The Westford School Board has begun the 2010-2011 school year budget process.  The timeline currently used is summarized below, along with notes about when and how town residents can have input in the school budgeting process prior to its presentation to voters in March.  Anyone interested in influencing the budget needs to get involved between now and the end of December to allow ample time for board consideration of your ideas.

Read below to mark key dates in your calendar!

• Step 1: School Board provides guidance to CCSU administration for preparation of a draft budget for the coming school year.
  • When: October School Board Meeting
  • This Year: On Monday, October 5^th the school board asked CCSU administration to prepare a draft budget for Board consideration that maintains at least the same level of educational programming and quality instruction currently offered.
  • Notes: Three priority areas for the 2010-2011 budget will be under discussion throughout this year’s budget process:
    • Declining enrollment: Planning for declining enrollment has been an ongoing priority for the School Board. Creative strategies such as re-configuration of team taught instruction have allowed us to keep pace with this trend, although it is not always possible in a school our size to maintain the optimum student/teacher ratio due to ages of children enrolled each year.
      See additional information presented below.
    • Foreign Languages and World Culture: See study group information below.
  • Preserving Our Investment in Physical Plant: We will need to incorporate capital investments into our budgeting process to maintain the safety and utility of the school environment. Board will again consider what needs to be done related to the parking, sidewalks and entrances/exits to prevent further degradation of these assets.
• Step 2: School Board asks committees and/or task forces to explore detailed budget issues.
  • When: Throughout October and November
  • This Year: The school board appointed a committee to research foreign languages and world culture curriculum requirements for elementary school aged children in order for them to acquire and excel at skills that have become basic requirements for today’s global economy.
  • Notes: In this difficult economy the Board is concerned about our ability to adequately prepare our school aged children for the competitive environment they will enter when joining the global work force. We are actively studying our competitiveness with other schools and the global student population, especially in the area of basic skills. Recent studies in brain development also provide new insights into educational programs that will enhance academic, cognitive and life/work skill achievement levels.
• Step 3: School Board reviews administration’s draft budget for coming school year.
  • When: December School Board Meeting
  • This Year: Monday, December 7^th the administrative draft budget will be presented to the Board for review. Board will make recommendations for modifications or analysis as needed.
  • Notes: Attend this school board meeting to get first-hand information about the draft budget! Priority areas mentioned above will be under discussion.
• Step 4: School Board conducts additional detailed budget work sessions. Interested citizens are encouraged to attend and make comments as appropriate.
  • When: Month of December
  • This Year: Monday, December 14 the School Board will hold a special meeting on budget details, with an additional meeting on Thursday, December 17^th if needed. The budget will also be reviewed at the board’s regular monthly meeting on January 4^th.
  • Notes: These are the meetings during which discussions of specific budget items and alternative strategies occur – mark these as critical to attend if you want to make comments on the budget that will be presented at a public meeting in January.
• Step 5: School Board presents budget proposal at a public meeting.
  • When: Special joint meeting with the Select Board
  • This Year: Thursday, January 7th at 7pm at the Westford School. At this meeting the School Board and the Select board each present their budget proposals for public comment before the budget proposals are finalized.
  • Notes: The school board usually listens to public input and votes on a final school budget proposal on this same evening. If further research or deliberation is needed a special meeting for finalizing the budget will be scheduled.
• Step 6: School Board answers questions and explains details of proposed budget as printed in the Westford Annual Report.
  • When: Public meeting required by state statute to be held within 14 days of public vote.This year:  Monday, March 1^st
  • Notes: The state statute governing timing of this meeting dates to an era when many folks couldn’t read and the public meeting ensured budgets and other proposals were verbally explained prior to residents casting their votes (and recently enough that they’d remember what they heard) – clearly too late for input in today’s complex budget process!
• Step 7: Public votes on the School Budget by Australian ballot.
  • When: First Tuesday in March
  • This Year: March 2^nd

Marilyn McConnell ~ Martha Heath, Chair ~ Andre Roy, Vice-Chair ~ Jennifer Townsend, Clerk ~ Nathan Lavallee