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Wayland Student Press

The student news site of Wayland High School

Wayland Student Press

The student news site of Wayland High School

Wayland Student Press

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March 26, 2024
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Budget cuts: the community must take action

The High School Guidance Department is one of many departments facing cuts, including one of the administrative secretaries. (Credit: Jake Adleman/WSPN)
The High School Guidance Department is one of many departments facing cuts in the new budget. Unfortunately, as proposed, one of the administrative secretaries won't be making the cut. (Credit: Jake Adelman/WSPN)

One of the mid-year goals of Wayland Public School’s Superintendent Dr. Gary Burton is “family and community partnerships to support the learning and growth of each student.” With regard to all of the new proposed budget cuts, there has yet to be evidence of any “community partnerships.”

In November, it was apparent that most people around town were excited by the prospect of a new high school in Wayland. That excitement quickly faded when students, teachers, parents, and members of the community realized that paying some $50 million for a new high school may come with a few disconcerting trade-offs.

It seems clear that the reason the town’s Finance Committee did not ask for an override was that they were uncomfortable asking the town residents for roughly $50 million for the new school project. But why, with the town supporting education through overrides so regularly in the past, could they not ask for the $725,000 to offset the school budget, if not even more for the entire town’s deficit?

The Wayland Public Schools’ budget is decreasing 2.33% in Burton’s proposed plan, the first time the budget has decreased in 29 years. For 29 years Wayland has been able to grow its educational budget; it is ridiculous that Wayland cannot maintain that tradition of supporting educational excellence even in the face of a new high school and tough economic times.

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The first reason that Superintendent Burton offers in his FY11 Budget Message for the cuts is that “both personnel and non-personnel accounts reflect decreases due to declining enrollment.” On the surface that sounds as though it has some logical reasoning behind it — until you observe the budgets of the last few years. In both FY8 and FY9 enrollment at the high school was down, yet the budget was increased in both of those years. This shows a clear lack of precedent and blatantly discredits the accountability of this reason for the proposed budget cuts.

It is understandable, perhaps, that if cuts are necessary they must come at the personnel level, considering that personnel accounts for 79% of the school system’s entire budget. But if the Superintendent is so concerned with “community partnerships,” then why were students, teachers, and parents not involved in an open debate about the cuts? Granted, there is still time left in the process, and an open forum has been scheduled with the School Committee for January 4. Dr. Burton even sent out an e-mail to faculty early this year, but simply sending an e-mail is not adequate for cuts of this magnitude. The “community partnership” should have come earlier in the process.

One of the most drastic trade-offs involved in approving this new school project is the cuts and reductions in staffing district-wide, and especially at the high school.

In the proposed budget for FY11 that Burton outlined for the school committee, 84% of the cuts will come from the high school. Just this week Wayland High School was awarded a silver medal in the US News and World Report list of best high schools in America. These rankings are based solely on a “college readiness index.” That begs the question of why, then, in a town where we pride ourselves on sending our high school graduates to college, are we cutting the majority of the funding from the school that is preparing those same students for college?

It is absurd to consider that Wayland, a town that aims to prepare its students for higher education, is considering cuts of these proportions. One of the vital people involved in college application process for many students, a guidance office secretary, is going to be cut. Furthermore, a net loss of one English teacher, as proposed, is cutting one teacher who spends much of her time outside of class meeting with students about their writing. This particular reduction will lead to some full-time English teachers having to take on an additional class, which doesn’t leave them as much time to assist in the writing and editing of college essays, not to mention recommendations. That certainly won’t help anybody’s chances of getting into college.

WHS English department head Brian Keaney at work in an English office surrounded by empty chairs, some that might be permanently vacant. (Credit: Jake Adleman/WSPN)
WHS English department head Brian Keaney at work in an English office surrounded by empty chairs, some that might be permanently vacant next school year. (Credit: Jake Adelman/WSPN)
Art teacher Janet Armentano's salary is being reduced to the point where she simply can't continue working at Wayland. (Credit: Jake Adleman/WSPN)
One art teacher's position will be reduced to part time. (Credit: Jake Adelman/WSPN)

Cuts to Wayland High School personnel are not limited to a guidance secretary and an English teacher. There will be the loss of 0.4 positions in the language department (EDITORS NOTE: It was previously published that 1.4 positions would be cut in the Language Department. It is in-fact 0.4), all academic department secretaries will be cut, science classes are likely to be cut, one of the two art teacher positions will be cut to part time, and the position of Athletic Director will also be cut to a part-time job.

Plain and simple: the budget cuts at the high school, as proposed, are irresponsible.

Merely complaining about the budget cuts will not change anything. What’s

Athletics director Martha Jamieson's position is facing a cut to half-pay, but continuing with the same workload. (Credit: Jake Adleman/WSPN)
The athletic director's salary would be reduced by 44%. (Credit: Jake Adelman/WSPN)

needed now are specific suggestions for how the budget should be ammended. Here are just a few:

1. Ask for that override – it is not too late to propose one!

It would require a simple majority in a town-wide election and a two-thirds majority at town meeting. This is how the town has dealt with situations like this in the past; do it this year too. Don’t rule out too soon the possibility of no cuts. I’m not saying it’s not an expensive price tag for the town, but the price of cutting the teachers and services that are planned on is unconscionably higher.

2. Form a committee of students, teachers, parents, and administrators, to discuss the budget cuts in a round table forum.

It is clear that cuts in some form will have to occur if the first suggestion isn’t utilized, barring some sort of divine intervention in the form of drastic changes in the town’s budget and finances. There is no question that those cuts would negatively affect people, but there has to be another way to allocate the cuts that minimizes the personnel damage and maximizes satisfaction and success with a Wayland High School educational experience. The discussion as to how to accomplish minimally invasive cuts is what needs to occur — and not just among town administrators.

This committee would be similar to the committee created in the process of planning for the new high school, the HSBC, and would go through the budget line by line to discuss and debate each cut. This solution would supplement an open forum for all members of the town, and truly develop “community partnership.” If a “community partnership” is really what Dr. Burton wants, this is the best way to do that. The combination of students, teachers, parents, and administrators will together have the best grasp on what is vital to a Wayland High School education.

3. Instead of cutting a few salaries by a large percentage, cut a lot of salaries a small percentage.

Burton stated in his FY11 Budget Message, “No salary increases have been budgeted for any administrators or non-union personnel.” That should be taken a step further, and those administrators, some of the highest paid town employees, should take a small pay cut. In this age of capping pay for high-ranking executives, why not apply that to local town employees too? Even in the case of general subject teachers, it seems reasonable to believe that they may be willing, despite union contracts, to take a small pay cut if it means protecting the jobs of fellow teachers. That would also mean easing their own workload, in turn allowing them to continue to provide the high quality of education they provide now.

There were over 36 high school activity advisers who received stipends in FY10, called co-curricular stipends in the FY11 budget. 13 are budgeted to be eliminated in FY11. Those 13 stipends account for 35% of that section of the budget. Why not cut 35% from each stipend, a simple compromise–the type students learn in kindergarten? Or if not 35% from each, cut 100% from fewer than 13 of the less important/popular activities, and then an equal percent from the rest.

No matter what happens with these budget cuts, things will, without a doubt, be different at Wayland High School next year. There will be construction going on, questions of parking are still unanswered, and if the cuts do occur, opportunities to expand students’ horizons will be minimized. The best option going forward is to strategically rethink the cuts in a way that will have the least negative effect on Wayland High School. The worst option? Passive aggressive anger and whining on the part of the students.

It is not going to be enough for students to mumble complaints in the hall, or make anonymous and slanderous comments on the Internet. Students and parents alike need to share their grievances with the school committee and town administrators, and supplement that with an explanation and a suggestion.

If you have a suggestion or opinion as to how the budget cuts should be changed, please, speak out. Comment on this article, show up at a town government meeting, sign a petition, join a Facebook group, write a letter to Dr. Burton, or to the School Committee. There are many ways for your voice to be heard.

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  • W

    WaylandDec 20, 2009 at 8:04 PM

    i would just like to point out that a few years back the teacher's saleries went up and Wayland has finaly relized that they dont have the amount of money to keep them all

    Reply
  • G

    GeorgeDec 19, 2009 at 8:29 PM

    It’s always added fees, cuts for teachers and support staff, why not one or two highly paid administrators at the top?

    Reply
  • 2

    2012Dec 18, 2009 at 7:25 AM

    Good article!
    I agree, something MUST be done.
    I believe that a good start may be an afterschool meeting, if on the announcements someone organizes a meeting with all students welcome to discuss the cuts.

    Personally, I have been in contact with multiple individuals regarding the new high school/ budget cuts. All of an answer I seem to be getting is: it will all work out and we don’t know yet.

    Reply
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Budget cuts: the community must take action