Follow-up on Override Article

On August 8, Holliston Reporter posted an article I wrote entitled, “Schools Need
Additional Money for 2024-2025 Year.” There were several follow-up questions in HR
and a few that I received elsewhere. Pardon my delay, I have been away. Below I try to
respond.

I do apologize to my former colleagues on the Board of Assessors for misstating that
the Circuit Breaker program applies to people younger than 65. My bad. Re: start times – several people want details on start times.

I said in my article that the School Committee reached agreement with the HFT to discuss this. As I understand it, no final decisions have been made. The contract is the beginning not the end.

One reader told me that the “funds allotted for bussing will be used for maintenance or other expenses.”

I don’t know if this is true, but I did explain in the article that ANY money that is budgeted to the schools can be used for anything. They are not bound by the same laws that bind general government, and therefore they can move money from one thing to another as needed. BUT they cannot run a deficit. Some were dissatisfied with the lengthy answer to what will happen if the override fails. I tried to be thorough and cover many possibilities, but let me try this another way.

If the override fails – the School Committee will resume negotiations with the Teachers’ Union starting from square one, and…The Superintendent will decide how to manage the budget.

She has the latitude to move money from one place to another – as I say above. She will do just that using whatever process she deems appropriate, and then present a plan for any
necessary cuts to the SC when ready. Historically, it seems to me that superintendents protect teacher positions above all. That’s all we know today. That’s all we can know. Anything else would be pure speculation, and that seems like a bad idea to me. There was no mention about why the longer school day. Was it the school committee’s or the teacher’s idea? How much is that contributing to the increase cost? Can anyone comment on that?

Negotiations are subject to many rules about what can or cannot be discussed outside the meetings. I leave this to the SC.

I’m unclear as to why, if the override fails, that the teachers will not receive the raises that must have been a part of the budget request entered into the warrant and approved.

Without a contract, the old contract remains in play. There are no pay raises even if there is money available until a new contract is signed. It’s the law. The issue of hall monitoring – supervision between class changes – who is responsible? The contract states the teachers are responsible when “plausible.” Who is responsible to assure that supervision will exist if it is up to the teachers? This question was to the SC, but I am putting in my two cents.

The Superintendent is responsible for this and everything else. She has total autonomy. This is way beyond the purview of the public. She must develop a plan. She could do it all by herself – or she can arrange meetings – she could collaborate – or not. It is all on the Superintendent. How will the extra 10 to 15 minutes of school time be used? The use of extra time is not clearly defined nor any specific way it will be used.

The Superintendent will be charged with implementing this. See above.

How is the school committee monitoring Dr Kustka? Do you have a committee?
Are teachers involved? Do you have scheduled meetings?
The SC is responsible for hiring, firing, and reviewing the Superintendent
according to an explicit process established by the state. The laws surrounding
employment are strict and precise. I will leave it to the SC to respond as
appropriate.

Give the specific name of the survey and year 2023 or 2022 that lists Holliston
High School among the “best in the state” and exact ranking? It appears that the link I included in the article did not work. Niche.com, in 2023, gave Holliston a grade of “A.”

The tax increase will be for this year and then for two more years to cover this
proposed contract. The tax increase is a permanent override as stated in the article. If you have further questions, please contact School Committee members.