Old Rochester Regional School Superintendent Douglas White hopes he will have time this spring to walk the hallways, peek into classrooms and enjoy the successes of his decade-long tenure scheduled to end on June 30, the final day of the fiscal year.

            “I spent quite a bit of time building the budget,” said White to the Rochester Memorial School Committee during its February 6 meeting at Rochester Memorial School. 

            It is not yet known who will be the superintendent operating within that budget.

            The School Committee completed its interviews of candidates on January 29, and one of multiple day-long site visits of candidates’ present school systems was scheduled for February 12 at Dartmouth schools. The final round of interviews is Saturday, February 29.

            In his budget review, White considered $2,850,000 a good number for Rochester schools, being only a small margin higher than last year’s.

            “If we take it under consideration for some the good things that we are already doing (regarding gaps and a strategic plan), it shouldn’t be too hard to go forward,” he said.

            Going forward, goals will review what has been happening in all the departments. 

            “The objective this year was to identify all the courses that are being offered and what kind of skill that’s there,” said White. “The big thing for us to update the skill… make sure those conversations are happening across the board. Our goal is K-12 in June.”

            White estimates that art, music and physical education departments are 50-60 percent toward their goal.

            Michael S. Nelson, the assistant superintendent of teaching, learning and student services, reported on Diversity Talks, a non-profit in which students sell their own stories. Nelson called it a great set-up for cultural-proficiency teams with engaging activities. 

            “(The students) finished the day with a presentation with real talk about the human vices we all deal with. We’re going to continue to design an action plan that makes sense,” he said.

            Workshops included a responsive classroom, and teachers left with a plan for implementation on how to connect morning meetings to all classes.

            School Committee member Sharon Hartley is working on town report documenting historical accomplishments for the town. 

            “It’s very cool to look at how the town has progressed and all that we accomplished,” said Hartley, who keeps records of meetings and awards for town reports including news about people that have retired and major issues. Members were encouraged to email Hartley with their own records.

            Rochester Middle School Principal Derek Medeiros reported that Kindergarten registration is entirely possible now online.

            White listed $215,000 earmarked for special education. That number is down by $136,000.

            The potential need for additional staffing was discussed.

            “Our bus company needs to ensure that they can continue to do routes,” said White. “We can get a dialogue that’s going to support the needs of the Rochester community.”

            Under Capital Projects, White acknowledged a one-year capital need to push forward tech so that devices work to capacity.

            “To run our system, we need to be the best,” he said, alluding to the HVAC system, units on the roof and the potential cost of replacement units. “We have a couple (of units) that are not going to be operating the way they should.”

            The capital plan also addressed the need to irrigate the field out back, and White asked the committee how they want him to respond as the budget goes forward. 

            The two main parts of the irrigation project are the pump and the pump well for the soccer field out back and the playground adjacent to the building. 

            “Part of being able to use it on a consistent basis. You need to aerate it, you need to water it,” said White. “We put our priorities to the subcommittee with inside environment and tech needs.”

            That left irrigation off the committee’s priority list.

            Medeiros said initial cost was the big thing. It was also noted that the Parent Teacher Organization has some experience with people with wells and irrigation experience who might donate their time.

            School Committee member Sharon Hartley, who opened the meeting, identified athletic-field irrigation as a third priority.

            In a review of building policy, White said that it used to cost groups the same amount of money to rent out the gym for an event that lasted one hour as it did an event that lasted eight hours. 

            “We brought the number down. We thought that was a little more fair,” he said.

            School Committee member Danni Klemiman reported a one-time, $25 fee for facilities to cover administrative costs. Amounts per hour include utilities and up to $50 for wear and tear. If custodians were needed to set up and/or clean up, it would result in an additional hour of pay.

            A recreation-league basketball coach asked the Committee about the situation that Rochester residents face, considering Marion and Mattapoisett have recreation departments whereas Rochester does not.

            “One of the things that we have to take into consideration as schools… are building their budgets (is) to address the school needs. There’s nothing to address the activities after hours,” said White. “Before (a revision on user fees) ever comes into practice, there is a lot more work that needs to be done… a forum that allows people to say we need to charge people this much more. There are conversations happening that this committee may not know about. We need to bring everybody to the table.”

            A coach in attendance said that Rochester children presently do not pay for gym use and that anyone can use the gym as part of the Tri-Town Recreation Department.

            White said more feedback is needed before changes can be made.

            “I think we need to make sure that we go slow before we go fast. I don’t want headlines to say we’re raising our fees – we’re not – we’re beginning conversation,” said White.

            “Right now, we’re going to proceed slowly,” said Hartley.

            The next regular meeting of the Rochester Memorial School Committee is scheduled for March 12. The next joint meeting will be held March 5 for discussion about hiring a superintendent.

Rochester Memorial School Committee

By Mick Colageo

            Clarity and control were of main interest to the Marion Financial Committee at its February 5 meeting at Town Hall.

            As the committee anticipates a school budget for Fiscal Year 2021, it desires the ability to present financial data in an easy-to-digest format that reveals trends and facilitates foresight and prudent planning.

            After the Finance Committee had sought to contract an outside consultant, Town Administrator Jay McGrail and Assistant Town Administrator Judy Mooney assured gathered members that the Old Rochester Regional school district will expand information so that the committee can identify trends.

            “The school committee, they give you one year and it doesn’t help you know what’s going on,” said committee member Charlie Larkin.

            “We want to get it for five years,” said Finance Committee Chairman Peter Winters.

            “Right now, it’s year to year… and we get a big hit,” said Selectman John Waterman, who attended the meeting. “We get a bigger share than our prorated (number of) students… If we can go to a three or five-year rolling assessment, it won’t be as volatile.”

            Work on a budget presentation started in October with a January 31 goal, according to McGrail, who was happy to send it on time.

            What he was not happy to announce was a modest result in Chapter 70 money, which takes into account Governor Baker’s “New Student Opportunity Act” that focuses in part on helping towns with charter-school assessments.

            “It’s supposed to be rolled out over five years… I don’t know if it will ever help us… because we don’t have a lot of that,” said McGrail. Even Sandwich, Mooney said, saw negligible gains in the first year.

            McGrail’s overview of the budget for FY2021 was followed by Mooney’s report of revenue expenses.

            At the outset of their presentation, Winters said the bulk of the Finance Committee’s questions will come when it meets with department heads later this month.

            After Christmas, McGrail and Mooney met with department heads and requested “level-service budgets” with additional spending categorized separately.

            “What you see here today is significantly different than what was originally asked for,” said McGrail. “There were a lot of individual requests made by department heads didn’t make it. They weren’t thrilled about that, but we started with about a $300,000 to $400,000 deficit and had to move backward to get to something that was presentable (to the Finance Committee).”

            Overall growth for the Town of Marion in FY2021 is 3.15 percent.

            “I know we talked about looking for 2 (percent), but I to make everybody understand that 3.15 is a pretty good number for the Town of Marion. It’s the lowest overall growth number that the town’s seen in the past five years and down 2.44 percent from FY20,” said McGrail, acknowledging the $420,000 operational override for FY2020. Even so, he said, when that money is taken out it was close to 4 percent. FY2021 revenue estimates were established from historical data over the past five years.

            “One of the reasons Judy’s been successful with our AAA bond rating, which is something this community should be really proud of… it’s because we’re conservative with our revenue. We don’t overestimate,” said McGrail.

            He and Mooney met with the Board of Assessors and looked at a five-year average, then sought to lower the town’s support on the free-cash budget.

            Significant expenses included a Collin Center study on Marion’s salary and wage classification. “We’re not going to rip up their contracts while they’re on them. We’re going to wait until they expire,” said McGrail.

            Marion’s era of free, solid-waste disposal ends on December 31, 2020. The new cost of a five-year deal with the Southeastern Massachusetts Resource Recovery Facility (SEMASS) is $75 per ton with a 2 percent escalator over the five years.

            Sippican, ORR and Upper Cape Tech estimates are still subject to the approval of school committees in March. 

            Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) will present a capital plan to the Board of Selectmen on February 18, after which McGrail and Mooney will draft a plan that McGrail says will be presented to the Finance Committee and the select board by the end of February.

            “We have more requests for funding than we have funding (at $2.3 million) so not everything in here will be a submitted,” said McGrail.

            Two joint meetings involving the Finance Committee and the Board of Selectmen have been set, one scheduled for February 12 at which the Police and Fire departments and the Department of Public Works will present their budgets. On February 26, ORR and Sippican and the Finance Director and the Public Library will meet.

            “We’ve done our best to push back on everything,” said McGrail, crediting the Library for its compromises.

            McGrail reported two requests for staff.

            The Fire Department had a resignation and hired a paramedic. Now it requests a firefighter. The Library had a part-time circulation job that it requests to make full time.

            McGrail and Waterman lauded the success of the fire of Megan Davis, a staff engineer dealing with sewer, water and general Department of Public Works who was brought on board in December.

            “She should more than pay for herself over the next six years,” said Waterman. “Every one of these projects until now we’ve been having the fox watch the hen house. Now we have someone in here.”

            “Megan did save us money in the first week… one contract,” said McGrail.

            Mooney reported on the “2020 Recap” of revenues, noting that the Proposition 2 1/2 override of $420,000 from 2019 is built into the $19,362,000 levy limit.

            Marion’s projected FY2021 budget shows $165,000 in new growth based on a five-year average. State aid is estimated to be level in contrast to what the Governor said last year. 

            The town is trying to reduce $1,925,922 in free cash left over from the FY2019 closeout, which is only up .77 from FY2018. Expense control accounts for 90 percent of that amount, according to Mooney. “We probably turn back close to ($400,000),” she said.

            “The department heads know that this helps us. We use the free cash to pay for the capital next year. They know that, if they turn money back, if they don’t spend it all, it helps us with the projects they want to do, which is great,” said McGrail.

            Marion does not rely heavily on state aid, according to Mooney.

            McGrail wants to grow levy capacity to avoid raising taxes.

            “If we don’t spend it, that’s good. To avoid an override in the future, I think we should (put free cash in capital stabilization),” said Winters. 

            The town clerk’s budget request increased in FY2021 to service the needs of three elections in addition to her and her assistant’s certification.

            The law firm of Huggins and Witten had charged Marion a flat rate, but since selling its business to the larger Kopelman and Paige Law (KP Law), Marion is being billed by the minute. KP charges anywhere from $100 to $300 per hour, resulting in monthly bills anywhere between $6,000 and $20,000. 

            McGrail said that, since Marion has no human-resources staff, every personnel matter has required legal counsel.

            “As long as (Jonathan Witten) is there, I wouldn’t make a change,” said Waterman, who still thinks Marion is getting a bargain compared to the private sector. “The list of stuff he does for the town and the range is incredible. In the private sector, you could spend $200,000 in the blink of an eye.”

            “If you’re paying $125/hour, you’re never going to beat that,” said Larkin. “My bet is it’s really good value.”

            According to Mooney, just under $100,000 is allocated to water and sewer.

            The town also wants to address the need for a part-time, information-technology (IT) staffer. Marion has leaned heavily on Police Chief John Garcia for support.

            According to Waterman, Mattapoisett is paying 100 percent for the ORR resource officer and wants Marion to reimburse for its portion of the position. Marion cannot legally reimburse, according to Mooney; the item has to be submitted through the ORR budget. 

            McGrail indicated that Fire, Police, Schools, Library, and DPW were all scheduled to address the Finance Committee in joint sessions this month and take questions.

            The next meeting of the Marion Finance Committee is scheduled for February 26 in conjunction with Old Rochester Regional and Sippican schools and Marion Public Library.

Marion Financial Committee

By Mick Colageo

In the wake of charges brought against Tabor Academy Head of School John Quirk on January 31 in Bourne for driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and driving at excessive speed, Tabor Academy’s Board of Trustees deliberated and came to a decision to retain Quirk as Head of School based on the institution’s “two-strike” policy and a belief in his ability to continue leading the prep school. On February 11 in Falmouth District Court, the case was continued without a finding, essentially leaving Quirk’s fate in the hands of the school’s Board of Trustees. On February 13, the board sent the following letter to the Tabor community.

            As you may be aware, our Head of School, John Quirk, was charged on January 31 with operating a vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol and at an excessive speed. Many of us were with John for a trustee dinner on campus earlier in the evening, and we were surprised to learn of this incident in the following days.

            Thank you for your patience and support as we collected information and deliberated on the matter. The Board has met on multiple occasions and was guided by what is best for our students and our entire school community, as well as by Tabor’s mission and values.

            As you know, safety has been one of the highest priorities of our great school and we work tirelessly to reduce risk in our community through awareness, education and the enforcement of carefully constructed rules of conduct. Drinking and driving while speeding was a crime which posed an extreme danger and a violation of our rules of conduct, prompting the Tabor Board of Trustees to evaluate his ability to lead our school.

            After careful consideration, John will remain Head of School. Although gravely irresponsible, John’s recent action does not outweigh all that he has accomplished at Tabor or the continued progress we expect him to lead as Head of School. We believe that his legacy is found in the thousands of students who have graduated during his tenure and are now uplifting the world with the ability and purpose he has helped instill within them. John Quirk has contributed greatly to our efforts to fulfill the promise of Tabor Academy and offer students the greatest boarding school community experience. John has given his life to Tabor and, together with all of the faculty and staff, he has created a highly supportive community that values the experience of learning, one which includes the lessons derived from the mistakes, challenges and forgiveness along the educational path. Through the work of Tabor’s Disciplinary Committee and “two strike” policy, he has shown the students and families fairness including providing second chances and opportunities for redemption.

            John has expressed deep regret regarding his actions. As part of the goal of personal accountability which is embraced at Tabor, John will be addressing students and parents and all of our community stakeholders to express his apologies, and to share what he learned and continues to learn from this incident. John will also suffer the consequences of his actions as dictated by the justice system. In addition, although we cannot provide details, as would be the case for any human resource decision, the board has implemented a number of remedial and constructive disciplinary actions based on John’s transgression. The Board believes that these actions are tailored to, and appropriate for, the nature and gravity of the situation, and will ultimately make John a better Head of School.

            We wish to thank the many who have contacted us and provided input on how the news of this incident has affected you and your families. Thank you for sharing with us the importance Tabor has in your lives, and how John’s actions have impacted Tabor’s culture. An overwhelming number of you, while not approving of John’s actions, have been supportive of John and urged that he remain Head of School. Others have expressed concern and displeasure for his continued role. Although our decision was made based on our obligations as trustees, the overwhelming support for John helped to validate our belief in the value he has contributed to the school.

            It is our belief that John can continue to help Tabor fulfill its mission, and it is our commitment to you that we continue to monitor, care for, and protect all that we have built as Tabor heads into an extraordinary future.

Thank you,

Tabor Academy Board of Trustees