Newton Superintendent: FY '14 Budget Will Add More than 50 Teaching Positions

As the Newton Public Schools continue to cope with increased student enrollment, the district's proposed $187.7 million fiscal 2014 budget will focus on adding teaching positions and new classroom space for the 2013-2014 school year. 

The Newton Public Schools' fiscal 2014 budget adds more than 50 new instructional positions, a measure Superintendent David Fleishman said will help keep class sizes down as 270 students come into the system next year, following an increase of 248 students this year.

"The fiscal 2014 budget is not a budget dedicated to adding programs and initiatives," Fleishman said in his presentation Monday night. "Instead, the focus of this budget is to build and improve the many initiatives we have in place."

Overall, the fiscal 2014 budget will increase by nearly $8.9 million, a 5 percent jump from fiscal 2013. 

Most of the added positions in fiscal 2014 will be funded through the tax override passed by Newton voters last week, Fleishman said. Within the city's $8.4 million operational override (Question 1), the district received $3.5 million to handle the enrollment-related cost increases in fiscal 2014.

According to Fleishman, $2.4 million of that allotment will fund positions in regular education, $600,000 will go toward special education and $500,000 will cover building support or district-wide positions. 

In addition to the $3.5 million, the override also provided $1 million to help the district pay for short-term space needs for next year, including the addition of eight new classrooms at five elementary schools (seven new modular classrooms and one renovated classroom).

"The passage of the override on March 12 makes the fiscal 2014 budget a more positive budget proposal than the Newton Public Schools have seen in a long time," Fleishman said Monday. 

Two years ago, the district faced a $4 million budget gap and was forced to cut some arts and music programs as well as create fees for extra curricular activities. with the increased student growth. 

The latest budget will not bring the arts and music program back to the level it was at three years ago, but new arts/music staff will be added "just to keep up" with student enrollment, Fleishman said in a meeting with local reporters Monday afternoon.

The student activity fees also remain unchanged in the fiscal 2014 budget. Fleishman said the fees "were not part of [the fiscal 2014 budget] discussion," as administrators are working on an overall analysis of the fee structure and its effect on student participation. 

Aside from new staffing, the district's biggest investment in fiscal 2014 will be $85,000 for new science equipment at Newton South. According to Fleishman, this equipment will not only replace outdated materials, it will also help create equity between programs at Newton North and Newton South.

New positions

Of the more than 50 new positions slated in next year's budget, 13.1 FTE (full-time equivalent) positions will be added on the elementary school level, 10.1 of which are for enrollment growth.

Three of those elementary school positions will be new, part-time assistant principals at the district's three largest elementary schools: Countryside, Bowen and Memorial-Spaulding. 

The elementary assistant principal positions are a new venture for the Newton Public Schools, but according to Fleishman, they are a common practice in Newton's "peer districts." Fleishman added that the part-time assistant principals will be full-time staffers who split their time between the assistant principal job and a teaching position. 

Other additions include:

• More than 11 new positions at the middle schools
• More than 11 new positions at the high schools
• 3.5 FTE for English Language Learners 
• One new HR position to handle increase in hires as well as new, expanded background checks for teachers

The 50 added positions in fiscal 2014 represent an approximate 3 percent increase to the district's overall staff, which will total 1,924.6 positions in fiscal 2014. 

Expanding student services

Similar to last year, the district focused part of its budget on developing and expanding programs that will keep more students in Newton schools and save the city money on tuition costs for programs students attend out of the district.

One new initiative next year will be a city-wide middle school program for students with varied cognitive skill levels, who may have other disabilities.

According to the budget summary, the district will add 9.8 FTE positions to the student services department, which includes special education, social workers, counselors and psychologists.