Assistant Superintendent Kristen Behnke and Superintendent Jason McCandless presented the budget on Thursday.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council on Thursday approved appropriating $58.5 million for the School Department.

 

The budget is a 3.5 percent increase over this year, or $1.9 million more.

 

While the budget is increasing, Superintendent Jason McCandless said the department needed twice that for level services because of increases in obligations. He outlined a series of program and staffing cuts that brought the increase down from $4 million to $1.9 million.

 

"We knew that wasn't doable and we knew it would be disrespectful to come before you and ask for that," McCandless told the council.  

 

"In terms of level services, we're actually facing a budget shortfall."

 

The superintendent said the department absorbed $370,000 for new buses; $108,000 in increased electric costs; $422,000 in natural gas costs; special education tuition increases of $1 million; employee contract increases of $1.4 million; and the losses of a state grant of $369,000 for the kindergarten program and a $35,000 federal e-rate (information technology) program.

 

To close that $2 million gap, school administrators outlined a series of cuts including the reduction of 28 full-time equivalent positions spanning a number of schools and jobs. They include two from administration and technology, an early childhood coordinator, STEM coordinator, humanities coordinators, two from instructional technology and dropping hours of another position in that department, three regular education teachers and two special education teachers at Reid Middle School, two regular education and two special education teachers at Herberg Middle School, four teachers at Taconic High School, a paraprofessional from both Conte Community School and Pittsfield High School, one elementary position and three in vocational. 

 

"We understand that there are no money trees growing in Pittsfield ... We are very aware that we are public servants," McCandless said.

 

In making those cuts, McCandless said the entire department was reviewed and focused on what the department is legally obligated to serve, which is the education of children ages 3 through 22. Any program that could be done by an outside group or was outside of that purview, the department eliminated or reduced. 

 

"There is no doubt that there are impacts in the school system because of this budget," McCandless said, adding class sized increased, technology purchases have been delayed, professional development is down, and the department has little flexibility for changes.

 

But, he said the education, AP courses, fine and performing arts, preschool, vocational programs, foreign languages, and the majority of the staff remain. 

 

Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Simonelli, however, was more concerned about the addition of four adjustment councilors at a cost of $280,000. He said with an already $1.9 million increase, this is not the year to add staff. His motion to reduce the budget by that amount was defeated 9-2.

 

"I have a hard time adding four more positions at $70,000 a year," Simonelli said. "I don't think this is a bad thing but I don't think this is the year for it."

 

The city currently employs the full-time equivalent of 13.34 adjustment councilors, who are professional social workers hired to work with the students with behavioral, social, and mental issues. McCandless said those currently employed are already overwhelmed and are "stamping out fires all day long."

 

Children even at the elementary school level are so challenged and face mental trauma that often they become violent and destructive. McCandless said one 8-year-old can force the shutdown of an entire school. He said there are more and more students coming to the city schools with trauma and mental problems, he said, citing police and ambulance calls. 

 

Ward 5 Councilor Jonathan Lothrop is a social worker with the state Department of Children and Families and he said it isn't just increasing in schools. In the last two years, there has been a 15 percent increase in children being placed in state's custody. He remembers when the numbers were around 150 and now there are more than 500. 

 

"We have an epidemic of domestic violence. We have an epidemic of drug abuse," Lothrop said of the causes of the emotional trauma. "We have, unfortunately, witnessed a dramatic shift in what our population faces."

 

He said a lot of parents aren't as involved with their children's lives because of those issues and children have to deal with more troubles at home. When they get to school, those home troubles lead to behavioral issues. 

 

"In a difficult budget, this is a very courageous act," Lothrop said of the addition of four councilors.

 

Lothrop said the department could have just ignored those needs to cut the budget more. McCandless added that the school knows by the age of 5 which students are at risk of dropping out in the future or ending up in jail. The additional councilors are going to work toward being more "proactive" in helping at-risk students than just responding to the emergencies. 

 

Egremont Elementary Principal Judy Rush said the full-time school adjustment councilor there has a caseload of 150 students. Crosby Elementary School Principal Donna Baker said with students who have trouble reading or with math, there are resources to intervene. But, not with behavioral, mental, and social issues. 

 

"Our students are coming to us with social skills deficits and we just can't provide the service," Baker said. "We have to do things more proactively so we are not reacting all of the time."

 

McCandless said there is a financial benefit for the services, though in a more indirect way. The perception of what occurs in Pittsfield schools often leads parents to choice their kids elsewhere. The department already loses $2 million a year because parents opt to send their children to other schools.

 

"There are only so many times that your student is going to be involved in a lockdown. There are only so many times your student will see another student be restrained by an adult," McCandless said. 

 

Regarding choice numbers, Ward 6 Councilor John Krol said he was disappointed to see a $10,000 cut in the marketing budget because charter schools will be more aggressive in attracting more students to opt out of city schools.

 

"I look at that as potentially pennywise and pound foolish ... the charter school is targeting our students with mailings," Krol said. "They were built on a foundation of poaching students. That is how they work and that is how they survive."

 

McCandless said even if the City Council cut the entire budget by $280,000 those positions wouldn't be cut. He said he'd rather cut money from extra curricular or charge fees for programs like drama than eliminate those positions. 

 

Councilor at-Large Churchill Cotton added, "some of us don't realize how troubled some of our children are and how aware of their environment they are." 

 

Ward 2 Councilor Kevin Morandi sided with Simonelli. He said he may not be against the adjustment councilors but he is in favor of scaling back the budget. 

 

"I'm not against this. But, I have to look at cost-saving measures. That is our job as councilors," Morandi said.

 

Councilor Aat-Large Kathleen Amuso said she believes every department could cut a half a percent out of the budget and that was about what Simonelli's cut represents. But, she thinks the entire city needs to be looked at differently next year so individual lines aren't being debated by the council. 

 

"There has got to be places where the city could reduce. That didn't happen last year and it is not happening this year," Amuso said. "As a city we have got to do things differently in this budget process."

 

Amuso also asked how the schools will function when three out of five curriculum coordinators are eliminated. McCandless said the principals and administrators will have to step in. The biggest concern is in keeping the entire district on the same educational program across the schools.

 

The councilors picked apart many other areas of the budget, but Simonelli's failed request was the only proposed change. In the end, a 9-2 vote approved the budget as presented at $58,502,753.