After debating the pros and cons of the school choice program, the Old Rochester Regional School Committee on March 9 voted to only add 15 school choice slots to the next school year to replenish the 18 graduating school choice seniors of this year.
Five slots were approved for seventh grade, two slots for eighth grade, and eight slots for ninth grade.
“We’ve taken into effect the sentiment about weaning away from school choice so that grade levels aren’t impacted as greatly as they are now,” said Business Administrator Patrick Spencer.
The school district, since starting the program back in 2010, has relied on the revenue of the school choice program to round out the budget, with school choice providing $5,000 in reimbursement for each student participating. That amount, however, has some wondering if the sum received is worth the actual cost of educating a child in the district.
This year, 70 of the high school’s 763 students are school choice students. If none of the outgoing seniors this year are replaced, said Superintendent Doug White, there will be a $90,000 shortfall for the FY2018 budget.
The strategy was to gradually pare down the number of school choice students in order to keep class sizes from growing too large and to restrict the district’s reliance on the reimbursement to fund its annual budget.
“Is there a plan beyond this over time to [completely] phase out school choice, or is this the start of that?” asked School Committee member Tina Rood.
School Committee member Cindy Johnson wanted to state, for the record, that she viewed school choice as having value beyond just the financial.
“I believe the students that we accept enrich our student population and I would oppose, adamantly oppose, cutting back or eliminating school choice,” said Johnson. “Not because it negatively impacts the budget, but because [eliminating it] negatively impacts the experience that our students have in this extraordinary school system.”
Mattapoisett Finance Committee Chairman Patricia Donohue told the committee and school administration that with school choice comes financial consequences, “And they aren’t pretty,” she said.
“I’m very troubled by what I see with school choice,” she said in reference to the $5,000 reimbursement, the same amount instituted back when the program was formed in 1991. “When I look at what we’re paying for our students, it’s close to $15,000 per student. We get five [thousand] back.”
In the meantime, she pointed out, the ratio of students to teach rises as budgets become ever tighter.
“We’re really in a shortfall position, and I don’t know that increasing the number of students for a very small amount of money, in my view, is the right answer,” said Donohue. “And if you do it, I think sooner or later you have to wean off because it’s not going to change and the shortfall isn’t going to get any better. It’s going to get even worse.”
During deliberations before the final vote, some committee members agreed that school choice would better serve the district if it were viewed as more of a choice, rather than a necessity. Tina Rood recommended using it as a tool to keep student population at an optimal level rather than a tool to round out the budget.
“Because it’s one thing when it’s a choice for us,” Rood said. “It’s another thing when that power is being taken away from us by the budget.”
Before a motion and subsequent vote, Chairman Paul Goulet said, “It’s hard not knowing what lies ahead. I think we’re all stuck in this position of what we want to do and what we can do and not knowing…”
“I’ll say it again,” said Johnson. “I think school choice is a value-added program. I am opposed to weaning…”
At that, Johnson moved for the 15 slots and the vote was unanimous.
Also during the meeting, current reigning Miss South Coast Jillian Zucco was granted her request for a waiver of the facility use fee of the high school auditorium in order to host a fundraising event to benefit Boston Children’s Hospital.
The event, she said, is a for-fun only pageant just for girls with special needs, although boys, she added, were also welcome to participate.
“I want to accommodate all girls of all verbal, mental, and physical ability levels, and I want to focus on ability and empowerment,” said Zucco.
She said she needed a venue with complete handicap-accessibility, commenting that ORR had the most handicap-accessible auditorium, stage, and backstage around.
“I’m so proud of that,” she said, as an ORR graduate herself.
Zucco referred to Tabor Academy’s recent hosting of a Special Olympics sports program and that she’d like ORR to bring something similar by supporting this pageant.
“To really embrace our special needs individuals,” said Zucco. “You know, they exceed our expectations every single day, and I would really like for us to have something like that.”
The event is being planned for Friday, May 6, in the evening.
The next meeting of the Old Rochester Regional School Committee is scheduled for March 21 at 6:30 pm in the ORRJHS media room for a FY2016 budget presentation.
By Jean Perry