Support Our Schools

So what did the Blue Ribbon Committee find?

Last year, our towns appointed a Blue Ribbon Committee of citizens to review our schools. The BRC will present its findings and recommendations at a televised Joint Meeting of the Hamilton and Wenham Boards of Selectmen and the School Committee Wednesday, June 17th at 7 p.m. at Wenham Town Hall. Please join us—or watch the presentation on television—to learn about the Committee’s findings.

So what did the BRC find? Briefly, it found there are no more obvious opportunities for significant cost savings in our schools at this time. But it will recommend that the towns hire an educational expert to explore whether efficiencies can be identified in the delivery of instructional services — the only area in which we outspend our peer school districts. The committee also found that our towns’ current system of negotiating the school budget needs improvement.

Attend the meeting—or watch it on TV— to learn more.

Presentation to Town Boards on Wednesday, June 17, 7 P.M., Wenham Town Hall

State funding in jeopardy – more layoffs, redistricting possible in Hamilton and Wenham

The Joint Budget Conference Committee began meeting Monday, June 1, to attempt to resolve the differences between the House and Senate versions of the state budget.

Three cuts are on the table that will have deep impact to our schools for fiscal year 2010: Chapter 70, Regional Transportation, and the Circuit Breaker. If all three areas are cut as they are currently proposed, here’s what will happen in our district:

• There will be redistricting in Grades 3, 4 and 5
• A further 5.3 full-time-equivalent positions will be eliminated – 3.0 in elementary, 1.0 at the Middle School and 1.3 at the High School. This is in addition to the 10.5 positions we have already cut for next year.
• Class sizes will rise even further: 22-25 students in elementary, 26-28 in Middle School, and 28-30 at the High School.

To prevent these cuts, please email the Joint Conference Committee members today. Tell them, “Our small regional district has already cut 10.5 teaching positions for next year, increased class sizes yet again, and further cut supplies and maintenance. Please prevent a further 5.3 layoffs, class sizes as high as 30 kids per class, and redistricting of our youngest students by preserving Chapter 70; avoiding cuts to regional transportation; and restoring the circuit breaker.”

Here is contact information for the committee members. Please email or call today; the decisions are being made now.

House of Representatives:

Chairman Charley Murphy (D)

Rep.CharlesMurphy@hwm.State.MA.US

Phone 617-722-2990

Vice Chair Barbara L’italien (D)

Rep.BarbaraL’Italien@Hou.State.MA.US

Phone 617-722-2380

Representative deMacedo (R)

Rep.VinnydeMacedo@Hou.State.MA.US

Phone: 617-722-2100

Senate:

Chairman Steven Panagiotakos (D)

Steven.Panagiotakos@state.ma.us

Phone: 617-722-1630

Vice Chair Stephen Brewer (D)

Stephen.Brewer@state.ma.us

Phone: 617-722-1540

Senator Michael Knapik (R)

Michael.Knapik@state.ma.us

Phone:617-722-1415

Voting Results, Next Year in Our Schools

Jennifer Scuteri Won the Hamilton Selectman’s Race

Jen received 805 votes. Paul Ricker tallied in at 791 votes, and Tony Celata received 231 votes.

The Capital Debt Exclusion Failed at Hamilton Town Meeting

The CDE passed at Wenham Town Meeting but failed by only 20 votes at Hamilton Town Meeting. (62% of Hamilton voters at Town Meeting approved the CDE.) However, the health and safety issues at our schools are not going away. The Accreditation Committee is still requiring that the High School make repairs. But we may have missed the opportunity to finance these repairs at today’s favorable interest rates. Stay tuned.

What Will Our Schools Look Like Next Year?

The School Committee took drastic steps to manage its budget this year and kept the budget increase to only 1.5%, despite the pressure of unfunded special education mandates, decreasing state aid and contractual union obligations. The towns’ contribution to the schools was less than it could have been under the levy limit.

• Our schools are cutting the equivalent of 7.4 full-time classroom teachers.
• The Middle School and High School will share a principal.
• The schools are also cutting additional positions, such as teaching assistants, psychologists, and clerical positions.
• The schools have reduced hours for the Athletic Director, the Curriculum Director and the SPED Out-of-District Coordinator.
• The High School remains on “warning” status for accreditation. The Accreditation Committee has required the High School to file a “Special Report” this August showing that our schools have made progress on the Committee’s concerns. Without the passage of the CDE and given the current state of the budget, it will be difficult to demonstrate progress by August.
• Our teachers and staff will be taking a “give-back” day, working one day without salary.

You should also know that …

The Massachusetts legislature is also considering further reductions in state aid for education. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.

Hamilton Town Election, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Winthrop School

Please remember to vote tomorrow, Thursday May 14, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Winthrop School.

It matters very much who our selectmen and other elected officials are. One selectmen’s vote can change the course of town and school fortunes.

On the ballot are three candidates for selectman:

Jennifer Scuteri -

John (Tony) Celata - Paul Ricker

You will see the Capital Debt Exclusion for school repairs on the ballot as well, but because it failed to pass at Hamilton Town Meeting last week, it is null on the ballot tomorrow.

Please find the 10 minutes tomorrow to vote for selectman, and ask your friends and neighbors to do the same. 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Winthrop School.

Thanks for your attention.

We’re not done yet, Hamilton!

Capital Debt Exclusion fails by 20 votes in Hamilton

The Capital Debt Exclusion garnered a healthy majority of the votes, but not quite the 2/3 needed to get it onto the ballot. A sincere thank you to all the Hamilton voters who braved the overheated room, and heated dialogue, last night in the High School Auditorium.

We have just two things left to ask of you this year.

1. Return tonight and vote on whether or not you support moving Town Meeting permanently to a Saturday. As we saw last night, both parents need to be able to make every town meeting to have their voices heard. Will Saturdays work for your household?This petition will be one of the first – if not the very first — item on the agenda. Meeting starts promptly at 7:30.

   Then please stay for other important business that affects our town and our schools:

   • Article 3-1 Overlay District for Landfill
   • Article 4-7 Increase size of our Board of Selectmen from 3 to 5
   • Article 5-1 Create a new Town Manager position
   • Article 5-2 Property Tax Exemption petition
2. Vote on Thursday, May 14, for selectman. Candidates are Jen Scuteri, John Celata, and Paul Ricker. This is a no-school day, so plan accordingly. Polls at the Winthrop School are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Thanks for staying informed.

Vote Yes for the Capital Debt Exclusion

Wenham Town Meeting this Saturday.
Hamilton next Monday and Tuesday nights.

A Capital Debt Exclusion (CDE) is on the warrants for both the Hamilton and Wenham Town Meetings. The CDE will be used for school repairs and safety/health improvements and to address several NEASC compliance issues. For more detailed information, please click here.

Town Leadership is in support of the CDE:

The Capital Debt Exclusion is being recommended by both towns’ board of selectmen and finance committees.

How is this different from an operational override:

This is not an operational override nor a permanent tax increase. Thanks to historically low interest rates, the CDE will have a minimal impact on our tax bills; the impact, based on median assessed home values, is $30.37 per year in Hamilton and $31.46 per year in Wenham for 10 years.

The Capital Debt Exclusion will not be easy to get passed. Here’s why:

A 2/3 majority in favor of the article is required at both town meetings to get the Capital Debt Exclusion placed on the ballot.

That means we need a very strong turnout of school supporters this Saturday at 1 p.m. in Wenham and next Monday and Tuesday nights at 7:30 p.m. in Hamilton in order to get the Capital Debt Exclusion placed on the ballot.

Then, school supporters need to vote Yes at the ballot box on Election Day, Thursday, May 14.

If the article fails at either town at Town Meeting or at the ballot, it will not be reconsidered and will not be re-voted on.

Everything you need to know but were too busy to ask about the Capital Debt Exclusion

Every school building in our district is in need of repairs and health/safety improvements.

This year, the School Committee feels the timing is advantageous to fund those repairs with a Capital Debt Exclusion (CDE).

A Capital Debt Exclusion is not an operational override and, thanks to historically low interest rates, will have minimal impact on our tax bills.

But just what is a Capital Debt Exclusion and why do we need it now? Here’s the rundown:

• What is a Capital Debt Exclusion?
  Capital debt exclusion is when the town takes out a bond to fund a project, like our towns did for the Wenham Town Hall and the Hamilton Public Safety building. The School Committee is proposing a 10-year bond which would be used to purchase various pieces of capital equipment and to pay for repairs and improvements to the school buildings.
• Is a debt exclusion different from an operational override?
  Yes. The towns will pay debt service for a period of ten years only. A capital debt exclusion does not result in a permanent tax increase.
• What effect will the debt exclusion have on my taxes?
  There is a minimal effect on property taxes. Based on median assessed home values, the tax impact is estimated at $30.37 per year in Hamilton and $31.46 per year in Wenham for 10 years.

The School District is in the process of refinancing the debt on the Miles River Middle School at a lower interest rate. Those expected cost savings could further reduce the impact of the proposed Capital Debt Exclusion, depending on how the Towns decide to use those savings.

• Why now?
  With interest rates at an all time-low, and with lower construction costs than in recent years, now is the ideal time to fund these projects. The issues being funded thru the debt exclusion are not going away and will only get more expensive to repair if we wait.
• What will the District use the money for?
  The list of the items to be addressed by the debt exclusion can be found at the district website. (click to view)
• Can we be sure the funds will go for repairs and not be shifted to other uses?
  Yes. By law the funds can only be used for the purposes stated in the warrant article.
• Why do we need to do these repairs?
  To address health and safety issues and NEASC compliance.
• Will these repairs keep the High School from being placed probation status by the accreditation committee (NEASC)?
  Most likely.
• What do I need to do to make these repairs happen?
  Today, make arrangements for child care. It is important that all registered voters in your household attend town meeting. Since Hamilton and Wenham town meetings are on different days, consider asking a friend in your neighboring town for help. Then, attend Town Meeting and vote “Yes” for the Capital Debt Exclusion.

The CDE needs a 2/3 vote at both town meetings in order to make it onto the ballot, so every single vote is critical.

Wenham Town Meeting: Saturday, May 2 at 1:00 at Buker. The Capital Debt Exclusion is Article 8.

Hamilton Town Meeting: Monday, May 4 and Tuesday May 5 at 7:30 at the High School. The Capital Debt Exclusion is Article 11.

There is a strong chance the CDE won’t go to a vote in Hamilton until the second night. Please plan for all voters in your household to attend both nights.

Finally, vote “Yes” for the Capital Debt Exclusion at the ballot box on May 14.

These Are Our Schools. Let’s Take Care of Our Investment!

Up Close and Personal: Candidates for Selectman + Other Posts

Candidates for selectman and other important posts in both Hamilton and Wenham will be speaking publicly this Tuesday night, from 7 p.m. — 9:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Miles River Middle School.

The event, which is hosted by the non-partisan League of Women Voters, will also be televised live on our local TV stations and repeated a few times leading up to Election Day.

Each candidate will deliver prepared remarks and answer questions submitted in writing by the League moderator and by audience members.

Come get informed about the people making decisions that affect our towns and our schools. Added bonus: Light refreshments will be served afterwards.

Don’t forget — Wenham votes for its candidates the morning of Town Meeting, this Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Hamilton votes for its candidates on Election Day, May 14.

Here are all the details. Please reserve your babysitters and mark your calendars:

WENHAM

May 2, 8:00 AM - 12 PM Wenham Annual Town Election, Buker
May 2, 1:00 PM Wenham Annual Town Meeting, Buker School
May 14, 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM Wenham Ballot Vote*, Buker School

HAMILTON

May 4, 7:30 PM Hamilton Town Meeting, HWRHS
May 5, 7:30 PM continuation of Hamilton Town Meeting, HWRHS
May 14, 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM Hamilton Town Election* and Ballot Vote*, Winthrop School

* Absentee ballots are available for town elections and ballot votes (NOT for town meeting so you must attend). The form can be downloaded from www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleifv/howabs.htm.

There are 2 important school related issues at upcoming Town Meeting

Please don’t skip Town Meeting this year because there isn’t a school operational override. There are two very important school-related issues on the warrant and we need massive parent turnout. School opponents will be out in force for town meeting; we ALL need to show up to make sure our voice is heard.

1. HWRSD Capital Debt Exclusion to Fund School Building Repairs.
   • The School Committee has proposed a capital debt exclusion of $1.241 million to fund essential repairs to our school buildings. This is different from an operating override and has a minimal effect on property taxes.
   • Based on median assessed home values, the tax impact is estimated at $30.37 per year in Hamilton and $31.46 per year in Wenham. In fact, the tax impact will be mitigated due to cost savings associated with refinancing the MRMS debt at a lower interest rate.
   • The repairs covered by the debt exclusion address serious health and safety issues in our school buildings and remedy some of the deficiencies noted by the accreditation committee. The issues being funded by the debt exclusion are not going away and will only get more expensive to repair if we wait.
   • With interest rates so low, now is the ideal time to fund these projects. We’ll e-blast detailed information about the capital debt exclusion after school vacation—stay tuned.
2. Proposal for Saturday Town Meetings in Hamilton.
   

   There is a warrant article to be voted on to permanently move Hamilton Town Meeting to Saturday, rather than a weeknight. This proposal makes it more difficult for parents to attend town meeting. Weeknight meetings enable the most residents to attend—as evidenced by the 900-person turnout at last year’s town meeting. Please attend the Hamilton Town Meeting to vote against this “Saturday” measure: it’s anti-family and anti-school and it is designed to decrease participation at Town Meetings.

School opponents will be out in force for town meeting. Make sure you come out too!

Please mark these Important Dates on your calendar!

WENHAM

May 2, 8:00 AM- 12 PM Wenham Annual Town Election, Buker
May 2, 1:00 PM Wenham Annual Town Meeting, Buker
May 14, 7:00 AM-8:00 PM Wenham Ballot Vote*, Buker

HAMILTON

May 4, 7:30 PM Hamilton Town Meeting, HWRHS
May 5, 7:30 PM continuation of Hamilton Town Meeting, HWRHS
May 14, 7:00 AM-8:00 PM Hamilton Town Election* and Ballot Vote*, Winthrop

* Absentee ballots are available for town elections and ballot votes (NOT for town meeting so you must attend).The form can be downloaded from www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleifv/howabs.htm.

Giveback From Unions Saves Teaching Positions

Great news. As announced by the School Committee yesterday, Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District employees have agreed to a salary concession of one day without pay for the 2009-2010 school year.

Two unions were involved in negotiations – the Hamilton-Wenham Education Association, which represents teachers, secretaries and nurses, and the Hamilton-Wenham Custodians’ union. A majority of both unions voted in favor of the giveback, which will save the district approximately $110,000 next year and mitigate teacher layoffs.

A press release from the School Committee quoted John Kotch, President of the Hamilton-Wenham Education Association, as saying

“The communities of Hamilton and Wenham have been incredibly supportive of the schools in many ways and we sincerely appreciate this fact. We felt that it was important for the Association to demonstrate our understanding of the current economic climate. It is always difficult for anyone to take a reduction in salary, but it was simply the right thing to do.”

As you’re in and out of the schools in the coming days – volunteering, picking up or dropping off a child – please take a moment to stop and thank a teacher, a secretary, a custodian or a nurse for their contribution.

Click here to read the full press release (H-W Chronicle).

SOS meeting, Wednesday, April 15 at 7:30 pm at the Community House

Please join SOS at our monthly meeting as we host members of the Wenham and Hamilton Boards of Selectmen.

Agenda items include:

• Dialogue on the Hamilton/Wenham police merger
• A brief presentation from the Hamilton Government Study group
• Information on the Capital Debt Exclusion that’s been requested for school building repair and maintenance
• Update on FY10 School Budget

This is our chance to have our elected officials hear our point of view. Please come and bring a friend.

Important Dates to Save:

Wenham: Town meeting is Saturday, May 2nd at 1:00 pm at Buker School, Perkins Auditorium
Hamilton Town meeting is Monday, May 4th (and possibly Tuesday, May 5th) at 7:30 pm in the High School Auditorium

May 14 is the ballot vote for both towns.

Down to the wire, but there’s still hope!

10.6 Teaching Positions Hang in the Balance

On March 31 — six days from today — the School Committee is required by law to submit its finalized budget. As of today, 10.6 teaching positions are still on the line to be eliminated — including 2.4 positions from the High School and 4.8 positions from the Middle School.

With the School Committee deciding not to pursue an operational override, and funding from the state not expected to increase, there are now just two variables left that could change the number of positions due to be cut.

1. The teachers’ union could vote to make concessions. Discussions with the School Committee are ongoing, and the number of positions, if any, such a move would affect is not publicly known. This is especially difficult since the teacher’s union contract is not open for negotiation this year.
2. Last week, the Hamilton finance committee voted to change the percentage of the two towns’ combined contribution to the schools from a 2.0% increase to a 2.5% increase. If the Wenham finance committee, which meets tonight, decides to follow suit, some positions could be saved, though again the number is not publicly known.

These are both complicated issues that affect our towns, our public employees and our school children. We support our elected officials as they make these far-reaching decisions in difficult times.

10.6 School Positions — Maybe More — Are Still On The Line

The School Committee is holding its one and only Public Forum on the Fiscal Year 2010 budget today, Thursday, March 19, at 7 p.m. in the Buker Multipurpose Room.

This public forum is your last and best chance to ask questions and share your opinions about what’s getting cut, what schools and programs will be affected, and what’s the best way to repair our beleaguered school buildings.

Please make an honest effort to attend.

News you can use:

1. For the first time in many years, there will be no operational override in the towns of Hamilton and Wenham to fund the regional school district.

That means the district will operate next year on the contribution from the towns, which is still in flux, and Chapter 70 funding from the state, which again has not yet been determined and may or may not involve the use of Federal Stimulus funds.

1. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) recently sent a strongly worded letter to the district (Click to view NEASC report at http://hs.hw-regional.k12.ma.us/info/NEASC/NEASCLetter%202009.pdf)

The regional high school is on “warning” status now; without action or demonstrable progress toward action, that status could be deteroriate to “on probation” in August of this year.

Schools on warning status are not made public, but schools on probation are. There are just nine
of 391 districts in Massachusetts on NEASC probation, including Uxbridge, Beverly, Spencer, Haverhill, Holbrook, Maynard, Randolph, Rockland, and Southbridge.

1. Among other concerns, NEASC cited the district for the poor physical condition of the high school and its auditorium. In fact, through years of neglect due to insufficient funds, every school in our district is in need of some type of repair.To remedy those problems, the School Committee last week proposed a debt-exclusion capital override to fund school building-repair projects. A large part of that money would go toward essential repairs at the High School. These repairs are one of the issues that NEASC is requiring the district to show progress on to avoid having the High School downgraded to “on probation.”

Like the town hall and police station in Wenham and the public safety building project in Hamilton, the debt exclusion is used to fund specific building projects. The School Committee is proposing to issue a bond that would spread payments over a 10- or 20-year period, at the currently very favorable interest rates.

Is this prudent long-term planning? Come let your voice be heard tonight, 7 p.m. in the Buker Multipurpose Room.

See you there!

Three Chances To Share Your Views with Lawmakers

[This is a clipped version of the original email. Click here to read the article in full...]

Two bi-partisan citizens’ organizations that we respect are hosting gatherings at the State House in the next few weeks to help us make our concerns known to the Governor and legislature.

* Stand for Children (www.stand.org/ma), the grassroots advocacy organization that lobbies for education reform and improvements, is hosting an inside-the-building State House Rally on Tuesday, March 24 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. You can take the train and be back before school gets out, or be back in your office by noon if you work in town.

Stand is lobbying for state healthcare reform that can help save teachers’ jobs; local revenue options (meals tax, telephone poll taxes, etc.) that can help keep schools afloat; and long-term funding solutions for schools across the state.

* The Suburban Coalition (www.suburbancoalition.org), a statewide organization of local officials and citizens from suburban Massachusetts towns, is hosting a Legislative Breakfast at the State House on Tuesday, April 14, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. All are welcome.

The Coalition’s 2009-2010 position paper calls for solutions to many of the problems that plague us here in Hamilton and Wenham, including relief from unfunded mandates, relief from state reporting requirements, reliable funding for roads, school buildings and other infrastructure needs, and more. (Click “position paper” from the left-hand menu on The Suburban Coalition’s web site to read the detailed plans.)

Can you join a contingent from Hamilton-Wenham in making sure decision-makers feel our pain? … [Read this article in full...]

Letter to John Kotch, Local President, MA Teachers Association

John Kotch
Local President
Massachusetts Teachers Association

Dear John,

Since our inception, Hamilton-Wenham SOS (Support our Schools) has been fully dedicated to protecting and supporting one of our towns’ greatest assets — our school teachers.

We, and the citizens’ organizations that came before us, managed to pass seven overrides in increasingly difficult economic times on the strength of our commitment to our teachers. When voters learned of potential reductions to the teaching staff, they voted to preserve those positions, even though the result has been steeply increased taxes that affect every homeowner in our towns.

But now we face together a very different political and economic climate. As we’re sure you’re aware, Dr. McGrath has laid out the potential necessary cuts to the school budget. If all reductions are needed, 16.8 full-time equivalent teaching positions will be eliminated.

To forestall that loss, we must look for solutions in places where we haven’t yet looked. Towards that end, SOS asks the Teachers Union to consider contractual concessions to preserve the targeted teaching positions and maintain the quality of our school district.

In making this request, we take our inspiration from our two towns, both of which plan to renegotiate contacts with town employees for FY10, as well as from President Obama, who lauded in his inaugural address “the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job.”

We understand this suggestion comes at a time when teachers, like everyone else, are grappling with rising costs and continuing economic uncertainty, and we are appreciative that your membership would consider these bold moves under trying circumstances.

Indeed, concessions would help not only to balance the school budget, but to restore much-needed equanimity between the various interest groups in our towns. Should the teachers union agree to any concessions, we’d do our best to make sure our communities were well informed of the sacrifices made by your membership.

Thanks for your careful consideration of this suggestion, and for all you do for our kids.

Sincerely,

The Support Our Schools Committe

Please attend: School Committee Meeting, Thursday March 12, 7 p.m. Buker Multipurpose

For many years, improvements and repairs to our school buildings have not been initiated due to tight funding. Now the situation for a few buildings has reached a critical stage. On Thursday, the School Committee will discuss options for funding long-delayed, much-required physical improvements. Please attend to hear what we face and how we might fund such repairs.

There are currently 16.8 full-time equivalent positions throughout the district that may be cut from the school budget. Come hear the latest developments with the FY10 budget and these proposed reductions.

Have you heard? Last week HWRHS principal Bob Krol and assistant principal Phil Conrad reported on the latest findings from NEASC — the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. While NEASC was impressed with many aspects of our High School’s curriculum, their concerns were multiple. We are on Warning status right now. Without action, we are on our way to Probation.

• Click to read the NEASC Special Progress Report. (PDF, 3 pages, 186KB)
• Click to read our report from last year on the impacts of being on warning, as we are right now.
• Stay tuned for more information from us on what Probation status will mean for our kids and our property values.

[Read this article in full...]

Two dates to remember: March 5 and March 10

1) This Thursday, March 5, at 7 p.m. at Buker School the School Committee will address three issues of importance to school supporters:

• A revised FY10 school budget and a revised list of proposed cuts to school personnel and services. The numbers have changed now that the towns have made a preliminary vote to contribute a 2% increase under the levy limit to the schools.
• A review of capital considerations for various school buildings in need of repair.
• A report on the latest letter from NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges), which last year put the regional High School on accreditation warning.

[Read this article in full...]

Open meeting of Support Our Schools

Monday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m., downstairs at the Community House

Our special guest will be Arthur Oberheim, chairman of the Hamilton Finance Advisory Committee.

Art will describe how town revenue, state funding, and other unique circumstances are likely to have an impact on this year’s school budget. The Hamilton Fincom is in the process of deciding how much money the
town will contribute to the schools for fiscal year 2010. NOW is the time to understand the challenges and express your opinions on school funding. [Read this article in full...]

Breaking Budget News — State and Local

Please attend tonight’s School Committee budget workshop (7 p.m., Buker Multi-purpose room). The focus of the presentation will be the Principals’ Budgets, School Choice and User Fees. At the end of the meeting there will be an opportunity for those who wish to ask questions and make comments. The meetings are also televised by local cable access TV (Comcast - channel 10, Verizon - channel 36,37)

Did you have a chance to email Deval Patrick? The Governor is expected to announce his cuts tomorrow — one rumor has it he is considering an 18% reduction in local aid — a reduction that would mean deep cuts to our schools between now and June. Click on the link below to access Stand for Children’s website with ready-to-go email text and all the contact information. [Read this article in full...]

Ask Deval Patrick to spare our schools

We need bold action, and we need it now

Hi, everyone,

We’re ready to take the next step in trying to protect our school system from drastic budget cuts this year.

We’re encouraged to see that Stand for Children, the statewide advocacy organization with which we are in the process of becoming affiliated, has taken up the cause too. [Read this article in full...]

Don’t forget! SC Budget Meeting Tonight

Please attend tonight’s School Committee workshop (7 PM, Buker Multi-purpose room). The focus of the presentation is the SPED (Special Education) Budget, Curriculum & Technology Budgets, Capital and Maintenance. At the end of the meeting there will be an opportunity for those who wish to ask questions and make comments.

Our elected officials notice attendance at these meetings — they see it as a bellwether of the level of community interest in the schools. So let’s send the right message and get ourselves out to these budget presentations. The meetings are also televised by local cable access channel 10. [Read this article in full...]

School funding in jeopardy. Vote is Wed. at 1 p.m.

The House of Representatives is getting ready to vote tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan. 14) on whether or not to give Gov. Patrick expanded powers — known as 9C powers — to cut this year’s budget.

The governor is asking for the power to cut local aid and aid to schools (Chapter 70), among other areas.

We are well aware of the dire condition of our state economy, but cutting local aid will make matters in Hamilton and Wenham much worse than they already are. Cuts to our schools would happen between now and June. [Read this article in full...]

Follow the school funding trail

Did you know?

In addition to the school committee, several bodies within Hamilton and Wenham town government impact the quality of the education in our community. As advocates for quality public education, it is important to understand the town and school budget decision-making process, express our opinions to the relevant boards and committees, and do so at crucial times. Now is a crucial time!

The budget decisions of Finance and Advisory Committees (FinComs) in each of our towns have a large impact on quality of education. How?

• The FinCom works with town officials to determine the town’s operating budget including the amount of funding for our schools.
• Based on the funding provided in each town’s operating budget, the School Committee must either make cuts or place programs on an override.

Last year the towns’ contribution to the schools was historically low. [Read this article in full...]

Wake-up call for Hamilton-Wenham

Between now and March 31, the School Committee will be building next year’s school budget.

Our school district and community are confronting agonizing decisions in the face of a sharp reduction of state aid, our limited commercial and town revenue, and the escalating costs of healthcare, unfunded special education mandates, and contractual union obligations. Everyone is keenly aware of the economic hardship that many in our community are facing during this severe recession.

Please attend the School Committee meetings listed below. From these meetings, the School Committee will be making decisions that will affect the future of our students for years to come. Now is the time to make your opinion known.

As background, you can visit the School District website (www.hwschools.net) to read the School Committee’s FY10 Budget Assumptions PowerPoint presentation. Keep an eye out for the school district’s Annual Report, which is due to be mailed to residents shortly.

The School committee meetings are all on Thursdays at 7:00 PM at the Buker Multi-Purpose room. At the end of the meetings there will be an opportunity for those who wish to ask questions and make comments.

Mark your calendars:

January 15 - Presentation of the SPED (Special Education) Budget, Curriculum &Technology Budgets, Capital and Maintenance

January 22 - Principal’s Budgets, School Choice and User Fees

March 5 - Preliminary FY10 Budget Presented to the Hamilton and Wenham Finance committees

March 12 - Discuss FY10 Budget Options, gauge community support, and determine override

March 24 - Public hearing

March 31 - Budget voted

Meetings can also be viewed on the local cable Channel 10. But please don’t sit this one out: come join us in protecting our schools which we have worked so hard to preserve.

Have you heard?

Boston Magazine’s School Issue is out which placed HWRHS in the top 25 percent of Boston area schools that “are performing well…while operating efficiently.”

Click to view the full set of articles at Boston Magazine
Click to view chart at Boston Magazine
Click to download the chart as a spreadsheet

Return here soon for a more in-depth comparison with other schools in our region.

New “Articles” Section

We have created a new section of the website called “Articles“. It will include a number of articles about schools/education as it relates to the Hamilton-Wenham School District. We’re starting off with three articles reprinted from the Boston Globe North edition published last week which deal with the cost of extracurricular fees in our region. There is a link at the top of the page, or you can click this link.

New Report Available

At the request of the Hamilton Board of Selectmen, the Department of Revenue’s Division of Local Services (DLS) has completed a financial management review of the Town of Hamilton. The 30 page report is available at http://www.mass.gov/Ador/docs/dls/mdmstuf/Technical_Assistance/FinMgtRev/Hamilton.pdf (PDF, 166KB)