On Thursday, May 2, the City’s School Finance Review Commission met with leadership from the Everett Public Schools to talk about their proposed budget for fiscal year 2020 – which leaders learned includes hiring some 53 new positions districtwide with a major jump over school net spending.
The goal of the hiring is to reduce class sizes and to add English Language Learner (ELL) teachers.
Those in attendance included Mayor Carlo DeMaria; CFO Eric Demas; Director of Organizational Assessment Omar Easy; Chief Procurement Agent Robert Moreschi; City Councilors Anthony DiPierro and John Hanlon; School Committee Member Frank Parker; Assistant Superintendent of Schools and Business Affairs Charles Obremski; Assistant Superintendent of Schools Kevin Shaw; and Parlin School teacher Kimberly Augur (also the Teacher’s Union president).
Principals and Vice Principals from each of the public schools spoke in turn about how to best meet the needs of the district’s 7,281 students.
Across the district, principals requested to eliminate 10 positions and add an additional 63. Roughly a quarter of all new positions across the district were introduced with the goal of reducing existing class size.
The schools requested three new guidance counselors to meet the day-to-day emotional and social support needs of students, seven additional math and reading interventionists to serve more students who are not performing at grade level, and four additional Wilson (a highly specialized reading program) Teachers and Special Education Teachers. The district also requested 14 new certified English Language Learner (ELL) professionals to deal with the growing population of students who don’t speak English.
The schools requested an additional $772,950 in funds for maintenance, repairs and library expansion.
The individual, school-specific requests are outlined below:
•George Keverian School requested to eliminate one Grade 6 Teacher position and one Grade 1 Teacher position, while adding one additional position for each of the following: Grade 3 Teacher, Grade 8 Math Teacher, Wilson Teacher, Guidance Counselor, Art Teacher (or STEM specialist), Literacy Interventionist and Math Interventionist. The school also requested five additional ELL teachers. The total for these positions is $750,000.
•Albert N. Parlin School requested to eliminate one Grade 4 Teacher position, while adding one of each of the following: Grade 1 Teacher, Grade 3 Teacher, Grade 5 Teacher, Wilson Teacher and Guidance Counselor. The total for these positions is $675,000. The school also requested adding two Math Interventionist positions and three ELL Teacher positions.
•Sumner G. Whittier School requested to eliminate one Grade 2 Teacher position and one Grade 5 teaching position, while adding one each of the following: Grade 4 Teacher, Grade 6 Teacher, Grade 7-8 Math, ELL Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Literacy Interventionist, Math Interventionist and Wilson Reading Specialist. The total budget for these positions is $450,000. Whittier School also requested $210,000 for maintenance and repairs.
•The Lafayette School requested to eliminate one Grade 3 Teacher position, while adding one position for the following: Grade 2 Teacher, Grade 4 Teacher, Grade 7 Math Teacher, Guidance Counselor, Art Teacher and Literacy Interventionist. The total for these positions is $375,000.
•Madeline English School requested to eliminate one Grade 5 Teacher position and add one of each of the following: Grade 2 Teacher, Grade 3 Teacher, Grade 4 Teacher, Art Teacher, Math Interventionist, Literacy Interventionist and Special Education Inclusion Teacher. It also requested two additional ELL teachers and $130,450 for maintenance and repairs.
•Webster School requested to add one Grade 3 Teacher, one Grade 4 Teacher and 1 Technology (Computers) Teacher, totaling $225,000.
•Everett High School requested to eliminate three hallway supervisor positions, adding two Deans, and adding one of each of the following: Director of Academics, Physics Teacher, Math Teacher, Spanish Teacher, Physical Education Teacher, Health Teacher, Art Teacher, Social Studies Director, ELL Department Chair, ELL Coordinator for K-8, Programming Teacher, Medical Assistant, and Hospitality Teacher. The total for these positions would be $1.2 million. It also requested a total of $420,000 for maintenance and repairs and an additional $12,500 to help them to expand their library’s book selection.
•Devens School requested the creation of a Job Placement Coordinator position to help high school students connect to meaningful work opportunities in the community. It requested $75,000 for this position.