The Standard Times reports today here that our state rep, Mr. Quinn, has secured $300,000 in "pothole" funds for the Dartmouth schools. The one time payment was obtained from language added to a state Education department funding bill. In the S-T article, Select Board Chairman, Joe Michaud, suggests the money be ...
...applied to our regional voc-tech assessment. I would rather see that funds used for upgrading technology in the schools. Of course, the School Committee and administration are the only ones can direct how it is spent. That is true of all school appropriations. I think that spending it on our Voke assessment goes against the policy that has been adopted, as recommnended by the state Department of Revenue, against using one time revenue to fund operating budgets. Where would you like to see the money used? Leave us your thoughts in comments.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Town to get $300,000 for schools
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
16 comments:
the money by law goes to the general fund. Its not a "school" appropriation. use it for the assessment.
Not so. This money is earmarked for the school department.
Tell that to the school Dept . They told me it went to general fund by law when I called to ask.
Tell that to the school Dept . They told me it went to general fund by law when I called to ask.
From the ST article,
Rep. Quinn said there are no contingencies attached to the funds, that the intent is for the funds to be used for educational purposes, but the money comes in the form of a grant.
School Department officials prepared the grant application, he said.
The article is all I have to go on at this point and it's confusing to say the least. On the one hand Sen Montigny says its sort of a payment in lieu of taxes to offset Dartmouth's role in being the home of Umass Dartmouth, Rep Quinn says its meant for eductional purposes with no strings attached, Selectman Michaud suggests its best use is to offset the Voke assessment and the money is a result of a grant put together by the school dapartment yet no quotes from anyone in the school department so its unclear to me who gets to choose how it is spent, town or school. Mr. Trimble have you spoken to the school admin to see if they are on the same page as you or selectman Michaud? Seems a few phone calls would be in order.
However it gets spent its good news for the town/school and if it's a result of the school department's grant writing inititative they deserve credit for chasing money anywhere they can get it.
Greg Jones
Representative Quinn is responsible for getting these funds. It is not the result of a competitive grant process. Mr. Quinn and Mr. Montigny specifically inserted a provision in an appropriations bill to provide this money to the Dartmouth schools. The payment in lieu of taxes mentioned is for the state lands which are occupied by UMass Dartmouth and are included in the so called cherry sheet every year. I have not spoken with the school administration but I can say with certainty that these funds are for the school department. That is the language and the intent of the appropriation. Whether it is used to offset some of the Voke assessment or some other educational purpose, the net result is the same, $300,000 for the schools
Thanks mr. Trimble, Thats a better explanation than the one in the paper.
Greg Jones
Has the SC and administration been asked what they want do with the money? If they drafted the grant request, they must have had an idea where they wanted the money to go. It should be their decision where to spend it, and maybe their decision and initial intent was to spend it on books and technology, a good choice, I think.
How interesting that "town officials" and Joe Michaud have already "spent" the money for the schools with the recommendation that it be spent on the Voke assessment. This money needs to stay in the DARTMOUTH schools. Let the Town deal with Voke and the state over the assessment. They started to do so.
If the money has been earmarked for the schools, THEY need to spend it, not the Town for them. It's their good fortune to have received it, and we need to trust they will put it to good use for the needs of our children.
Bill, I just spoke with Rep Quinn's office(among others) and to correct the information. The money is the town's. The money falls under chapter 70 under category G "Categories A, B, E and G are for municipal relief. Applications in these categories must be submitted on behalf of a city or town by the mayor, town manager, or board of selectmen. Awards in these categories will be treated as unrestricted state aid and may be appropriated by the municipality for any purpose."( http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/chapter70/found09_instr.html)This mirrors what Ive been told by other SC members and the Admin at Bush St. In fact Manny Cordiero filed the paperwork for the money. I believe I can say with certainty that the Rep's office is correct. Town's money not schools. Please spend wisely
Truthfully, it's too bad it's not solely the school's. Would it be possible to then buy books? Think of the books it could buy and the gap it would fill in the up-to-date education of our children.
Good for Mr. Cordeiro for filing the paperwork.
? Now I'm confused.?
My mistake, I referred to the paperwork filed for the money as a grant in my 9:29 post.
Still confused, who gets the money, school or town?
town.
Thanks, and thank you Phil for chasing this down.
Post a Comment