http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20110301/NEWS02/703019879
Published March 1, 2011 in the Rutland Herald
Few questions for town officials
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — More than 100 Springfield residents braved icy, slushy roads Monday night to hear presentations on the proposed $10.4 million town budget and the proposed $26.1 million school budget.
Voters will decide the fate of the two annual spending plans at the ballot box today, but Monday night’s informational meeting prompted few questions about the town budget.
The mood at the meeting, held in the Springfield High School cafeteria, was mellow. In fact, the only two comments were mostly praise for the town and its employees, particularly the road crew that has battled a long series of snowstorms this winter.
Town Manager Robert Forguites and Select Board Chairman Kristi Morris said while the budget has increased more than $903,000, the impact on the tax rate would only be 4 cents, or 3.83 percent.
The amount to be raised by taxes is $7,871,865, which is an increase over last year’s net budget of $4,290,316.
Morris said the town had gone through several years of cutting back on capital improvements, but now was the time to start putting money back into the town’s roads and replacing aging equipment.
Holding up a copy of a recent Rutland Herald with an article headlined “Save Now, Pay Later,” Morris said Springfield was moving on from that budgeting philosophy.
“We have cut the capitals over the last two years. The four-cent increase, it’s a pretty small increase and we’ve worked hard to try and maintain that. I encourage you to become involved in this budget,” said Morris, who is running for re-election to the board unopposed.
The Select Board had proposed increasing the town’s paving budget to $500,000, up from $300,000.
Morris said several big projects had swallowed up most of the paving budget in recent years, leaving little or nothing left for other town roads.
Resident Woody Bickford said he wanted to commend the town manager and the town employees, particularly Public Works Director Harry Henderson, “for handling all our snow.”
With that, he asked what the proposed new town tax rate would be, and got a quick answer from Forguites and Jeff Mobus, the town’s finance director.
The current town tax rate is $1.179, and will go up to $1.219, including the special appropriations that also have to be voted on during today’s balloting.
The only other question about the town budget came from a Douglas Street resident, who wanted the town to know about a big crack that had developed in the new pavement on the street.
“Thanks for following it up,” Forguites told the man.
The man thanked the town for the advance planning it was doing on budget items.
On the school side of things, Springfield School Board Chairman Scott Adnams presented a video about Springfield schools before making his budget presentation.
Adnams said the School Board started with a budget close to $27 million, but with the help of a new budget group cut it down to $26.1 million, with an increase of $770,999, half of which is because of capital projects at the high school and the middle school.
Adnams said the budget was up 2.7 percent, which will result in an 8.3 cent increase in the school tax rate. He said three cents was due to the state and 3.1 cents due to the capital projects, which include a new roof at the Springfield High School gym and completion of the new heating system at Riverside Middle School.
The budget group, headed up by retired Fire Chief Ernest “Puggy” Lamphere, had proposed $1.2 million in cuts, Adnams said, and the School Board adopted all the cuts except for proposed cuts in elementary school supplies.
The residents who braved the sloppy and slippery roads got a treat at the beginning of town meeting: The first- and second-grade chorus from Elm Hill School sang “These Green Hills.”
What I want to question is the school budget. What most residents do not realize are the state testing results came back and Springfield School District failed again and the results have declined from last years in the proficiency of the students. When will our residents wise up and figure out that the school board and school district administration needs to go. They are failing miserably and yet voters keep giving the district more money for what? Failing schools and students who do not meet state standards and are not prepared for college. Wise up Springfield. If you like crime, drugs and what goes with that keep voting to give the School District your tax money and watch the town decline even more.
ReplyDeleteDuring the past three years that I have been on the School Board we have worked tirelessly to improve the education of the children of springfield. It has been a challenge and we have made great strides. Last year was the first time that our budget passed on the first ballot. We were able to complete the construction of two modern cost efficient schools and to hire new principales for all our schools. Teachers who had not been evaluated were and we have set goals and standards that our community of Springfield participated in. Springfield has for many years led our state in Education and we are well on our way to achieving this again. The community of Springfield has to look at the values that
ReplyDeletewe teach our children. There are too many fractured homes and families.
We must give the message to all who live in Springfield that we value
our children and our residents must reflect those values.
It seems that the High School has a lot of drug and alcohol issues, but the school gets rid of the SAP counselor, and cuts viable teaching positions, YET adds a second nurse to the school for this new year. Didn't they have only one nurse for years with a helper? What about AYP? Failing Schools. Personal agendas? ...the S.H.S. Administration wants to have just the right (superficial) image of being a school without any problems. So, what is the real concern here ... kids or the image? Administration (personally) will look good....that's superficial.
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect to Ms. Thompson I think you are a bit deluded in your thinking. First, you never addressed the fact that the schools failed their NECAP again. The scores declined by previous years. Second, the district schools are all listed as schools in need of improvement. My understanding is the State DOE has addressed plans to possibly takeover operation of the schools earlier rather than later. In 2003-2004 you had two teachers who had actions taken against their license, in I believe 2004-2005 the district settled a lawsuit where a students jaw was broken. Last year you had a teacher who was accused and charged (case still pending) for inappropriate behavior, my understanding is another case is pending surrounding abuse and discrimination that has yet to hit the news. I am not sure where you feel Springfield led the state in education. This district has one of the highest dropout rates in the entire state AND teen pregnancy is out of control in the district. Your comment on fractured homes and values is not only condescending but insulting and frankly, an excuse for poor performance on behalf of district leadership, teaching staff and school board responsibility and accountability.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above post. I wanted to mention that the post by the FORMER school board member mentioned taking great strides and applauded the building of new schools. All that is great except all that money was spent with no improvement to the proficiency of the students. So what purpose do new buildings serve if the education of the youth has not improved.
ReplyDeleteMs. Thompson,
ReplyDeleteYou stated "The community of Springfield has to look at the values that we teach our children. There are too many fractured homes and families.
We must give the message to all who live in Springfield that we value our children and our residents must reflect those values."
It's amazing to see the "do as I say, not as I do" mentality so openly displayed by those involved (past or present) with the school district. You speak of the ability for Springfield residents to reflect the value we place in our children. What about the educators? Should they not also be expected to reflect such values? Perhaps the question to be asked is what values are you referring to? That those in a power-over position have an inherent right to exploit children? That as long as everyone maintains the code of silence, the truth will not set anyone free- especially a child's truth? It seems you may not have been privvy to any recent school occurrences that would allow you to present a more realistic view of the current situation happening within our schools. If so, you would understand the absolute incompetency of those selected to "educate" the children. My advice Ms. Thompson, is to hang up your pom poms, as the cheerleading skirt is NOT flattering on you. Perhaps you should take up a cause more reflective of the school district's functioning, such as child protection.