Twelve Newton City Councils sent this letter to the Mayor asking for additional ARPA funds to be allocated to the schools to head off some of the proposed cuts in the school budget.
April 4, 2022
Hon. Ruthanne Fuller
1000 Commonwealth Ave
Newton Centre MA 02459
Dear Madam Mayor,
The undersigned City Councilors concur with the March 31st resolution of the School Committee that “the 4 million dollars worth of cuts in the proposed FY23 [NPS] budget to reach the allocation are too deep and too painful.”
We also feel so strongly, like the School Committee, “that the current budget allocation of $262,070,208 is not enough to run the schools without serious negative impacts on our kids,” that we are prepared to exercise our procedural options as City Councilors on the proposed allocation when it comes before us, if the funding gap is not closed or nearly entirely eliminated on the allocation side.
Furthermore, we disagree with the argument that ARPA funding would be an inappropriate solution here (“using one-time funding sources to address this structural deficit in operations is not responsible”) on the basis that these funds were intended to be used for helping to resolve the recent emergency and its ongoing effects, and we believe that continued or escalated funding for staff resources at a critical juncture in getting childhood development back on track is a short-term but necessary expenditure.
Failure to address these behavioral and literacy issues, among others, that cropped up during the remote learning will only end up adding much greater expenses to the school district later down the line. If we spend ARPA resources now, we can correct these problems quickly and then make appropriate further reductions in future years, if needed. But this is a responsible short-term use of one-time funds.
Sincerely,
Councilors Bill Humphrey, Holly Ryan, Alicia Bowman, Brenda Noel, Marc Laredo, Emily Norton, Maria Greenberg, Victoria Danberg, Chris Markiewicz, Tarik Lucas, Julia Malakie, and Pamela Wright
Not sure there is much they can do.
FWIW the ones who didn’t sign it were: Alison Leary, John Oliver, Susan Albright, Andrea Kelly, Lenny Gentile, Josh Krintzman, Andreae Downs, Deb Crossley, Lisle Baker, Becky Grossman, RIchard Lipof, and David Kalis.
I’d really appreciate hearing from those councilors who chose not to sign this letter and their reasons for not doing so,
Interesting breakdown of the 12 positive votes. It includes a 6 to 6 split between what many consider to be the two major factions on the City Council. Of course, most of these differences involve development related issues and this funding proposal appears to be a “one off” proposition. I know there are serious differences over public school educational priorities in Newton and I have some of them; but I think that not funding this shortfall will create the impression that our school system is heading for free fall. I don’t believe this is true, but everyone loses if most voters in this city come to believe that it is. And this becomes doubly serious if older voters (like me )who no longer have kids in the schools come to believe it. And I can state pretty emphatically that most voters don’t read the fine print on public issues affecting this City, or tune into sites like this.
Everyone looses if potential Newton homeowners come to believe this.
Of course with class sizes inching up, and they mayoral challenger saying we needed an override years ago to reverse that… who’s to say those believers are wrong?
I just had a call – we want to switch my child’s language to Chinese, but NPS will not be offering Chinese I next year due to cuts. We’re working out an independent dent study program so he can start in Chinese II in the fall, but that’s how it is right now. A middle schooler cannot easily switch their language because the intro class will not be taught.
Bravo to the city councilors. This shortfall in funding needs absolutely to be plugged. The ARPA funds should be used for this purpose. This is not the time to fix the “structural deficit” in the school budget that the Mayor talks about, because NPS is still struggling with the effects of COVID and its poor re-opening plan (which the Mayor oversaw), and its budget reflects the needs that arose as a result.
Also, memo to all Newton residents who don’t have kids at NPS, but would one day like to sell their home: the value of your house is directly linked to the quality of education at NPS. Everyone should be advocating for funding and excellence at NPS.
I’m all for plugging the gap, but we have to be realistic about how we got here and how we are going to fix it. Even without COVID, the district’s contractual obligations are causing expenses to rise at north of 4%. This year the mayor increased the allocation by 3.5%. Even if the cuts are made as proposed, if she allocates 3.5% more again in FY 24, then even more cuts will need to be made. Probably in the $ 2 million range. If we do fund this budget with ARPA, and do nothing else different, we will have to cut in the $6 million range in FY 24.
The city and therefore the schools are absolutely starved for revenue. If we don’t fix this, it only gets worse year after year.
ARPA can be a band aid but it does not fix the problem. Only an override can fix this problem.
3.5% sounds like a lot but it’s less than the rate of inflation. At some point, budgets need to reflect the inflationary environment we’re in and they need to go up by more than 3.5%. If an over-ride is what’s needed, so be it.
No way in he11 I would support a tax hike to make up for the stupid policies of NPS.
However, if we get back to basics and care about quality of academics first and foremost, my tune will change. Woke policies are ruining our schools. Equity does not mean that you bring DOWN the high performers, it means give everyone the opportunity to do better. Henry Turner has got to go. Dr Fleishman has got to go. Our motto has to change to Excellence in Academics. Drop the fake equity garbage. Nothing has been equitable about the experience in NPS the past few years. every other town has done better than we have. What is equitable about that.
So, make those changes and I will hold up signs, put lawn signs, etc to support the override. Until then, no bleeping way am I paying more taxes to make up for bad management, bad policy, inappropriate allocation of funds, and negative shifts in academic quality.
Did you listen to the public comment last night. While I am no fan of Dr. Fleishman, we still have to pay a superintendent. If it isn’t Fleishman, there will be another person running the schools.
Last nights comments were hard to listen to as families spoke about how their kids will be harmed by the cuts. Our children haven’t had a “normal” school year in THREE years. Any child in the lower grades HAVE NEVER had a normal year. How do you expect a second grader to learn to read from zoom school, and now starting next year without literacy coaches. If Mayor Fuller doesn’t add money to the budget not only will NPS lose these coaches, but the class size will slowly creep up every year. Our students need US to step up and speak up to fund the schools.
Transportation prices have increased. We have to bus the students to school, and while high school parents pay $350 a year to use the school busses, I fear next year’s fees. $500? $1,000 per student? The costs increase. I don’t know how you expect Newton to pay these costs without cutting teachers.
I hear you that you are not a fan of Fleishman and Turner. But how are you helping the youngest students to get access to math coaches for every day learning?
I dont think we make cuts to educators.
I want a different super, we need a change of tone.
Education has to come first. How can he in one sentence say we are cutting math and literacy specialists but we are keeping DEI consultants. Sorry, can the DEI consultants teach our elementary kids how to read?
I could not agree with you more about the horrible covid policy and failures of NPS the past few years. the bullsh!t has to stop. Clean house. Get back to basics. Enough is Enough.
Inflation isn’t permanent, and the Fed is doing everything it can to lower inflation. By the time we vote on any potential override, inflation will likely be below 3% if the government action works.
So, I have a hard time considering a tax hike to make up for mistakes by the administration. Mayor Fuller has the ARPA funds to bridge the gap until there is a new NTA contract. Firing good teachers and hurting the education of the students is not the answer. Overrides are not the answer. You cant solve all problems by raising taxes, rather at some point you have to take a look at why there is a problem and fix it. Inflation is not the reason for this problem.
Inflation isn’t the source of the problem, the contract is. Though I doubt the teachers are going to accept a pay cut with the next contract (nor should they), so we are paying these increases regardless year after year.
BTW: ” Fed is doing everything it can to lower inflation”… that’s highly debatable.
The fed rate is 0.5% while “real” inflation is running way above 5%. They are actually doing the “least” possible to lower inflation because they are afraid of the consequences
I’m sure the next teacher contract would want raises that at least match “real” inflation
Bugek – Actually the Fed effective rate is below that, 32bps. the upper end of the range is 50.
Please dont try to explain inflation and Fed policy to me. Im happy to explain what the market has priced, an implied 2.2% of hikes between now and December. And not to mention what Brainard said today. So yea, they are doing everything they can to signal their actions and not spook the market.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/05/feds-brainard-sees-balance-sheet-reduction-soon-and-at-a-rapid-pace.html
So please spare me, the Fed is walking a tightrope to not kick off a recession. Perhaps you should also think about the cause of this inflation. Part supply chain and part helicopter money from the government to counterbalance covid policies. Sure it hasnt turned out to be as transitory as you might have thought, but if you think we will be at 5% for years to come I think you are mistaken.
And if you want to argue teachers should be indexed to inflation, I would support that, but I guarantee the NTA would not. with <2% inflation for many years prior to 2021/2022 I guarantee they would not be happy being indexed to inflation.
ARPA funds can be spent through 2026 as long as they’re designated for use by 2024, it’s entirely possible for the city to spread the funds across the next four years – this would still involve some level of layoffs and cuts, but the impact would be reduced.
But the mayor has explicitly said she don’t do that.
Won’t
Which is dumb, and shows the fiscal conservatism that her record of donating to Republicans warned us about (but V14 shoo-ed away).
Mayor Fuller should be pressed to do this, and should not be allowed to incorrectly claim that ARPA funds are one-time, short-term funds without pushback as she has.
Fiscal conservatism? Like agreeing to increase in annual teacher pay at a rate far higher than allowable growth in city revenue? Yea, a real fiscal conservative.
She dug a hole and in theory wants to tax her way out (see override concept), and you call her a fiscal conservative?
Is it still April Fools Day?
oops replied to the wrong comment initally:
She agreed to teacher pay because Newton ranked 70something in the state in pay, the teachers were working on their second no contract in four years, and NTA was (correctly) ready to escalate actions – if not for the NTA and the pressure of the rest of the Newton political committee, I doubt that deal gets done.
Assuming the mayor covers the shortfall, does this mean an override would absolutely be needed to avoid layoffs after the next teacher contract?
Is it just a matter of cut now or cut later? If the economy is doing bad later, there world be zero appetite for an override
@bugek, unless NPS returns to its roots of proving the highest quality education first and only, there will be no appetite for an override.
Unless we fix the structural budget issues, there will be no appetite for an override.
Unless we clean house and get a new superintendent (and new NNHS principal) who wants to change Newton’s motto to Excellence in Academics, there will be no appetite for an override.
Enough with the bullsh!t already.
Providing
She agreed to teacher pay because Newton ranked 70something in the state, the teachers were working on their second no contract in four years, and NTA was (correctly) ready to escalate actions – if not for the NTA and the pressure of the rest of the Newton political committee, I doubt that deal gets done.
Now, THIS is a budget:
https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/cms/lib/MA01907509/Centricity/Domain/51/PSBBudgetBook1.1FINAL-min.pdf
Whoa.
Thanks for the link.
It should be noted that Brookline ALSO had a significant decline in the number of students and an overall 5% increase in costs, but that their town government seems to have found the funding to cover it so they’re not talking cuts.
/all comments are my personal views.
Interesting that Brookline 2023 budget $130.6 million / 7016 enrollment = $18,617 per student while Newton is “underfunded” @ $262 million / 11,900 enrollment = $22,022 per student.
Your facts dont meet the narrative. Shhhhhh
to use a term I heard recently…if you strip out what we spend on special needs, the cost per student for the “typical learner” is likely much lower.
looking at headline numbers is false…kind of like if you told us we had a low tax rate. in that case you would be ignoring the important detail of property values. All in tax payment would be ignored and would not be low. property values and tax rates combined are the great equalizer.
So yes, those numbers are correct however, people move to Newton for special services, which obviously cost far more than “typical learners”. By cutting math and literacy specialists you will INCREASE this cost. Stop with the bullsh!t.
This isnt hard. Use the ARPA money, fix the NTA contract, fire Dr Fleischman and Henry Turner and move on. That would be the best path forward for Newton.
Newton residents have voted for overrides and our taxes increase annually by over $500. This is crippling to many home owners. The more we raise taxes the more the budget grows and the deficits simply increase constantly. Ruthanne is a big spender which reflects the demands of some sectors of the city.
A good example is the money spent on renovating the old Horace Mann school for pre-school education which is close to $20 million. This venture will house about 75 children. In addition NewCal will cost another $20 million. Newton does not have a structural deficit. We do have dreams of fabulous facilities which are breaking the bank.
Couldnt agree more. Especially when there is no desire to fix the structural issues. The NTA is lobbying for an override because they know the contract growth is unsustainable. Their solution is tax us more.
I might actually be ok with that…but only if Newton refocuses on academics and stops with the bullsh!t. Fire Turner. Fire Fleischman. Change the motto to Excellence in Academics. The rest (fake equity) is a fad like the JNCO jeans I wore in the late 80s. Nice for a few years, but doesn’t stand the test of time.
Many people (myself included) agree with Frank D, but are afraid to voice this point of view for fear of being mislabelled as racists or elitists. An override has a snowball’s chance unless people like Fleischman and Turner go and NPS recommits to excellence for all.
+100 its a shame that even the term ‘academic excellence’ has been politicized
Btw, would definitely vote for an override if it replaced all NPS leadership and refocused on academic results.
Severance for the superintendent and the NNHS principal would be excellent use of proceeds from an override.
Exactly how I want to spend my money – to pay someone to do nothing.
I’m no big fan of the superintendent, Seriously, though, this discussion is going overboard. This is not the NPS apocalypse. Sure, there are lots and lots of problems but people are becoming overly fixated on the superintendent and the NN principal.
I remember when the previous superintendent, Jeff Young, was here, many felt the same way-just get rid of him. I hope Fleischman is out in two years, but his departure is not going to solve all of the problems that NPS has.
V14 can moan about Henry Turner all they want – the matter of the fact is, unless he leaves by his own accord for a pay/lifestyle bump, he’s going nowhere.
He’s a widely acclaimed principal (https://www.k12dive.com/news/principal-of-year-henry-turner-newton-north-high-school-2020/587980/) who is deeply respected in education circle. North’s MCAS performance in ELA skyrocketed from 2019-2022 while SAT scores have substantially increased each year.
One could charge that the rise in scores is attributable to demographic changes, but North’s score gains are arguably more significant among students that DESE considers economically disadvantaged.
Fleishman should go, but Turner’s role at NNHS is rightfully safe.
Maybe turner should stop bringing bullsh!t politics into our schools then. What he did for the KR verdict in Wisconsin followed but what he hasnt done for the anti-semitism here in newton is disgraceful and will never be forgotten.
He cares more about identity politics and his book deal than our children. Mixed level classes hurt all but potentially those at the bottom yet he thinks they are a good idea. Please spare me.
Academic excellence first snd only. HT is an opportunist and has got to go.
Glad you skipped the part where he has brought academic excellence to NNHS — seems like his ideas are actually increasing scores despite your priors.
Which part is that? Where Newton North sits ranked at 24 in the State per Boston Magazine? In 2010 they were 9th. (they are 37 per US news, so far worse)
I didnt mention it because it isnt true. If you see this steady decline, focus on bullsh!t equity, making everything about identity, promoting his consulting career and book deal, reducing AP course offerings and promoting mixed level classes as academic excellence…you really should stop going to garden remedies.
Honestly, you are so far off base here it is comical.
Yes, nothing says reputable ranking like USNews and Boston Magazine, instead of, I don’t know, actual standardized exam data designed to reflect student gains/losses.
If you want to live in the universe where academics have declined under him, go for it, but there’s not a shred of quantitative, reliable data to back it up.
Well perhaps he will bring politics into school again, that will help.
He’s not a genuine person and he cares more about his consulting career and book deals than the people of Newton. Evidence: white guy kills 2 white guys – he creates safe spaces and sends out broad emails saying “more evidence of a white guy getting away with murdering black people”. Didnt actually happen.
Oh, and then we have how many? 7 instances of swastikas being drawn in our schools and nothing from him. NOTHING. I guess it makes sense, Newton doesn’t have one of the highest Jewish populations in the state or anything, nearly 3x the African American population. And I guess it isnt like a swastika is literally one of, if not the, most offensive symbols in history or anything.
He should focus on academics, not politics. Can he do that? If yes, Id give him a shot – but I doubt it.
I’m not digging though my filing cabinets, so all values are from multiplying my house’s assessed value by the tax rates from dlsgateway.dor.state.ma.us, all numbers are rounded.
2009 (1st year in house): $4,300 in taxes
2019 (10th year in house, last before addition): $6150
10 year difference is $1,850 – or $185/year – or a 3.6% annual increase (including all overrides)
To get $500/year, your house must be assessed at about 2.5x what mine is… or more if that’s what’s happening in a standard year without any overrides (general or debt exclusion)
Given the property values in Newton, we could put on an addition for what it’s worth to sell (basically it cost $500/sf, and we expect to be able to sell now, today, for about $500/sf) so we did that in the summer of 2019 … so our 2020-2022 property taxes really aren’t comparable to the priors, but there hasn’t been an override.
But! Given the differences in property values per square foot, we’d be paying at least 15% more in taxes – or almost $1,000/year if our home were over the border in Brookline! (And our kid would have been spared middle school and the cuts next year, but I’m sure that has nothing to do with their higher property values)
/as always, a personal statement.
“We do have dreams of fabulous facilities which are breaking the bank.”
I find it profoundly perplexing that Newton, one of the most affluent municipalities in the nation, can’t bring the dream of fabulous facilities for people of all walks of life to reality.
If our tax are high, it isn’t because of our tax rates are too high: they are below the state median. It’s because our property values are high, and we don’t use mechanisms like the residential exemption to balance the tax burden away from the lower income side of the scale.
We can argue inefficiency, competence, ability to deliver, of a lack of bold vision in government. But I see no reason to not expect and dream of fabulous facilities. That’s no small part why we live here, raise families here, and build a community here.
I want awesome parks, great sports facilities, an amazing senior center, a functional city hall, a world class library, safe sidewalks, vibrant business districts, the absolute best schools, a time saving municipal and state transportation system, and highly responsive social services for those in the city that need them. I want them for me, my family, and every one of my neighbors.
Instead, I am left wondering why we have to go to an adjacent community just to find a kiddy splash pad in the summertime.
I would argue the problem is that we don’t dream boldly enough, or otherwise fail to execute. It’s hard to be excited about small dreams, let alone mediocrity.
Maybee if we stop trying to build low income housing and instead market ourselves to more biotech and commercial development we could bridge the gap. Needham is succeeding and we are failing here. Just imagine if Northland was biotech, not 1200 housing units. Would mean more taxes and less drain on city resources. Seems like a win, but once again we try to save the world with bullsh!t and push for more density and more housing. We need to stop. It is ruining the city.
Trying to build low income housing “in one of the most affluent municipalities in the nation” is simply stupid. It cant and wont work, free market economy.
Frank D rules!
Frank, you have a point.
Unfortunately, you cannot fix the structural issues. The city is legally bound by the contract. If the teachers do not accept the next contract offer, then the current one stays in place. You can’t cut special ed because it is mandated by federal law. Salaries represent 87.8% of the budget and will rise at north of 4% per year.
You can’t cut special ed tuition, utilities, transportation, or maintenance, which together are 8.6%
So, because of locked in increases that nobody can change, just these unavoidable expenses will likely exceed 100% of the current allocation in just a year.
I’d imagine sports will be next to go, probably next year.
Oh and don’t forget that the city has massive unfunded pension and OPEB liabilities.
So, as you can see, taxes will be going up, whether through an override now, or later when the humiliation of cut services becomes overbearing, or even later when imposed on us by a bankruptcy judge.
As Kevin Bacon and Winona Rider told you in 1994, REALITY BITES
Fun times!
Can’t wait to see Zilles take a victory lap today. And Good thing the teachers Union protested at city hall last week and wasted time standing on the school corners in the rain. Anyone with a clue knew the Mayor was finding the money no matter what…but golf clap to the Union for the fight.
Perhaps the teachers union would be willing to negotiate some lower salary increases and a higher contribution to their health insurance premiums if the administration made some cuts to their own salaries/benefits.
It just seems cruel to cut from the most vulnerable of the children.
Well, with David Fleishman leaving, I look forward to many of you now supporting an override so we can deal with the long term fiscal challenges facing our schools…
I’m only somewhat joking. This school committee will have a chance to make a major impact on our school system. We should also start realizing that we need an override if we want to maintain and improve our school system.
Not enough to support an override. Sorry.
Jerry, this probably needs a new thread.
@fignewtonville – Done