300,000 in spite of the fact that we have increased costs," reiterated Casey.
Contracts Ratified
The School Committee voted in favor of ratifying three union contracts on Thursday, while Connelly praised the bargaining units for their cooperation in the negotiation process.
"I really must compliment the sensitivity and awareness that these employees showed toward the financial condition facing Stoneham currently."
The 27-member Custodial Union agreed to a six percent, 3-year contract, with increases of 1.5 percent in the first year, and 2.25 percent increases in the second and third years.
The contract also includes a one time per three year cycle, $100 outdoor coat allowance for those employees who work outside. The on call overtime rate remains at time and a half with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas, with work on those days paid at double time.
Both the 32-member Cafeteria Union and the 12-member School Secretary Union agreed to 3 year, six percent contracts with no other compensation increases.
School Calendar
With Stoneham Teachers Association input in hand, the School Committee finalized the 2004-2005 school calendar.
Labor Day, 2004 falls on September 6 so the School Committee has called for a pre-Labor Day start. This pre-holiday start would have teachers reporting to school on August 30 and 31, and students beginning on September 1. The STA proposed adding one day of Christmas vacation and extending the closing date in June by one day. The School Committee agreed and the last day of school before Christmas vacation will be December 22, giving students and teachers two days off before the holiday. If no snow days are taken, closing date will be June 16. With the maximum of five snow days built in, the closing date would be June 23.
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