School Committee members were concerned last month about the first draft of the fiscal year 2015 school budget, which proposed a 6% increase of about $347,000 despite a 2% budget reduction requested by the Finance Committee. On February 5, Superintendent Doug White presented a second draft budget that was considerably lower, with only a $26,000 increase from FY14.

The deepest cuts were to Special Education, while regular education saw several of their budget requests restored.

Instead of increasing the Special Ed budget by $347,000 as originally presented on the first draft FY15 budget, it would be reduced to $76,000 less than the FY14 budget – a whopping reduction of about $444,000 since last month.

“A change in students’ needs,” as White put it, reduced the request of an additional $300,000 for out-of-district placements, now decreased by $143,000, substantially less than FY14.

“So that’s going to change the steps in what we’re doing here,” said White, turning to the regular education budget.

The current regular education budget for FY15 allows for keeping the enrichment teacher at an 8.5 position, an issue of some contention at last month’s meeting when some residents showed up to oppose cutting back enrichment services. Also spared is physical education, slashed last month, but now restored to an 8.5 position.

Reading materials to bring the curriculum into alignment with new Common Core requirements were also added back in.

The FY15 budget currently stands at $5,608,265.

The committee also discussed seeking funding for four capital projects to improve Sippican School: replacing the master clock and all the clocks in each classroom; replacing the floor throughout the building; upgrading the phone system; and replacing outdated technology and wireless technology.

Sippican School Facilities Director Gene Jones said the master clock is connected to the security and fire alarm panels, and parts for the obsolete technology are hard to obtain. Many of the classroom clocks no longer work.

The committee discussed replacing the floor in stages – one wing at a time – to spread the cost out over time.

The phone system is outdated, which Jones said also ties into the security system, linking it to the police and fire, and the wireless technology needs upgrading in order to support the evolving technology goals.

“All things that wouldn’t be covered in the typical yearly budget,” White clarified, just before the committee voted in favor of seeking Town approval for the funding.

The committee also reviewed changing the way the committee recognizes and awards teachers for outstanding work. Rather than individual teachers being singled out for recognition, the consensus among the teachers is that they would prefer to see entire projects, groups, grades, or classes receive recognition for a job well done because teachers say they feel their work is being acknowledged when the children’s work is being acknowledged.

Also during the meeting, the committee reviewed the 2014-2015 school calendar, but the vote to approve the calendar will occur at the Joint School Committee meeting in March.

Several fundraisers were also approved, including one for selling class photos on Sippican School Vocabulary Day on April 11, when the children will dress up like their chosen vocabulary word and parade through the school. Historically, the photographer provides each child with a free individual photo, which she will continue to do; however, class photos will be sold for $10.

The next Marion School Committee meeting is set for 6:30 pm on March 5 at Town House.

By Jean Perry

After much deliberation between residents, town officials, and the Planning Board, some changes are in the way regarding what was initially referred to as a potential Village Center Overlay District in the heart of Rochester.

Planning Board officials told a group of residents Tuesday evening that they would like to do some tweaking of the language of a previous draft for a proposed district in the Plumb Corner region of town center.

“The objectives weren’t clear as to what we were trying to create,” said Chairman Arnold Johnson, noting that they would scrap the original draft and potentially go forward with a new one that could rezone properties in the area that are currently strictly commercial and allow them for mixed-use, meaning that businesses and homes could exist within the same structures.

Johnson said that the new draft would create a district where they could help guide any future development that could take place, noting that there were two potential parcels of land where landowners have made known their intention for development.

He said that one of their goals with the mixed-use zoning would allow for small, “mom-and-pop” types of businesses while also allowing for a residential option at the same time. He did say that it could allow for some of the housing to be affordable, stressing that it wasn’t their intention to allow for large scale affordable housing, but rather just on a smaller, case-by-case level.

“We’re not out to craft anybody’s development,” he said. “We want to make sure we have some controls in place to make sure things are like what we have here [in the area].”

Several residents voiced their opinions on things ranging from the effects of affordable housing to concerns with future Planning Boards not sharing the same vision as the current board.

“Hopefully, we’ll lay a good foundation and blueprint for those that follow us,” said Johnson, noting that Rochester’s current percentage of affordable housing was just 0.2 percent, well shy of the state’s minimum of 10 percent, leaving them susceptible to Chapter 40b development, which under Massachusetts state law says that developers can supersede town bylaws and allow for large scale, affordable housing development. By attempting to provide some form of affordable housing, Rochester can help protect itself from such development.

Johnson and the board expressed their satisfaction with the well-attended meeting, noting that they want to continue to work with residents regarding their concerns on the drafting of a new proposal, which he said they’d take their time with in order to address any issues.

In other news, the Planning Board approved a bond reduction request from Edgewood Development for their 550-acre, 115-home Connet Woods development. The board unanimously approved the $536,000 reduction for phase two of future work on the project per the request of Tim Higgins, vice president of Edgewood Development.

Officials voiced concern over an issue with water flow at a certain location within the development, but determined that to be a separate issue from the bond reduction, and allowed them to go forward with their request.

“We should take it in good faith,” said Vice Chairman Gary Florindo. “They’ve remedied [other problems in the past]. Let’s just separate the two [issues] and do what we have to do. We’ll make a note for them to correct [any potential future issues with water flow].”

Higgins guaranteed that his company would do everything in its power to remedy any future water flow issues on the property.

By Nick Walecka