A Crystal Ball for SAD63 School Board Members

Tewksbury, Mass. (approximately the size of Bangor) finally had to face a major fiscal shortfall in its school budget. Seems that School Board has a better sense of reality than the SAD63 Board. Tewksbury's situation finally came home to roost. This is what SAD63 may be facing in 2010-1011 because it refused to be responsible this year and because voters continue to be apathetic to irresponsible district administration.

TEWKSBURY -- Despite passionate pleas from teachers and parents for leniency, the School Committee voted unanimously last night to temporarily roll back the workday -- and thus the salaries -- of all school employees by 10 percent come July 1. But the committee also left the door open for other suggestions, noting that it could not delay the controversial vote because of a contractual June 15 layoff deadline that the teachers union declined to waive. "We're not close-minded," Chairman Richard O'Neill said after the vote. "Closing a school is off the table and we're not going to just flat lay off 40 people, but anything else we're willing to entertain. "In the meantime, though, all school employees will receive pink slips. Recall notices with a reduced, 90 percent workload will then follow. Those employees who agree to be rehired will essentially accept a temporary 10 percent pay cut and shorter work week. How long the workload reduction remains in effect will depend on how much the school district will have to cut once the state budget is finalized.

Officials with the Tewksbury Teachers Association (TTA) last night vowed to fight the measure, saying it violates their contract. "We'll battle them, no matter what it takes," TTA official Tony Blandini said. "All budgets are tight, but this is no way to solve the problem -- by demoralizing the entire school system. You can't expect teachers to constantly subsidize this budget."

Although the state's fiscal numbers remain in flux, school officials said last night that they expect to face a deficit of about $1.3 million in fiscal 2010, which starts July 1. "If state revenues continue to fall, this may not be the worst scenario," School Business Manager Jack Quinn said. "There's a lot going on right now. It's very, very difficult to get a grasp on where we're going to be a month or two down the road. But the lack of revenues is starting to find its way down to the cities and towns."

Assuming the shortfall will amount to $1.3 million, O'Neill argued that the only other way to bridge such a deficit would be through the layoff of 35 to 38 school employees. That would be on top of the 58 positions the Tewksbury School Department has already shed over the last five years, 38.5 of which were teaching jobs. "We can't do that and still call ourselves a school district. You know that and we know that," he told the 100 parents and school workers squeezed into the Wynn Middle School library last night. Dozens more were kept in a hallway outside by fire officials concerned about the room's capacity. A police detail was also on hand to help control the at times feisty crowd. Many teachers wore pink ribbons to represent their fight against pink slips. As the audience completed the pledge of allegiance, commonly held at the start of School Committee meetings, some couldn't resist echoing the "justice for all" part. Dozens had also flooded School Committee members with phone calls and e-mails after a June 5 Sun story on the workload reduction plan, sharing worries about how the salary cut would, for instance, hinder mortgage payments. Some teachers walked out of the meeting in tears last night. One kindergarten staff member wondered if she would still be getting a paycheck once her $12,000 annual salary absorbs health-insurance increases and the 10 percent pay cut.

"No one person I talked to over the weekend didn't have a compelling story," O'Neill noted. "But collectively, they also said let somebody else have it. That has to end."

"In my mind, it is absolutely immoral to send 30 of your colleagues to the wolves, having them worry about how to pay their mortgage, so you can keep your job and get your raises," School Committee member Michael Kelley added.

But some residents and teachers questioned whether every avenue had truly been explored. "Why can't we come up with a better solution with the TTA? There has to be (one)," former teacher and Bridle Path resident Kristen Polimeno said. "There has to be a better way of doing right by our teachers and our kids as well."

Some, like teacher and Sharon Street resident Jean Chan, said they would rather see the pain be shared more broadly through the implementation of bus fees, trash fees or tax increases. But O'Neill was quick to note that the School Committee would not have jurisdiction over the latter two options.

"You have to talk to selectmen about that," he said."We have been fiscally mismanaged for so many years," Chan shot back, met by thunderous applause. "It shouldn't continue to be on the backs of the School Department." http://www.lowellsun.com/ci_12568018