Yes - 463 (44%)
NO - 591 (56%)
Mendon Vote Count 1,054
---------------------------------------------
UptonYES - 609 (62%)
NO - 370 (38%)
Upton Vote Count 979
NOTE: We had bad numbers for Upton. The correct count is now posted. Nothing changes. There were a few more no votes that we first reported. HG
17 comments:
Someones going to be pissed.
Another stellar voter turnout.
3,641 on the active voter list according to 2005 Annual Report in Mendon.
Only 1054 showed. Upton can't complain they only had 911 show up.
An opportunity for the voter to finally get a feel for the validity of the schools message. Are we in for the demise they led us to believe was eminent upon the defeat of this override.... I think not but time will tell. Anytime a budget grows as quickly as the schools has inefficiencies are baked in. This is a good opportunity for the school to re-adjust and approach the taxpayers with a new proposal down the road if we truly need it. Congratulations to the town this was an intelligent decision and a cry for due diligence.
I am new to the blog but have a question. Why, in a town where you are getting a quality education for less than the cost per pupil of the surrounding towns and most of the state are you not congratulating the administration and school committee on a job well done? Instead, many posters keep alluding to mismanagement. Is it so far fetched to assume they have been doing the best they can with a very tough situation given the growth. My son graduated last week in a class of 144. My daughter starts high school next fall in a class of 288. Clearly there must be some gaps in previous poster's math education.
You neglect to consider that the Finance Committee unanimously rejected the override. As well, the school admin had previously succeeded in securing overrides twice in the past several years (I believe this to be accurately stated). I do believe that the system produces positive results, but that they can continue to do so with any additional funding that they waiting on from the state or with the existing budget.
The cost per pupil thing is very subjective.
The finance committee has always rejected the overrides. The poster who said the cost per pupil thing is very subjective has a point but when you fall in the lowest quarter year after year it becomes less subjective. The people of Mendon and Upton are getting terrific bang for thier bucks and it is time someone pointed that out. In fact all of the standard arguments don't really hold any water. They keep coming back for more vs they keep getting more and more students or the per pupil thing is subjective vs it is embarrassingly low. In the end I think the residents of Mendon are only concerned with their own pocketbooks and, if the deterioration of the schools won't affect their families then they voted no. 10-20 years from now when these kids are running things we will know if we made the right decision.
I really don't think that's a fair assessment - I have heard nothing but wonderful things about our school system. The fact that they can do this with the "limited" dollars that they get, is a testament to their creativity. They are making the best of what they have.
When I attended Nipmuc in the late 70's early 80's, we had a very different experience. Today, more kids are attending college and fewer are dropping out. The teachers are better and the resources are much improved.
Mendon is town with deep roots and staying power - we need to protect and think about our future (which I think is being considered for the most part). We do not want to price ourselves out of our own homes, do we?
The two over-rides help keep the per-student rate down as does the special ed spending.
How the numbers are derived is what is subjective. The cost of supplying them with new buildings falls outside of those numbers for instance.
Face it the schools lost this round. We will pay for a new safety building instead (something we all may need).
"Anonymous said...
The finance committee has always rejected the overrides."
Not true. The Fincom has voted in favor of all operational school overrides until this one.
HG
The school has done a wonderful job to date and should be applauded and they should continue to do a wonderful job with funding that is added annually. An interesting comment in the MDN from Jay stating that we would not be able to fund 95% of new ventures without these funds. Funny I thought without these funds we would be out all new programs and in addition (per the informational sheet handed out at the town meeting) a number of existing staff members. It is important when going for an override to be consistent with your argument otherwise more individuals will begin to question the funding needs of the school. The cost per pupil argument is seriously flawed because of the compression that exists in the numbers; yes we are in the lower quartile but very little separates us from the average. We are not ridiculously low we are in fact comfortable and well managed. Prove to me that that additional amount will correlate to a better education for our kids, and prove to me that you cannot find the money else where in your budget. This burden is on the school and obviously they were not clear enough. It is very easy to say let’s give the school an override and let’s also address other town needs… next thing you will be saying is oops I guess we went to far let’s shut down the library…
http://mendonriffraff.blogspot.com/
Let me clarify what was reported in the MDN, not that it would need clarifying. There are new specialists in the list of new hires to reinstate the middle school schedule we once had when those grades were at Nipmuc. These are two positions covering art, music, health, media, and phys.-ed. They will still be hired. Everything else will be out, along with our not filling some existing positions where individuals have left the district. If you look at the brochure sent out prior to the vote you will see these specialists listed on the list of what we gain, but not listed on the list of what we lose. Same for the handout at town meeting. I don't see the inconsistency. I guessed at the 95% amount.
Here are some real numbers. We lose Mendon’s override of $421,044 plus Upton’s proportionate amount of $483,843, for a total reduction of $904,887. The total amount for new hires and initiatives was $756,000. If we have to reduce the budget by the full $900,000 there will be some existing things cut. I believe the state will increase our funding by around $150,000 - $200,000 so the final reduction will be around $700,000 - $750,000. Class sizes will increase, and a few things we currently have will be eliminated. That said, this is what the voters have said, and we will make the necessary adjustments. I will have a detailed list of reductions, projected class sizes, and a better picture of where we are after our school committee meeting next Monday night. Once I have those details I will post them.
I am not sure why there continues to be a debate on the merit of the override. It was voted down, so whether it had merit or not doesn’t matter anymore. I feel there are enough parents in town that if they want something there are more than enough votes to get it. We didn’t get our message clearly articulated to get that support. It failed not because the so called “anti-school” crowd turned out, but because parents also voted no. I felt we needed to show voters what they would gain by voting yes, and obviously we didn’t do that. But the idea there will be no negative impact from this is wrong. We don’t have some hidden cache of funds we can go to. Yes, the school district will still be here, and we will still do the best job we can.
I agree about the per pupil reports. They are very hard to put real stock in, but they use the same formula to determine these expenditures for all districts. My only point on them is, we would not consistently be in the bottom 30 of all school districts every year if we were inefficient with our budget, and still be able to deliver a high quality product. I am reminded every year by a FinCom member that we should take pride in those figures because it does mean we provide good value for a buck.
I said before, we provided our vision of what the school district should be, and now the voters have spoken. I respect their vote, even if I disagree with it.
Jay, if it was up to me and I had the money I would give it to you personally to do with what you will. I admire your class and dilligence to a cause you are dedicated to. But,I don't have the money this year, nor do my friends, coworkers or my parents.
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