The Reading School Committee (SC) of Reading Public Schools (RPS) is meeting on Thursday January 11, 2024. The meeting is being held at 7:15 pm (note the change in time from usual start time of 7pm) at the Reading Memorial High School (RMHS) library and will be broadcast by RCTV and will be accessible via zoom. This meeting starts a bit later due to a 5:15pm-7pm meeting of the SC, Select Board, and Finance Committee, at Killam Elementary school.
Links to the agenda, packet and ways to watch are listed below.
The packet is 115 pages long with the bulk being the full proposed FY25 budget and related presentation.
The major things to know from the rest of my post, based on FY25 budget data and other packet info:
- RMHS calendar ONLY is proposed to change to accommodate some shifts in early release days to during an approximately month-long pilot (1/22/2024 – 2/16/2024) of a new schedule. This adjustment includes the following:
- Shifting the 2/9 RMHS half-day to a full-day of school
- Shifting the 2/2 and 2/16 full-days at RMHS to half-days with a 1:32pm dismissal
- The math pathways update is a 6-week progress report after the first update given on 11/30/2024. As of this writing the packet does not include content relating to this progress report.
- As noted for the 1/4/2024 meeting, Full day Kindergarten (FDK) tuition is proposed to be reduced from $2650 to $1450 per student, and the SC will discuss this proposal.
- As noted for the FY25 budget in my 1/4/2024 post for the 1/4/2024 meeting, in the FY25 budget, there are only 4.1 FTEs proposed to be added in FY25 budget (compared to 31.7 FTEs added during FY23/FY24)
- As noted for the FY25 budget in my 1/4/2024 post for the 1/4/2024 meeting, clerical staff and Paraeducator staff have proposed salary increases ranging from 10% to 22% as compared to FY23 salaries; most professional staff (teachers, nurses etc. ) range from 3.17% to 6.14%)
Votes to be Taken
There will be the usual votes to approve consent agenda, approve prior meeting minutes, and approve donations/grants. In addition, it appears that a vote is planned on approving the above-listed FY24 calendar changes. Once again, it does not appear that there will be a public vote following the executive session at the end of the meeting (which is being held regarding collective bargaining discussions associated with the paraeducators union).
FY25 Proposed Budget
(full budget p. 50-128 of packet; budget presentation p. 129-146 of packet)
[new for this week] – The cost centers being discussed this evening include the general education cost center, facilities cost center, district wide cost center, and a capital plan review. Recall that Administration cost center and student services (including special education) cost center discussions took place on 1/4/2024
[repeat of content from last week] The big story in my review of this budget, as noted above is the significant proposed and/or actual salary increases for the clerical and paraeducator bargaining units (with the latter one still not finalized in to contracts)s. These raises (compared to FY23) range from 10-22%, as discussed further below). There are not that many new FTE additions to the budget. The other big story in this budget review is a proposed reduction in the full day kindergarten tuition, from $2550 to $1450.
The FY25 budget is 4.27% higher than the FY24 budget, which reflects the 4.00% approved in fall 2023 by FINCOM plus the addition of $150k in “community priority” funding towards the cost of full day kindergarten.
The only FTEs to be added include:
- Increasing the elementary speech language pathologist (SLP) from 0.4 FTE to 1.0 FTE (funded via existing budget funds)
- Continuing addition of a 0.5 FTE teacher for Joshua Eaton LEAD program (funded via existing budget funds)
- Continuing addition of a Coolidge special education teacher of 1.0 FTE (new budget funds, previously funded via ESSER grant)
- Continuing addition of two RMHS guidance counselors for 2.0 FTE (new budget funds, previously funded via ESSER grant)
There are some additions with no expected budget impact, such as expansion of the RMHS innovation pathways and dual enrollment programs. RPS to date has received approximately $250k in grants towards these programs so far and have applied for another 10 grants, with the potential of $800k more in funding.
Some brief summaries of the proposed salary increases that appear to make up the bulk of the changes in the budget:
- Clerical salaries up 8.2% in Administrative cost center (not part of collective bargaining unit), up 15.12% in regular day, up 10.34% in special education, up 15.07% in athletics dept, down 2.12% in health services
- Paraeducator/substitute salaries: proposed to be up 22.06% in regular day and up 20.78% in special education – but note that these contracts are still being negotiated
- Professional salaries (teachers, nurses, counselors, etc.) – up 3.17% in regular day, up 6.14% in special education, up 2.75% in athletics (note that coach salaries for athletics are up 49.17%), up 6.5% in health services, up 3.25% in tech dept, up 3.93% in admin cost center, up 6.37% in extra curricular
- Facilities Salaries: professional salaries down 17.8%, because some salaries re-allocated to facilities rental; custodial salaries up 6.46%
How to Watch this Meeting
The RCTV YouTube live stream link is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqhT8SdkcWM
You can also watch via Xfinity channel 6 (“local 3”) or Verizon channel 32.
Join Zoom Meeting https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/81401209300
Meeting ID: 814 0120 9300
