I was surprised to hear at the last School Committee meeting that they had not selected the reading series that they had asked the Finance Committeeto to fund by Reserve Fund transfer.
This leads to a couple of interesting questions? If they don't know what they are going to buy, how did they know what would it cost? If the money is not spent or at least committed by the end of the FY08 fiscal year which closed on July 15th, then why wouldn't the funds be returned to the town's general fund as free cash? The same is true for the $40K that the school department said they had left at the end of the year. I asked our Budget Director about that last night and he indicated that ...
... if the money is not spent or encumbered by a purchase order, then it should be returned to the General Fund for appropriation by Town Meeting just as any remaining funds from another department must be. That seems to me to be a correct and reasonable assumption. Town Meeting has the sole authority to appropriate funds of the town. The Finance Committee had exercised their prerogative over distribution of the Reserve Fund to transfer money in that account, but that and the remaining school funds are all FY08 money. Once the fiscal year is closed, the books have to reconciled, excess funds are then certified as free cash, and the balance is available to be re-appropriated by the Town Meeting usually in the fall. I will inquire as to whether that money has been encumbered and report my findings in a later post.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Schools, books, and appropriations
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Bill, Please call Marylou Clarke at the public schools and Manny Cordeiro. Don't get everyone worked up over nothing before you hear the facts. These textbooks are in process, publishers give quotes.
To Bill, From Ellen:
Hi Bill, I hope you sit down with school admin. this week and report back. There are anwers to these questions, but they explain them better.
To people, What do people think is non-essential in learning these days and a waste of taxpayer dollars?
My understanding is the SC is tightening their contract language and reducing benefits, ask Shawn M abnout this...next SC Personnel board will speak about benefits.
Mrs. Clarke explained the textbook adoption process at Town Meeting, but it seems some were confused. This wasn't to be an overnight, rush purchase. And she said the money was an approximate amount. They will have a Committee with reading specialists and teachers to review the current options and pick one as soon as they have analyzed latest research and offerings. I agree Bill should call Mrs. Clarke to get the answers, why stir the pot before a simple phone call or quick afternoon meeting.
So now our new selectman wants to take the new textbooks that the kids don't even have yet off their desks? Is this what we elected you to do Mr. Trimble? Why not pick up the phone and call the school department if you have a question or need further information instead of looking once again to stir it up at my kids expense? Communication is a two way street. You can quote the Dali Lama all you want but you can bet the Dali Lama would not act this way.
This is typical Trimble fashion. Shoot before asking questions. That is the problem I have with the whole CFRG. They think there is a conspiracy in everything. Do us a favor and shut down this blog.
The Lama was on CNN yesterday. I agree I think he would want the students to have their basic needs met and this includes holistic learning, not fragmented or minimal.
If this was information given by the SC at their meeting, why is it considered stirring anything up? It is just public information.
My question is this: If the town by-laws state that money given to depts. from the reserve fund must be spent by the end of the fiscal year or returned, why is it that the school does not have to comply? If Mrs. Clarke knew that this money was not going to be used right away, perhaps she should have notified the Fin.Com. or Ed Icaponi and found out how to proceed. Interesting...
If there is no purchase order and the money has not yet been spent, are posters here saying that Ed gave Bill a wrong answer to his question? That's what it sounds like. Bill is posting Ed's answer, and we can assume that it is the correct answer, can we not? I'm not seeing how asking Ed this question is taking new textbooks for the kids "off their desks." There is a policy that must be followed with Town money. How is asking where this money is to go at this date, with the close of the fiscal year, wrong?
Anonymous, guess what? You don't have to visit this blog. However it does give you the opportunity to voice a differing opinion. For most of us this blog is the best thing that has happened to Dartmouth in quite a while. At least we get information even if it has to be hashed out.
And what are you worried about? Even if the appropriation has to go to the fall Town Employee Meeting, I mean Town Meeting, it will pass anyway. Sorry, it's so easy to confuse the two.
When in doubt go to the source. Steve Russell and Marylou Clarke. Then bring something up at School Committee. Then write a note to Fin Com.
Bill is not stirring up anything. There are proper procedures which must be followed by EVERYONE. If there is not a purchase order for textbooks dated by July 15th, then that money must be returned to the town. It is quite simple. My understanding is that there is a committee being formed to decide which textbooks will be purchased. This would indicate that there is no such purchase order.
Wasn't sure where to post this but I thought it was worth noting. The gov. of CA wants to reduce salaries to federal min. wage for 200K state employees to help reduce a $15 billion deficit. Time to wake up and smell the coffee. Go Arnold!!!
To Anon, 4:03 p.m.
How about if you accept only minimum wage for your private-sector job, and donate the difference to the Town?
Sorry would love to help but I don't have a private sector job.
Although the concept may be somewhat drastic there is a point to be made here. When citizens cannot afford their government, something has to change. Maybe the solution is to downsize. Perhaps having less people doing a certain job would benefit both the employees and taxpayers. The taxpayers would support less workers and some employees get to keep their jobs and salaries. That of course would mean some individuals would have more of a work load but I would assume that would be better than losing their jobs. Something has to give and it cannot continue to be the taxpayers' pockets. I personally would like to see the reductions come from within administration. As a former government employee I have seen the waste arising from highly paid administrators. There are always too many of them, they are usually incompetent and very rarely do they have a clue as to what the people they are supervising actually do.
thats an amazingly broad generalization of administration. Why did the DOR compliment the administration when its full of oafs and bafoons in your view. Perhaps you were downsized and seek revenge on administration????
You forgot to mention that I am a town meeting member as well.
I am simply stating my opinions and standing behind what I say without hiding behind an anonymous post. I do however like to add a little humor to the debate. You can find humor in most everything if you don't take yourself too seriously.
Talk about broad generalizations! The discussion was about California and my personal experience. I was referring to what might possibly occur there and where I would like to see the cuts. I never mentioned Dartmouth.
Perhaps more people will show up for SC meetings in the future.
Ask questions, and expect answers from YOUR town elected officials.
I give Ellen a lot of credit for attending SC meetings and trying to get answers from SC, even though they seem to dance around with the answers.SC and SB will be meeting soon or so that is what I heard at the last SB meeting. That will be a good start, because better communication is needed between the two.
Hey mrs walker - I find humour in many things too. however I find no humour in the dismantling of my children's educational system. posts like this one put up by an elected official who claims he is not anti-education is not humorous to me either. so nope this is not a laughing matter to me.
Oh and congrats on being a town meeting member too - gee you don't work for the town either, wonder where that leaves your original assertion? Now that's funny. :)
To anonymous 2:11, This blog is information from a public meeting (SC) and then an answer to a question that was asked of our Fin Dir.
It's too bad that you can't deal with reality. Which part don't you like? The fact that the money for the school books should be returned BY LAW to the reserve fund or the fact that our Fin. Dir. also stated just that?
The Fin Com, SC, Dr R. and our Fin Dir. are well aware of our town by laws by now(I hope).
If you have a problem with the quality of your child's education, perhaps you should talk to SC and Dr. R. about how they fund textbooks yearly.
Hi everyone from Ellen, I just read the comments, quite a few. People, whether one side or the other seem quite upset. From my point of view, there are some people paid well but there aren't that many making 85-100,000+ year. The top salaries are typically lower than what others get for doing the same job. So we all need to stay rational about this, but should people get raises when we can't fund textbooks and foreign lanuguages etc. (tricky debate--Could the new asst. supt. make 100,000 to start instead of 108,000 maybe...But then she'd say...Your HS Principal makes 108,000...So do you change the HS principal to $98,000...I just don't know...What is the market rate for a HS principal with x years experience? What about the fact that we have an Athletic Director and Music one but not Art? What's up with the decisions? If we are going to have Directors it should be fair--all curricula impt. Otherwise forget having Directors and have leads or something cheaper? I think we could use an across the board wage freeze town-wide or only...1% raise for FY10...But how do you give less than the police who got 2%...It is all so circular and something needs to be standard and fair. Can't penalize workers, who need some sort of merit raises. But need basics in education and towwn-wide...supplies etc.. We also can't eliminate administration that we need. Heck, infrastructure is crucial. Back to schools, The Asst. Supt oversees elem. programs and is functioning as the Curriculum Director and partial tech Director. The Asst. Supt is supposed to look over research and grants and is liasion to community university/HS programs etc...So what to do--education and town? There isn't the money education wise for books and technology and foreign languages and school libraries and arts. I think our taxes are fair here, our appraisals aren't outrageous...A lot of people still pay taxes in the 2,000+ range and 3,000 range...Seems we could afford a hundred bucks a year for the school part...
Forgot, We have to remeber that educators have advanced degrees and some have PHDs...I know we are pretty short on cash in town, but the answer is not to reduce important services and to pay employees a fair wage for their skill and ability. We need to make smart decisions coupled with an infusion of some investment...a happy medium. We should act with purpose not squabble.
PS I can see why people get frustrated with waste or perceived waste...I do too. Like when I saw a sign for in-ground watering system in front of tiny grass in front of police station??? What, now that's a luxury...I'd rather have the money go to police uniforms!
Any further talk by leaders on fall override for education in November? It should get out there in a simpler format.
The SC and SB will be meeting soon. If it is decided by the majority that they want an override on the ballot in November, so be it. Let the voters decide. I don't have much hope for it passing considering the economy. In November people will be filling their oil tanks, not to mention gas prices, food costs, etc.
We'll have to see what the amount is and if it is affordable.
Override for student materials seems good idea.
I don't know where you get your facts. You are against the schools, against the parks and beaches, etc. You frustrate me. You really ought to do more research because you are coming across as just trying to stir things up and be controversial. Many others are trying to do the best they can for the town...you seem to be trying to make things worse. YOU ARE WRONG ON MANY OF YOUR SO_CALLED FACTS!!!!
It's also not surprising that Marianne Walker is on your side...like they say, "birds of a feather flock together"
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