To the editor,

This letter is in response to a recent letter to the editor by the Chairman of the Rochester Memorial School Committee. The Rochester Memorial School Committee is a board of contradictions. On one hand, they say they want to work with other town officials. However, you have to attend their meetings. They say they have nothing to hide. However, you need to ask the right questions. With respect to the Rochester Memorial School Committee’s vote from tuition based full-day kindergarten to free (taxpayer subsidized) full-day kindergarten, the Rochester School Committee never discussed this with the Rochester Finance Committee or Board of Selectmen. The issue is not about whether full-day kindergarten is good or bad. That is totally a School Committee decision. The issue is whether the School Committee followed the budgetary process or even tried to reach out to other town officials to discuss the matter.

On March 19, the School Committee and Superintendent Doug White met with the Finance Committee and town administrator to discuss the Rochester Memorial School 2014 budget. At this meeting, the Finance Committee and the town administrator inquired about the deficit in the tuition account for full-day kindergarten. The School Committee and the superintendent stated they would get back to the Finance Committee and the town administrator. At no time did the School Committee or the superintendent discuss the possibility of implementing free full-day kindergarten.

On April 4, and May 2, the School Committee discussed moving towards free full-day kindergarten. Neither the Finance Committee, town administrator or Board of Selectmen had seen this meeting on cable or received the presentation.

On May 6, several members of the School Committee, and Superintendent Doug White, met with Selectmen to discuss having a warrant item regarding a new revolving account for special needs to be voted at Annual Town Meeting, scheduled for May 20. Selectmen approved the warrant item. Neither the School Committee nor the superintendent mentioned the possibility of moving from tuition based full-day kindergarten to free full-day kindergarten.

On May 20, Annual Town Meeting voters approved the Rochester Memorial School 2014 budget. The fiscal year 2014 Rochester Memorial School budget did not include a line item for free full-day kindergarten.

One June 6, less than one month after Annual Town Meeting, the School Committee voted in favor to move from tuition based full-day kindergarten to free full-day kindergarten. It is estimated that the additional cost will be approximately $50,000. According to the School Committee and Superintendent White, the budget that was passed at Annual Town Meeting will cover the cost for full-day kindergarten. This is where the lack of transparency comes into play. If the school budget did not specifically provide for full-day kindergarten then that means there are school accounts at Rochester Memorial School that have more money than needed. As I am writing this letter, I just learned that the Rochester Memorial School Committee will be making the following transfers to fund full-day kindergarten: transportation half-day kindergarten, $19,373; kindergarten tuition, $7,500 (I have no idea where they are getting this money. The tuition program is in a deficit); social workers, $32,859; textbooks, $15,000; and general supplies, $2,000. The total amount is $76,733.

In the budgetary process leading up to Annual Town Meeting, when a department head or committee presents a budget before the Finance Committee, they are presenting a budget in good faith representing all the funding requests in the line item that are needed. The Finance Committee, town administrator and Selectmen then rely on that budget to present it to voters at Annual Town Meeting.  How is it that school accounts have excess funds? Town Hall departments don’t have excess funds and all Town Hall budget transfers require town meeting approval. However, the School Committee does not require town meeting approval. After their budget is approved, they can disregard all those line items and transfer money at will.

The School Committee would have you believe that the Finance Committee, town administrator or Selectmen is trying to tell them how to educate the children. That is not true. The only issues that the Finance Committee, town administrator and the Board of Selectmen take issue are matters that will cause the town to spend additional money and unnecessary amounts of money. It has been extremely difficult for the Finance Committee, the town administrator and Board of Selectmen to get a straight answer (or any answer) from the School Committee or the superintendent on issues that will impact the town’s budget and upcoming audit.

Selectmen invited the School Committee and superintendent to meet and discuss full-day kindergarten. They refused to attend the Selectmen’s meeting and instead said Selectmen should attend their meeting. On Aug. 20, the town administrator and members of the Finance Committee and Selectmen met with the School Committee and superintendent to discuss numerous accounting and funding issues. The location of the meeting was quite unusual. Typically, school meetings are held at Town Hall where they can be televised. This time the meeting was held at Rochester Memorial School in the music room where there is no cable television access. Issues discussed included: kindergarten deficit for fiscal year 2013, circuit breaker reimbursement, monthly budget reporting, warrant processing, lunch program reporting, personnel management, worker’s compensation claims protocol, unemployment processing, union contracts, teacher/staff agreements, employment contracts, building use, liability insurance, and executive session to discuss potential litigation.

The Finance Committee, town administrator and Board of Selectmen have tried to work with the School Committee and the superintendent. But when information is not forthcoming relationships get worn. When the School Committee can find $76,000 from other school accounts to fund a program that they didn’t even budget for they have an act that even Las Vegas wants. The Rochester School Committee complains they are being disrespected. The real group that is being disrespected is the taxpayers in Rochester.

Sincerely,

Richard Nunes
Selectman and Taxpayer