At the request of the
School Committee, the Needham Selectmen have voted unanimously to place the
following override question on the April 8, 2014 ballot:
Shall the Town of Needham be allowed to assess an
additional $1,548,410 in real estate and personal property taxes for the
purposes of funding operating expenses for the Public Schools for the fiscal
year beginning July first two thousand fourteen?
The School Committee is
requesting the additional funding to provide for innovative and extended
learning in the Needham Schools. The
additional funds, if approved by the voters in April, will:
a)
Restore
previously cut school programs like elementary Spanish, music and PE;
b)
Provide for
innovative learning opportunities for our elementary students, including technology
and increased arts;
c)
Extend the
school day to optimize learning for all K-8 students and;
d)
Ensure the K-12
professional staff has sufficient time to meet during and after the school day
to improve and strengthen instruction.
This request is the
result of numerous, ongoing, and public discussions over the last several years
about the need to improve programs and provide sufficient time for our
students. Over the last ten years the
District’s curriculum review process has detailed the need for additional time
to address instructional concerns and develop programs that will enhance and
empower student learning. Additionally,
data from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is
compelling and shows that Needham has more students per teacher than all but
one of our 20 comparable communities, and our students have less time on
learning in the classroom in grades K-8 than many of those same towns. Finally, Needham’s teachers require
additional time before, during, and after school hours to address state
mandates and meet, collaborate, and plan to tackle the many and diverse
learning needs of all our students.
Over the last several
months the School Committee worked collaboratively with School and Town
officials, especially the Finance Committee, to develop a request that is
reasonable and minimizes the impact on taxpayers. My original proposal to the School Committee
was for a $2.1 million supplemental plan; however, focused and detailed
discussion with the Finance Committee resulted in the request being lowered to
$1.5 million. The resulting School
Committee plan is comprehensive, innovative, and will allow Needham’s
elementary and middle school students more time to learn and grow—up to 75
hours of additional elementary instruction is part of the School Committee’s
plan!
To learn more about the
plan and to share your ideas with the School Committee, please visit the
district’s website: Innovation and Extended Learning in the Needham Schools