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Greetings!
Your kids may be on vacation, but important school issues will be deliberated and discussed throughout the summer. During the lazy summer months, please continue to follow the local news, attend School Committee and Selectmen's meetings and contact decision makers to share your opinions.
The School Committee will be meeting the following Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. at the Broadmeadow School: July 11, August 1 (tentative) and August 22. Selectmen's meetings will be held the following Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. in the Selectmen's meeting room in Town Hall: 6/27 (please read related article regarding some important agenda items at this meeting), 7/18 and 8/15. The School Committee agendas can be found at www.Needham.k12.ma.us, and the Selectmen's agendas are posted on the town website, www.town.needham.ma.us.
A Few Facts About Needham's Debt Limit Policy
* Needham's guideline limits debt service to 10% of total revenue. However, Needham has already exceeded that amount in borrowing for the high school, and could agree to exceed that limit further in the face of a pressing need.
* Needham has a pressing need. Pollard was built for 900 students and holds 1100. By 2008, the total number of middle school students will approach 1400. Needham must have more middle school space.
* There is clear evidence that Needham will NOT jeopardize its AAA bond rating if debt service exceeds 10% of total revenue. Andover, Sudbury, and Weston, three AAA towns with a debt service exceeding 10%, have each retained their coveted rating. In the most recent issue of the Needham Times, a Standard and Poor's credit analyst is quoted as saying that, "AAA communities can probably go as high as 15 percent debt without being a cause for concern if there's a good plan."
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Selectmen to Discuss Debt Limit Policy - Tuesday, June 27 |
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| Please plan on attending the Selectmen's meeting on Tuesday, June 27. On the agenda at 7:10 p.m. is a discussion of the town's debt limit policy.
All of the projects being considered to relieve the overcrowding at Pollard and to support our growing school population would require debt exclusion overrides. This also applies to the other municipal facility projects being considered. The Town's debt policy is one of the key factors determining the Selectmen's willingness to support - and therefore citizens' opportunity to vote on - these construction projects. Although this is not a public hearing at which citizens can provide input, your presence at the meeting will communicate the importance of constructing the needed facilities while providing the opportunity to learn more about this important topic.
You may wish to be present for the subsequent agenda item, a presentation by School Committee Chair, Marianne Cooley, on the new MSBA draft guidelines for state reimbursement of school building projects. The draft guidelines are controversial in the complex procedures communities must follow in order to apply for state reimbursement and in the diminished control local communities will have in designing the type of building best suited to their community's education priorities and budget.
Selectmen's meetings are broadcast live on The Needham Channel - Comcast Channel 10, RCN Channel 13. In addition, they are taped for rebroadcast. |
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Action Alert! Ask Legislators to Support Increased School Funding |
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As budget deliberations proceed in the Conference Committee of the state legislature we urge education advocates to call, email or write to legislators. To win the greatest benefits for Massachusetts' children, we need to voice our support for the largest increase possible in Chapter 70 funding, at least $210.4 million as recently proposed by the Senate. We also need to tell legislators we support changing the foundation funding formula to recognize English language learners, Special Education students, low-income backgrounds, and the full cost of inflation.
Contact the members of the Conference Committee, your Senator and Representative, and the Senate and House leadership to let them know you strongly support a school funding increase and these changes to the funding formula.
The six members of the Conference Committee are:
Therese Murray, Senate Chair Ways and Means, Therese.Murray@state.ma.us
Steven C. Panagiotakos, Steven.Panagiotakos @state.ma.us
Michael R. Knapik, Michael.Knapik @state.ma.us
Robert A. DeLeo, House Chair Ways and Means, RDeleo@hwm.state.ma.us
Marie P. St. Fleur, Room 238, Rep.MarieSt.Fleur@Hou.state.ma.us
Viriato Manuel deMacedo, Rep.VinnydeMacedo @Hou.state.ma.us
Contact these Senate and House leaders:
Senate President - Robert E. Travaglini, Robert.Travaglini@state.ma.us
Speaker of the House - Salvatore F. DiMasi, Rep.SalvatoreDiMasi@Hou.State.MA.US
Senate Education Chair - Robert A. Antonioni, Robert.Antonioni@state.ma.us
House Education Chair - Patricia A. Haddad, Rep.PatriciaHaddad@Hou.State.MA.US
Our local representatives, Senator Scott Brown and Representative Lida Harkins can be reached at sbrown@senate.state.ma.us and Rep.LidaHarkins@hou.state.ma.us. |
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Dr. Daniel Gutekanst on The Needham Channel |
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Needham Schools Spotlight, a new program on the Needham Channel, makes its debut this week with an interview of Dr. Daniel Gutekanst. Hosted by Michael Greis of the Needham School Committee, the program serves as an introduction to the new superintendent of schools. After a lengthy search process the Needham School Committee hired Dr. Gutekanst to succeed Stephen Theall as superintendent of schools. He will take up those reins starting in July, 2006
During this half-hour show, Dr. Gutekanst talks about his background, the importance of communications, the role of parents in education and a myriad of other topics of interest to the school community and the town of Needham as a whole. This program is designed to be the first in a series of specials highlighting the programs and individuals that contribute to the strength of the Needham Public Schools. Needham Schools Spotlight airs this week first on Tuesday, June 20th, at 10:30pm and repeats Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 12:30pm and 9:30pm, Sunday at 7:30pm and June 27th at 10pm. All airings are on the Needham Channel's Community Channel, Channel 9 on Comcast, 15 on RCN. |
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