The Bedford School Committee is getting closer to decision time. Will it recommend a 3.75 percent budget increase for the coming year that reflects a return to pre-pandemic conditions? Or will it opt for a 7.1 budget increase that allows for a gradual recovery, including smaller class sizes across the elementary grades?
Some committee members say they need clarity on the advantages of a reduced classroom population before deciding.
The plan, one of three options presented last month by School Superintendent Philip Conrad, calls for maximum classroom populations of 16 at Davis School and 18 at Lane School, which would necessitate hiring additional teachers and adding classrooms. Normal guidelines are 18-20 in Davis and 20-22 for the grades at Lane.
“Smaller class sizes might be a step toward something that we really care about,” committee member Brad Morrison acknowledged. “I would like to challenge the leadership team to really say what that’s going to buy us in terms of improved outcomes for the children. Please think about ways to sell that—I would love to be sold.”
“None of this is saying we don’t want to spend the money. I still don’t know the practical implications of this model besides the fact that we have smaller classes,” said committee Chair Dan Brosgol. He added that the committee needs to understand whether smaller class sizes are proposed for safety, for learning, or for both.
Assistant Superintendent Tricia Clifford said the budget was built based on continuing six feet of distancing because “we have to use what we know.” Regarding the academic benefits, she said, studies support them “in some ways,” but “much of the literature has not been positive.” The most important variable for improved student outcome is teacher quality, she said.
Later she noted that research on the impact of what was lost educationally because of the pandemic-induced changes “is really at the beginning.” By June it could be “exponential.”
Conrad said, ideally, the budget would facilitate a recovery shaped like a V. Later this month, he said he hopes to provide more details so “you will get a real good sense of what would be the outcome for the students.”
Brosgol said any budget option should include the cost of providing a remote learning option for students. Conditions may be such that remote earning could be state-mandated, he said.
Morrison also expressed concern about lost hours of learning at the high school, as pointed out by a parent who spoke during the public comments period of the meeting.
Also at Tuesday’s committee meeting, Julie Kirrane, director of finance for the school district, announced that the most recent federal Covid-19 relief legislation will benefit the Bedford schools, probably by between $170,000 and $180,000. This grant, for “instructional and health and safety initiatives,” would best be applied to the fiscal 2022 financial formulations, she said.
Kirrane also reported on actual and projected revenue losses totaling $184,000 because of activities curtailed by the pandemic, which will negatively affect planned offsets for this year’s and next year’s budgets.
The biggest current loss—$90,000—is in the category of rentals, she said. The shortfall in the preschool because of enrollment decline is $70,000. There also is a $24,000 drop in revenue from admission to athletic events. Kirrane expects further losses next fiscal year, reflecting 50 percent of the current amounts.
In answer to a question from Brosgol, Kirrane pointed out that any savings in utilities costs from idle rooms on nights and weekends reverts to the town budget.
Kirrane delineated the financial impact of recent School Committee votes to return more than 100 special-needs students (“Cohort C”) and all kindergarten students to full-time in-person school. Additional personnel comprises 4.7 “full-time equivalents” for a total of 478.2 in the schools. She noted that almost 24 paraprofessionals were added to staff in September so schools could open.
The financial impacts of the reopening are $122,829 for “Cohort C” and $233,217 for kindergarten, including $124,780 for furnishings and other non-salary expenses, she said. The kindergarten return is scheduled for Feb. 1.
The committee also learned details about additional special educational personnel budgeted for next year from Marianne Vines, director of special education.
There’s a third budget option proposed by Conrad, which assumes continued current protocols while accommodating a full return of students. The increase over the current budget is more than 11 percent. Committee members are referring to this version as “the beast.” There was no discussion of that option at the Jan. 12 meeting.
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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