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Greetings, The Selectmen have voted, and now we know what
will be on the April 10 ballot. Read on to hear about the ballot
questions and the many March events to get us ready to vote.
Selectmen Approve Two Ballot Questions for the Schools
On Tuesday, March 6, the Selectmen approved two
questions for the schools to be placed on the
April 10
ballot. Both questions were approved
unanimously.
One question will allocate $21 million to
fund work at
the middle school: a renovation and addition
to make
High Rock into a sixth-grade center and a
technology
upgrade at Pollard. The question does not
include
funding for two modulars at Pollard.
Appropriate classroom space has been found
inside the building for the two additional
anticipated classrooms of students. The $21
million
will be paid over 20 years; it will cost the
average
taxpayer $243 in the peak year, and lesser
amounts
for the rest of the 20 years. The value of
an average
home in Needham is $682,000.
The other question will allocate $1.1 million
to fund
operating costs of the schools. If this
question
fails, the School Department will cut 3
elementary
teachers, 4 middle school teachers, and 5 high
school teachers, as well as 1 elementary music
position, a special education assistant and 6
support
staff. The School Department will also not
be able to
restore some PE, media and guidance positions
and
some professional development cut last year,
and it
will not be able to reduce the high school
athletic fee from $285 to $225.
Superintendent Dan Gutekanst presented these
cuts
at the Tuesday, March 6 School Committee
meeting. The presentation may be found at
the link below. This
question will cost the average taxpayer $109
a year.
For the exact wording of the questions and
more detail
on the tax impact, visit the Town website at
http://www.town.needham.ma.us/Selectmen/Selectme
nOverrideQuestionApril2007.htm.
Voters will decide on the questions on
Tuesday, April
10.
Superintendent's Budget Cuts
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School Committee Open House, Needham Historical Society, Saturday, March 10, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. |
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The School Committee invites the community for
informal conversation at the Needham Historical
Society's Old Schoolhouse on the Newman campus.
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Pollard Open House, Thursday, March 22, 3 p.m. |
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Glenn Brand, Pollard principal, will host an open
house at Pollard, Thursday, March 22, at 3 p.m. Mr.
Brand will present his suggestion for housing the 40
additional students expected at Pollard in September
2008: moving Experiential Education and Health out of
their modular classrooms and housing the two
classes of sixth-graders there. The modular
classrooms will provide the additional sixth-graders
with space equivalent to the other sixth-grade
classrooms. Experiential Education - a trimester
class in which students sit on mats on the floor - will
be housed in the weight room. The health teacher will
share classrooms with other elective teachers.
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League of Women Voters Candidates Night, Monday, March 26, Pollard Middle School, 7 p.m. |
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Meet the candidates for the Town's elected
positions.
Four races are contested, including School
Committee 1 and 3 year seats. This event
will be
televised on the
Needham Channel.
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Follow the Money: How Needham Budgets and Spends, Thursday, March 29, Broadmeadow Performance Center, 7:30 p.m. |
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The Needham League of Women Voters, in
partnership with Needham Community Education, is
sponsoring an interactive workshop to help
voters
learn more about our town government and budget
process. This dynamic evening features an
informal
presentation by a panel of town officials,
including
Needham Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick, along
with
members of the School Committee, Board of
Selectmen, and Finance Committee. The discussion
will cover property taxes and assessments, the
budget process, the roles and
responsibilities of town
officials and the citizen's role in town
government.
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Yes for Needham Ballot Question Committee has Formed |
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A Yes for Needham ballot question committee has
formed. Alison Atallah, Heidi Black, and
Maureen
Chamoun are the co-chairs; Liv Nash is the
treasurer.
If you would like to donate to the campaign,
please
send a check made payable to Yes for Needham to
Yes for Needham, 200 Great Plain Avenue,
Needham,
MA 02492. If you would like to volunteer for
the
campaign, please visit the campaign website:
www.YesforNeedham.com.
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Register to Vote or Get an Absentee Ballot |
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The deadline for registering to vote in the
April election
is Wednesday, March 21. To learn how to
register or
how to get an absentee ballot, visit the Town
website
at the link below.
Town Clerk's Website »
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Visit the Citizens for Needham Schools Blog! |
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With so many important decisions coming up this
year, we've decided to open another channel of
communication. We'd love to hear from you.
Citizens for Needham Schools Blog »
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