Superintendent of Stafford Public Schools Steven A. Moccio and Chair of the Board of Education (BOE) Sara Introvigne-Kelley released a video to answer some of the town's questions about the budget and the school system. You can watch the video below or, if you do not have time to watch the full video, skim our summary for the key takeaways before the March 20 public hearing and Board of Finance meeting. (You can also watch the video here.)
Why does the budget increase when enrollment decreases?
Last year's enrollment was 1408, and this year's was 1330. That means there are 78 fewer students in the district than there were last year, but more than 20 of those students were going from eighth to ninth grade and chose to attend high school at private, magnet, or vocational-agricultural schools. The rest of the students were spread out across the grade, meaning no individual grade level saw a significant enough reduction to warrant staff reduction. (Editor's Note: What they did not mention is that even though many of these students are not attending school in the district, Stafford is still responsible for them and must pay tuition and/or transportation for students attending some alternative high schools.)
From salaries and benefits to transportation and utilities, costs are going up.
There has been an increase in the need for special education services, which are mandated by the state. Transportation costs for special education students are a problem across the state, as qualified transport companies can, more or less, set their own prices because few alternatives exist.
The State is not fully reimbursing the town for Excess Costs, and this is a problem in districts across the state.
Why is the district top-heavy?
Seven administrators are in the four school buildings, and two additional district-wide administrators are related to special education and pupil services. There is also the Superintendent of Schools, and the Chief Academic Officer.
There are 11 administrators in total, but there are also directors and supervisors who manage facilities, payroll/HR, and the sports program.
There are 16 people who make up the "leadership team." There are over 290 employees, and 225 are student-facing.
Secretaries, custodians, and food service workers make up most of the balance of the non-student-facing positions. (Food service is actually its own separate, self-contained unit and is not supported by the school budget.)
Why does Stafford have Pre-K when it is not mandated? How is it funded?
Pre-K is funded through a combination of tuition fees, grants, and district funds.
There is currently one full-day section of Pre-K as well as several sections of half-day Pre-K.
Data says the Pre-K program has been successful in preparing students for elementary school when compared to other programs.
Transportation is not included as it costs just under $65,000.
Legislation is pending that could require full-day Pre-K for three and four-year-olds.
Can we cover sports programs through fundraising?
All sports programs are able to fundraise.
It's not entirely practical to think fundraising will cover the more than $338,000 that the sports programs cost.
Would Stafford consider a school registration fee to make up for budget shortfalls?
There is a registration fee for Pre-K and transportation fees for middle and high school students (related to sports). There is a parking fee at the high school, and there is a device protection program.
Athletes say fees are impacting their ability to participate, and the district is looking to reduce the fees.
Which student courses could be affected by the budget?
Student offerings will not be impacted if the budget is approved as-is. However, they did not specify what might be cut if it is not approved.
We're adding back in some physical education electives through staff sharing.
Adding to the Italian and Spanish programs.
Most districts across the state now offer world language instruction at the elementary level.
Will the pupil service director be retired after the current one retires?
Editor's Note: Pupil services generally refer to special ed services and additional services students might require, such as occupational therapy.
Yes, the plan is to fill the position.
This position is necessary if the district wants to create additional programming. (Editor's Note: Additional programming, in this case, could mean special education students in expensive outplacements could be brought back into the district—at least in theory.)
Why are student programming cuts being discussed when we had the addition of a secretary for the Director of Athletics?
This position was added prior to the creation of the '24-'25 budget.
It's necessary due to the amount of paperwork and mandated training required.
There are no student cuts currently being talked about under the requested 3.86% increase.
In a district that is chronically underfunded, what is being done to find long-term efficiencies to reduce the cost per student?
The central office lost two positions last year, and responsibilities were shifted to other employees.
Every time the district reorganizes to find efficiencies, a new, unfunded mandate from the state requires more changes.
The buildings implemented an LED light program to reduce utility costs.
Due to age requirement changes for kindergarten, will the overall class size be smaller?
This change will impact 22 students.
A waiver process is in place, and some students plan to use it.
There is currently no plan to reduce the number of kindergarten classes.
Individual class sizes could be one or two students smaller.
A Pre-K teacher will be added to accommodate the students who don't go into kindergarten.
Why were two tutors added to the budget when a special education teacher was eliminated last year?
The special education teacher was at the high school. Case management comparisons across the district led to the position being removed.
The tutors will help students who require extra support.
Can stay later in the day.
Title I funding will pay for some of those tutors and will not impact the budget much.
Why didn't Stafford apply for a waiver to avoid paying $100,000 for a Right-to-Read phonics waiver?
Originally, the district did plan on applying and began writing documentation to apply.
At the same time, they created a reading task force to look at the Science of Reading and how the current program aligned.
The district decided to move in a different direction and adopt Amplify CKLA.
Grants cover the vast majority of the costs. The textbook budget increased by about $7,000.
Are middle school sports going to be more of a priority?
The budget includes middle school sports.
There has been trouble finding coaches for the winter sports, but coaches are lined up for spring.
