What To Do With $400K? Schools To Decide Soon

What would you do with an extra $400,000?

That is the question facing Belmont School Superintendent George Entwistle and the district's Leadership Council – the advisory group made up of top district educators and staff – and will be answered when they recommend where to use the sudden influx of federal money at next week's Belmont School Committee meeting.

And that will be a daunting task due to the great number of cuts in programs and personnel after the Belmont School District was forced to reduce the budget by nearly $2.5 million for the 2010-11 school year after voters failed to pass a Proposition 2 1/2 override in June.

While only providing a broad answer to what programs the council is considering, Entwistle said the money should be targeted where it will have the greatest impact on long-term educational goals.

"We will be looking for the biggest bang-for-the-buck," said Entwistle, who also heads the Leadership Council.

And for Entwistle and members of the leadership council, its decision appears to be drifting towards protecting the substantial gains made by the system in attracting the best teachers and quickly identifying impaired learning is money better spent than on more highly emotional choices.

While not unexpected, Belmont's sudden surge of additional funds is welcomed two months after the override defeat.

First, the federal government last month recognized Massachusetts as one of the ten states in the "Race to the Top" competition with the state receiving $250 million.

A day later, Gov. Deval Patrick announced the amount each city and town in the Commonwealth would receive from the $204 million allocated to Massachusetts from a $26.1 billion appropriation to protect education jobs passed by Congress and signed by President Obama.

Yet despite the money now flowing into the school department's coffers, it will not be enough to fill the several million-dollar deficits facing the school district.

Belmont's portion from the Education Jobs bill was $331,641 over a two-year period.

The Race to the Top allocation for Belmont will likely be $75,000 over three year; or roughly $25,000 a year, said Janice Darias, the district's assistant superintendent.

With the funding in place, discussion now turns to how best to use the money.

The new funds allocation will be guided by the recommendation of the district's Leadership Council, made up of Entwistle, assistant superintendent Darias, Human Resources Manager Mary Pedersen, Finance Director Anthony DiCologero, the curriculum directors as well as the six school principals.

Entwistle has said previously that "it won't be a surprise in what direction we spend the money" when the recommendations for refunding specific programs are made Sept. 14. 

During this past spring when the school department discussed the impact of the override election, Entwistle pointed to areas that, if reduced, would have a significant effect on the district's performance. They include:

•    Elementary libraries reduced or closed.

•    Elementary phys. education and music cut in half.

•    Chenery student per guidance staff load increases at time of increased need.

•    BHS Science lab time cut, class sizes increase, offerings decrease.

•    No textbook budget.

•    Fewer curriculum directors to recruit, train and supervise teachers and develop curriculum.

•    Reduced early intervention and Response to Intervention in reading and math will leave some students struggling, can lead to higher Special Education costs in the future.

•    Mounting deferred costs: technology, textbooks, building maintenance and other costs.

•    The eighteen-month improvement plan would see six major goals eroded or deferred.

While keeping an open mind on where the money will go, Entwistle told Belmont Patch at the Meet Belmont event last month that he personally would prefer the funds be directed to repair the cuts in a pair of programs and personnel.

"Curriculum directors and reduced early intervention are so important as they will stop the erosion of quality that is currently eating away at the system," said Entwistle of those personnel that direct the direction of departments and respond to student issues.

That is not to say that elementary librarians are any less important, but the addition of curriculum directors will have a far greater impact on the future of district, said Entwistle.