Citizens for Needham Schools (CNS) is a committee dedicated to advocating for strong public schools, educating the public on issues pertaining to school department funding and capital projects, and supporting the School Administration and the School Committee in their efforts to provide quality education for Needham’s students.

Public Hearing June 11: Operating Override to Open High Rock Sixth-Grade Center, 7 p.m., Broadmeadow Performance Center Why Should YOU Attend the Public Hearing? Recommendations from the Sixth-Grade Center Task Force The Ballot Question Committee Needs Your Help 2008 Town Meeting Summary State Funding

Public Hearing June 11: Operating Override to Open High Rock Sixth-Grade Center, 7 p.m., Broadmeadow Performance Center

In April 2007, voters said yes to a ballot question to build the High Rock Sixth-Grade Center. The construction project is moving forward on schedule and on budget, and the school is slated to open in September 2009 for approximately 420 sixth-grade students. When this debt-exclusion question was presented to voters, town officials were careful to declare that a future ballot question would ask for funds to operate the new school. If the Selectmen approve it, this ballot question will come before voters on November 4, 2008, along with the state and national (i.e. presidential) election. The School Committee estimates that the ballot question will request $1.9 million to fund fuel and staffing needs.

The School Committee is holding a hearing to seek community input about the plans for operating High Rock, the changes proposed at Pollard to address enrollment increases and to maintain a cohesive middle-school program, and the details of the operating override needed to fund these measures. The hearing is on June 11, 2008 at 7 pm in the Broadmeadow School Performance Center. The Sixth-Grade Center Task Force - a group of parents, teachers, and administrators -- has been studying Needham's middle-school program, grades 6-8, and has made recommendations for the vision and operation of both Pollard and High Rock. On June 11, the community will be able to voice their opinions about those recommendations and the funding they require.

	Why Should YOU Attend the Public Hearing?
The funding of High Rock will affect all Needham students, at all levels: if an operating override for High Rock fails, system-wide cuts will have to be made to fund building operations. If you will have a child in the Needham Public Schools from 2009 on, please attend the hearing and voice your opinion on this topic.

	Recommendations from the Sixth-Grade Center Task Force
At the June 3 School Committee meeting, the Sixth- Grade Center Task Force presented its recommendations for Pollard and High Rock. The Task Force estimates that these recommendations will require $1.9 million in operating costs. The recommendations include: · Giving High Rock a full-time principal rather than a grade-level administrator · Hiring 4 cluster teachers at Pollard to accommodate enrollment increases · Enhancing curriculum leadership and literacy training to ensure a cohesive middle-school program The recommendations do not include separate buses for High Rock and Pollard. The Task Force noted the inefficiency of having two buses stop at one house within minutes of each other, the first bus picking up a sixth-grader and the second bus picking up an eighth-grader. High Rock and Pollard students will share buses, resulting in increased riding times for some students. You can read the Task Force's recommendations at http://fcw4.needham.k12.ma.us/SC.Packets/SC%20packet%206-3-08.pdf?FCItemID=S02A8A980

	The Ballot Question Committee Needs Your Help
A ballot question committee is forming to pass the operating override needed to open High Rock. The committee needs your help! If you would like to donate time or money to the campaign, please stay tuned; more information will come soon.

	2008 Town Meeting Summary
The 2008 Annual and Special Town Meetings concluded on May 19. Town Meeting approved a 4.5% increase to the FY09 School operating budget. To keep School increases to 4.5%, School Committee has had to make cuts to the current program. We listed those cuts in our March 14 newsletter. You can read the article at www.needhamyes.com Town Meeting also approved nine capital expenditures for the schools, including improvements to the parking lots and play areas at Hillside and Mitchell and preliminary work on Newman's HV system.

	State Funding
The State is still working on its FY09 budget -- it has passed the House and is now in the Senate - and it may contain good news for towns. First, the budget is likely to contain an increase in Chapter 70 funding, sticking to the State's five-year plan to increase education funding to towns. Despite this good news, however, state funding remains below 2002 levels. Second, the budget may close some corporate tax loopholes and increase state revenues. Stand for Children does a fabulous job monitoring the budget process; you can sign up for their updates and Action Alerts at www.stand.org. There is a danger on the horizon, however: a question to eliminate the state income tax will appear on the November ballot. A multi-town group is organizing to defeat this question. If you would like to join the fight, or any of the lobbying efforts to increase state funding, please email us at info@needhamyes.com. We need your help!

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