Around Town

Rep. Hecht Gives Forecast of Special Ed Circuit Breaker Funding

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State Rep. Jonathan Hecht said the Governor’s budget does not fully fund the Special Education Circuit Breaker, but he hopes the Legislature can fix that. 

One of the main topics of discussion during the School Committee’s Budget and Finance Subcommittee meetings over the past week has been special education funding. The state chips in a significant amount for the most expensive services for special needs students – those costing $41,000 or more a year, according to Student Services Director Arlene Shainker. The cost is based on “four times the state average foundation budget per pupil as calculated under the Chapter 70 education funding law,” according to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. When fully funded, the state provides 75 percent reimbursement for the amount over $60,000. Last year the state fully funded the program with $250 million (Watertown received more than $2 million), but this year the governor’s budget is level funded, Hecht said.

Around Town

Watertown School Supporters Call for Stabilization of Special Education Costs

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By Charlie Breitrose

The uncertainty of how much special education will cost the Watertown Public Schools each year has been a thorn in the side of school administrators and parents alike, and now supporters of the school want to establish a stabilization fund to deal with unexpected costs. The town must provide education for students with special needs from the age of 3 through high school, and in some cases until the age of 22. Some students attend programs in Watertown, but others attend schools outside of town which often have high price tags. This year alone, the district got 12 students who they had not anticipated who required out-of-district programs, said Student Services Director Arlene Shainker said at the School Committee Budget and Finance Subcommittee meeting on Monday night. That number is higher than most years.

Around Town

School Officials Say $6 million Hike Needed to Provide Excellent Education

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Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald, second from left, Assistant Superintendent Dari Donovan, second from right and financial specialist Frank Colvario presented the first draft of the Fiscal 2015 Watertown School Budget. Director of Student Services Arlene Shainker also participated. Photo by Charlie Breitrose

By Charlie Breitrose

School officials discussed a very preliminary school budget for the 2014-15 school year, but one number stuck out – an increase of $6 million or 16 percent officials said they need to provide the education that Watertown’s students need. The increase is based on what principals and program directors said they needed to run their school or program right, said Assistant Superintendent Dari Donovan said during Thursday’s School Committee Budget and Finance Subcommittee meeting. “This is what people really feel like that need to proved an excellent education to students next year,” Donovan said.

Around Town

Shortage of ESL Teachers in Watertown Schools

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By Charlie Breitrose

One in ten students in the Watertown Public Schools are in English as a Second Language classes, but more than half are not getting the ESL (now known as English Language Learner) instruction that is required by state law.The students are in all five Watertown schools, and they come in speaking one of 27 different languages, said ESL Program Director Allison Levit said during a School Committee Budget and Finance Subcommittee meeting. Students who know the least amount of English are supposed to get 150 minutes a day of ESL instruction. That amount drops to 60-120 minutes for mid-level students and 30 minutes for those close to moving into a regular classroom full time, Levit said. A couple years ago Watertown Middle School received an award for its ESL program, but now the system is struggling. Levit, who is in her second year as director, asked for more staff last year, and did not receive any more instructors.

Schools

New Group Pushes for ‘Watertown Strong Schools’

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By Charlie BreitroseA new group has emerged advocating for quality public schools in town, known as Watertown Strong Schools.The group seeks to support the Watertown Public Schools in the effort to get the “full funding needed to staff schools and purchase materials to provide quality education to Watertown students,” according to the group’s website, http://www.watertownstrongschools.com.Watertown Strong Schools has a three-tiered approach to improve the schools – data driven understanding and documentation of the schools; building relationships with the school, town and community leaders; and positive communication and outreach.The website provides a place to find out about upcoming meetings that impact the schools and town. It also has announced informational meetings about Watertown Strong Schools. The meetings will be held on Sunday, March 23 at 3 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library, and one on Wednesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. – place to be determined.

Police/Fire

Reward Offered for Info on Person Behind Threat at Watertown High School

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By Charlie BreitroseAfter another threat that evacuated Watertown High School on Friday, a reward has been offered for helping to catch the person behind the threat.The State Fire Marshall’s Office and the Watertown Police Department have put up a reward of up to $5,000 reward for “information leading to the arrest of a suspect,” according to the press release from the Watertown Police.”Any individual offering information will remain anonymous,” the announcement reads.The threat was the third this school year. Two occurred in December. Once a threatening note was found and the second time a single bullet was found on a desk in a classroom at WHS.What do you think about the repeated threats at Watertown High?

Police/Fire

Watertown High School has Been Evacuted, Again

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By Charlie Breitrose

For the third time this school year Watertown High School has been evacuated due to a potential threat. Reports that a threatening note has been found at the high school. State Police are being called in to search the building. Principal Shirley Lundberg sent parents a letter saying that at threatening letter was found at about 11:30 a.m. Friday and the school was evacuated as an abundance of caution. “The threat was determined NOT to be credible.  As soon as the police have secured the building, we will be returning students to classes,” Lundberg wrote.