SWAMPSCOTT — Despite opposition from some parents, the School Committee has passed a $31.149 million budget with cuts including the elimination of four elementary school classrooms, a student shuffle between the district’s three elementary schools and increased class sizes.
Last week, the School Committee unanimously approved a fiscal year 2019 budget with a $842,110, or 3 percent increase in town allocation — the town budget for the School Committee increased from $28,197,500 to $29,039,610.
The total budget increase was offset by a reduction of $90,592 in grants and revolving funds, which lowered the total budget increase by that amount — the total FY19 school budget stands at $31,149,441, with an increase of $751,518, or 2.5 percent, over last year’s budget of $30,397,923, according to a presentation from school business administrator Evan Katz.
Superintendent Pamela Angelakis said previously she was tasked by the School Committee to bring in a budget with a 2½ percent increase in town allocation. In FY16, she said the increase was 4.3 percent; in FY17, the increase was 4.2 percent; and in FY18, the increase was 3.5 percent, but the town also absorbed some of the school department’s expenses, including snow removal and facilities costs, making the actual increase 4.4 percent.
The School Committee has said the cuts are necessary as their goal is to remain within 2½ percent budget growth, as town allocation increases to the school budget in recent years is not sustainable.
Cuts that have garnered the most attention are the elimination of one classroom per grades K-3, which would also cut those teacher positions. But to target support for larger class sizes, one of those teacher positions would be restored for a net reduction of three teachers.
Elementary classes would go from eight classes per grades K-3 to seven. Katz previously said that those classroom reductions would potentially be at Stanley Elementary School, but the teacher reductions wouldn’t necessarily be from Stanley as well.
Angelakis said previously it’s estimated that there would be approximately 45 students from Stanley Elementary School who would have to move in current grades K-2 and that approximately 20 students will move from Hadley to Clarke elementary school.
Average class sizes would increase for kindergarten from 20 to 22 students; for first grade from 18 to 23 students; for second grade from 20 to 21 students; and for third grade from 18 to 23 students, Katz said.
Angelakis said the reduction of four elementary teachers is an enrollment-driven decision rather than a budget-driven decision, as current and projected enrollment warrants seven sections at each grade level, not eight. As a result, she said learning environment and space issues would begin to be addressed.
“I want to emphasize that this plan is fluid,” Angelakis said. “I have dedicated 28 years to this district. I am not looking to disrupt your child’s lives. I know this is emotional. I am making the best decision as the lead educator of this district. As a (leadership) team, we will continually look at the impact this plan has on teaching and learning, discuss what’s working, what’s not and adjust accordingly.”
Angelakis said at a previous meeting that the amount of teaching and learning that is occurring in the elementary school hallways is a major issue, which is neither acceptable nor appropriate for the district’s students and teachers. She said the budget proposal is about equity — equity for the district’s students, teachers and equity in learning space, adding that she was comfortable in the direction the district was moving.
School officials have said that the elementary classroom reductions are based on an effort to address the major space issues at all three of the district’s elementary schools that can’t wait for a new building, and need to be addressed now. Recently, the school district was accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority for replacement of Hadley School, which was built in 1911.
The budget was passed after a marathon of more than three hours of discussion, where a roomful of parents sounded off about budget cuts that were focused on the district’s elementary schools.
“Something has to give, but it shouldn’t be class size,” said Jaren Landen. “This won’t accomplish the goal of raising the bar for education for our children. I urge you to delay the vote and consider other options than cutting four teachers and impacting 600 of our youngest children in this district.”
Noah Erikson, a parent and licensed mental health counselor, said increases in class size can have a social emotional impact. He said lower class sizes lead to a decrease in anxiety in students and allow kids a chance to participate more and be more comfortable. He said larger class sizes can be more difficult for teachers to manage.
“Cuts of this nature ultimately lead to larger class sizes, less personalized instruction and a loss of opportunities — all negative consequences for our students,” said Nancy Hanlon, president of the Swampscott Education Association, the teachers’ union. “While we certainly need more space in Swampscott for our students, the solution is not in cutting staff, swelling class sizes and relocating as many as 70 elementary students to new schools.
“We must remain mindful that in nurturing our students and preparing for their next steps, every day matters. We cannot sacrifice any child’s immediate needs or experiences to solve a long-term problem,” she said.
Amy O’Connor, school committee chairwoman, said Swampscott has some fundamental issues that need solving over the next decade, which includes elementary school buildings that have not seen major updating since 1956, professional contracts that are far outpacing the district’s normal budget growth, growth in unfunded mandates and the district never receiving its minimum allocation of Chapter 70 funds, which is a program that provides state aid to public schools.
For those big issues, she said school officials have to make decisions about the long-term health of the district, but pointed out that the budget is still growing by 3 percent.
“The fact is, we simply cannot have it all,” O’Connor said. “We don’t have an unlimited budget. We must prioritize and spend appropriately so we can continue to bring a quality public education to our children for generations to come. A good education is rooted in more than class size. It’s about our teachers and their professional development through the years.
“It’s about the myriad of additional staff that do everything from adjustment counseling to English language tutoring to guiding behavioral challenges. It’s about a level of parent involvement and volunteerism that many districts would kill for. It’s about being ahead of the game with curriculum. It’s about our facilities and resources. I support this plan because while we do have to give a little, it enables us to solve a lot and prepare for the escalating costs of running the district.”
Other cuts include the elimination of a high school English/Language Arts teacher position, a high school special education teacher position, a part-time health administrative assistant at the high school, a position from the middle school’s Swampscott Integrated for Transition (SWIFT)/Harbor program and another district position. One position, which is to be determined, would be restored for targeted support.
That would result in a net staffing cut of 6½ positions and a FY19 budget reduction of $333,500, Katz said.