From The Enterprise (5/5/08)
The state’s own financial troubles, going back to 2003,
have meant less money for local aid. Geoffrey Beckwith,
executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association,
said that after adjusting for inflation, total local aid
is still $566 million below 2002 levels. The same math
shows that the combined total of local aid’s Additional
Assistance and Lottery distributions is 11 percent less
this year than 2002 levels, the MMA said. Chapter 70 and
school transportation aid is down 10 percent.
The Facts.
Check these two graphs. The first is
data for Bristol and Plymouth counties.
The second graph
is based on population size and emphasizes how large Bridgewater's
population is versus per capita spend.
Below please find a chart that depicts
the per pupil spending of the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional
School
district versus all other school districts in the
state of Massachusetts.
Graphic courtesy of Charles Bordman
Massachusetts Department of Education FY06 Expenditures
Per Pupil, All Funds, Summary By Function
Money per pupil 2006 for all Massachusetts scholl districts
The topic of deregionalization has continued around town.
We will work to get all facts related to the
impacts of deregionalization if it remains in the public discourse. For now,
please find the report
conducted by the Bridgewater School Study Committee in May of 2005. click here
Attached please find a recent letter regarding de-regionalization
from the Massachusetts Department of Education. click
here
Analysis provided courtesy of Joe
Gillis, Vice Chair, B-R School Committee.
Joe Gillis from the B-R School Committee has offered
this cursory analysis of the potential costs of de-regionalizing
K-8 in Bridgewater. This data has previously been provided
to the Bridgewater Advisory Board and others. We have
edited down his content but not changed any of his calculations.
We appreciate his efforts as he has created the first
and only cost analysis of the Selectmen's proposal.
Below are his findings:
In 2000-2001, NESDEC completed two analyses for B-R;
the first a review of facilities and the second a
review of possible de-regionalization of B-R. The 2nd
report addresses maintaining quantity & quality of
education (offering same level of programs and
appropriate numbers of classes) and related costs if
the region were to break apart. In 2001, the report
estimated that a complete breakup of the district
would cost the two towns of Bridgewater & Raynham
approximately 2.9 million more than operating as a
unified district.
The current issue is a grade K-8 de-regionalization
Article by the Bridgewater Board of Selectmen.
In today's dollars, we can determine the following
about costs: The school population is
-
High school Bridgewater students 15%
-
High school Raynham students 9%
-
K-8 Bridgewater 48%
-
K-8 Raynham 28%
(Therefore, Bridgewater is 15+48 for a total of 63%;
Raynham is 9+28 for a total of 37%)
Since Bridgewater is contemplating de-regionalizing
K-8 only, about 48% of the student population would be
effected…thus, about 48% of the overall $55M budget.
Areas of concern:
(a) B-R receives $1.150M in regional bus
transportation reimbursement from the State. Towns
are not eligible for this. Therefore, about 48% of
this amount would be lost to Bridgewater; this would
be $552k. Raynham's loss would be 28% or $323k.
(b) B-R has all employees at 85/15 for health
insurance. Bridgewater is at 88/12. The overall
estimated difference in employer-share costs is about
$400k for this three point swing in cost split.
Nearly half of the district's employees would become Bridgewater
employees, and thus would change from paying 15% towards
insurance costs to only 12%. With that same 48% being Bridgewater,
this is about $192k more Bridgewater would need to pay
for the same number of employees.
(c) Raynham pays more per student for education than
Bridgewater. This is because the State and its Chapter
70 formulas judge Raynham to be a wealthier community.
[The State also thinks Andover and Wellesley are wealthier
communities - and thus the State expects a larger local
tax contribution to education.] Mathematically, Bridgewater
pays about $5230 per student and Raynham $5640; this over
$400 difference has been referenced many times before during
budget discussions. Bridgewater is paying $5230 per student
for an education that costs about $5380 per student; Raynham
is paying their $5640 per student for the same $5380 education.
Bridgewater comprises 63.1% of the student population,
but paid this year $19.5M or 61.3% of total district costs.
If the regional costs were split at the 63.1% to 36.9%
that is the student population ratio, Bridgewater would
have been required to pay nearly $20.1M towards district
costs.
Bridgewater is therefore receiving educational
services valued at $565k more than it is paying
because of the State formulas requiring Raynham to pay
more per student towards education.
Adding these three items provides a total of $1.3M
more it would cost Bridgewater to maintain the status
quo - same buses, provide health insurance, cover
per-pupil costs. The $1.3M would not provide for any additional
teaching staff, classroom materials or books.
All of the calculations are approximations. A detailed
study would be necessary to further confirm these
findings. However, these three points show tremendous increased
or new costs to Bridgewater.
According to Department of Revenue, prior to budget #1
being passed on July 30, Bridgewater ranked 340 out of
351 communities on per capita spending on education.
-Statistic courtesy of Mike Demos and Joe Gillis
Several people have asked us to include information on
the amount of state aid coming into Bridgewater.
Here's some historical information for your review:
FY'95: $2,496,116
FY'96: $2,541,579
FY'97: $2,775,267
FY'98: $3,973,953
FY'99: $4,288,840
FY'00: $4,679,073
FY'01: $5,022,544
FY'02: $5,008,627
FY'03: $4,858,027
FY'04: $4,267,089
FY'05: $4,299,432
FY'06: $4,707,419
FY'07: $5,499,258
*FY'08: $5,503,748
*Not finalized.
The CBB has learned that the State has extended the enrollment
period for towns to join State Group
Insurance plans. We strongly encourage our Board of Selectmen and other town
leaders to pursue this option as an important step to addressing and reducing
the insurance costs (which make up part of the fixed cost crisis facing our town).
See this link for more information: http://www.mass.gov/gic/municipalities/municipalities.htm
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