|
Middle School Principal’s
Budget Commentary
|
Enrollment projection data indicates the
student population at the Middle School will see an increase of 40 students, or
5.7 %, for the 2008-2009 school year, as the largest incoming seventh grade
class in Masconomet’s history moves up from the elementary schools. Despite this significant increase in
enrollment, we not only will not be adding needed faculty and staff in order to
meet the Towns’ budget cap, we also are proposing a reduction in existing
staff.
For the past two years, the Middle School
has been able to make many improvements to the educational program. We continued the health and wellness program
in Grade 7 as a “pull out” from physical education classes. The health curriculum continues to include
the Essex County District Attorney’s program, Choose to Refuse, which
teaches students how to withstand the dangers of drugs, particularly
prescription drugs. We have instituted
an anti-bullying program, which is taught in conjunction with Grade 7 physical
education and health and wellness curricula.
We are continuing to offer health electives such as first aid,
nutrition, and wellness to 8th graders. The physical education curriculum will be
enhanced next year through the addition of units in dance revolution, yoga,
self defense, and weight training, using existing faculty.
A study skills program and an elective
course in critical writing that replaced study halls will be continued next
year. We plan to incorporate
We will maintain the additional
instructional time in English and mathematics for all 7th and 8th
grade students, since preliminary results show positive gains in MCAS
performance in mathematics. This year,
the mathematics course was taught opposite the language arts program. Linking the two academic subjects worked very
well, so we will continue to schedule similarly next year.
Beginning in September 2008, the Middle
School will no longer offer a course in General Music as a result of budget
constraints. However, we will continue to provide chorus,
band, and performing arts.
The Middle School will not offer German
as a foreign language option to incoming 7th grade students as we begin a phase-out of the
program because of limited funding. We
will allow those students currently in the German program to complete their
foreign language sequence next year as 8th graders and continue into
the High School. We still will offer
French and Spanish in grades 7 and 8.
Middle School teachers are organized in
grade-level teams, with all the core subjects represented, including special
education. This enables teachers to plan
together and address student matters quickly and efficiently, often handling
small difficulties before they become major problems. This model has proven to be very successful
in delivering services to students in a timely manner and in improving communication
between home and school.
|
Middle School Principal’s
Budget Commentary - Continued
|
CLASS SIZE (See page 22.)
The Program Enrollment and Class Size
Summary Table lists class size by subject matter. The overall average is projected to be 27.1
students, an increase from last year’s average of 22.5 due to the large 7th
grade class entering Masconomet in September 2008.
STAFFING (See pages 23 and 24.)
There will be three changes in staffing
at the Middle School. The Music
Department staff will decrease by 1.0 as a result of the elimination of General
Music, and the Foreign Language Department staff will decrease by .8 related to
the phase-out of German. The current two
7th grade German classes will be combined to make one 8th
grade German class. A special education
tutor is being transferred from the High School to the Middle School. A .6 Speech and Language Pathologist
position is being restored.
Administration: There are no changes in the
Administrative Staff at the Middle School.
Nursing: There is no change in the professional
nursing staff. We have a full-time nurse
and a .3 health aide.
Teachers: There will be a decrease in the teaching
staff at the Middle School of 1.8 teachers.
This reduction reflects the decrease of a 1.0 music teacher and .8
foreign language teacher. The Middle
School will reduce the number of sections in grade 8 (15 to 14) and increase
the number of sections in grade 7 (15 to 16) to accommodate the increase in
student enrollment in grade 7.
Counselors: There are three counselors at the Middle
School. The student/counselor ratio will
increase from 223/1 to approximately 246/1.
Tutors: The Middle School will increase by one
special education tutor, who will be transferred from the High School to the
Middle School because of the significant increase in special education
enrollment in grade 7.
OPERATIONS (See
pages 24.)
Data on these pages describe costs
associated with staffing, textbooks, reference materials, consumables, and
durables for the educational program and support services at the Middle
School. Almost 96% of the budget is
attributable to salaries.
Textbooks/Other
Published Materials: We will
be purchasing new Earth Science and Spanish textbooks because of the age and
condition of the current books, and to provide current scientific
information.
|
Middle School Principal’s
Budget Commentary - Continued
|
School use MyGradeBook.com. Parents are able to check their children’s
grades using this program. The student
agenda books have been budgeted in this line item.
Consumables: The total cost for classroom supplies,
paper, pencils, pens, etc. will see an increase because prices have risen and
enrollment is increasing. There was no
interest in the Future Problem Solvers Club at the Middle School this year;
therefore, we deleted that expense. The
cost of awards is increasing.
Durables:
The Middle School is in need of 2 digital
cameras for the Art program, reproductive kits for the Health and Consumer
Education program, and pedometers, yoga mats, and DDR practice pads for the
Physical Education program.
Consultants: Occupational therapy/physical therapy and
a vision specialist are needed to service Special Education students. The balance is for a music accompanist and
home tutoring.
Maintenance,
Rentals, Fees: In addition to
the copier maintenance contracts, funds are needed for instrument repair and
piano and organ tuning in the Music Department, and repairs to fitness
equipment used in the Physical Education Department.
Administrative
Services: This line item
covers letterhead, postage meter contracts, and postage for Middle School
operations.
SUMMARY
The Middle School budget proposal
reflects a significant increase in student population for the 2008-2009 school
year without an accompanying increase in faculty and staff. Though the budget
reflects cuts in the academic program, including the elimination of General
Music and the phase-out of German, it maintains recent improvements, including
the restoration of the Grade 7 health and wellness program, health and wellness
courses for Grade 8 students, new study skills and academic support programs
for Grade 8 students, and improved special education services. It also includes improvements to the PE
program with existing faculty. The
purchase of new textbooks in Earth Science and Spanish will provide Middle
School students more current information and will align with the Massachusetts
Curriculum Frameworks. The purchase of
|
School
Council & Program Enrollment/
Class
Size Summary Schedule
|
Staffing
and Enrollment Comparison Data
Middle
School Expenses Displayed by Line Item
Middle
School Expenses Displayed by Program
