see full text here: 2011 LD 1 Report (PL 2005 Chapter 2)

see 10-LD1-Report-ExecSum from 2010

This is an act that has never been fully implemented. It says that the state will pay 50% of specific costs of public education. It has yet to do that.

My concern is that if the state agreed to do its share that the  education budget would be cut drastically or our state taxes would be raised. There are certain taxes that might be used to help with education funding . Lottery funds could be completely dedicated. Casino profits could also. Good choices need to be made here. Just throwing more money at education is not guaranteeing quality. As citizens it is up to us. what do we want?

Now, I am going to tell you what I think. In this democracy we agree to do certain things for our citizens. One of them is educate them. Part of that promise is fulfilled by funding. The rest is fulfilled by holding that education system accountable.  We need a robust and well funded public education system because if our children are not well educated we will be paying for it for the rest of their lives and we will not have intelligent knowledgeable people to make  Maine  a prosperous and healthy state in the future.

I do not know all of the possible answers but I am pretty sure passing the costs back on the towns is not a smart choice. I have asked the selectmen to convene a meeting to discuss the Governor’s plan, LD1 and to have a civil discussion about our reasonable alternatives going forward. I hope they do it. It would be helpful if our state representatives were present at this meeting. We  deserve a hearing.

A public hearing and a special meeting on the budget will follow.

Recent legislation (Senate Bill 1308) has resulted in a legislative mandate to have all school districts review the need for a dating abuse policy. The mandate requires that the governing board hold a public meeting on the possible adoption of a dating abuse policy and the possible addition of dating abuse instruction in the health curriculum for students grade nine through 12. The Phoenix Union High School District currently does not have a dating abuse policy.

Interested citizens are invited to attend the public hearing.

In Manasquan, the total proposed district budget is  $25,865,567 for the upcoming school year, with $12,415,218 raised through local taxation. The total proposed tax rate is 84.18 cents per $100 of assessed valuation of a home.

The average-priced home in Manasquan, which is just over $500,000, would see an approximate increase of $71.50 annually if the budget passes.

Five candidates — residents Donna Bossone, John Campbell, Kristine Shea and Michelle LaSala, along with incumbent Linda DiPalma— will be running in the board of education election on Wednesday .

Below is a brief overview of the candidates. See this week’s issue of The Coast Star for more information on the election and school district budget:

Linda DiPalma

BIO: Ms. DiPalma is 46 years old, and lives on Virginia Avenue. She is married to Dennis and has two young children, Victoria and Anthony. She has taught CCD at St. Denis for nine years and is a member of the Parent Teacher Organization. Ms. DiPalma is finishing up a three-year term on the school board.

QUOTE: “With both children in the school system, of course I’m really concerned that our school has all updated stuff. I’m also a taxpayer, so I’m concerned with those issues.”

Michelle LaSala

BIO: Ms. LaSala is 48 years old, and lives on Parker Avenue with her husband, Michael. They have two grown children, Ashley and Michael. Ms. LaSala works as a chief operating officer and a communications consultant, and is a parishioner of St. Denis.

QUOTE: “It’s imperative that we work with the school’s administration, not for the administration.”

Kristine Shea

BIO: Mrs. Shea, 43, lives on Parker Avenue. She is married to Tim, and they have three sons — John, 12, Brady, 10, and eight-year-old Thomas.

QUOTE: “I would like to serve on the Manasquan Board of Education to advocate for Manasquan taxpayers and students.”

John Campbell

BIO: Mr. Campbell is 61 years old and lives on Old Squan Road with his wife, Patricia. They have six children — Cristin, Kelli, Dawn, John, Katlyn and Kevin. He owns two local carpet stores. Mr. Campbell is a member of the Wall Kiwanis Club and the Manasquan Juvenile Conference Committee.

QUOTE: “I just want to look out for the children’s education and, as a taxpayer, I’m trying to keep things level.”

Donna Bossone

BIO: Ms. Bossone, 47, lives on North Main Street with her son, eleven-year-old Xander. She works part time for a doctor’s office. Ms. Bossone also volunteers with the Manasquan Little Blue Warriors and teaches second-grade CCD at St. Denis, where she is a parishioner.

QUOTE: “My goal would be to continue to provide sound academic programs for all our students,” while staying “fiscally responsible.”

Background: RMS was engaged to conduct both qualitative and quantitative market research for a school district in New York State. The focus of the market research was related to the district’s facilities planning initiatives. The district formerly had two propositions to the voters involving capital improvements – both of which were voted down (only 33% voted in favor). The school board wanted to know what the voters in the community supported and which parts of the propositions they were against. From the market research, the district was looking to retool the facilities propositions and move forward with a second community referendum vote.

Methodology: First, qualitative market research was conducted among key constituencies in the community. Focus group participants were recruited from various facets of the community (school and non-school related) such as parents with and without children in the district, senior citizens, teachers living in and outside of the district, parents with college-aged children, special education stakeholders, community associations, chamber members, custodial staff, elected officials, high school seniors, and the PTA. Following the two focus groups conducted, an online survey was developed that was made available to the community at large. Topical areas covered awareness, satisfaction with the district, feedback on the prior capital improvement project, and initiatives moving forward.

Findings: After two fully attended focus groups (24 participants) and 467 online surveys were completed, the district was able to make decisions based on statistically reliable data from key constituencies and the community-at-large. The market research revealed that the community wanted the district to:

• Publicize more in newspapers, newsletters and on the website;
• Inform the community on the strategic planning vision (making it a rolling document);
• Create a prioritized list of initiatives for future capital improvement projects providing more explanation;
• Expand educational curriculum including non-college focused high school options; and
• Continue to improve two-way dialogue with all facets of the community giving everyone an opportunity to be involved in the decision-making process. Both the focus groups and the survey in itself served as the first step to this communications process.

Results: Heeding the advice of RMS and its market research, a new capital improvement project was proposed the following academic year during the school budget vote. It was approved by a resounding 66% of voters. By retooling their capital improvement plans and priorities, the district was able to position itself for the next 10 to 15 years. In a major local newspaper, the Superintendent was quoted as saying – “A lot of homework was done. The board worked hard on listening to the community and putting together something that was not only fiscally responsible, but also a project that would meet the district’s needs. The board is certainly pleased with the support of the community.”

Having a school budget rejected by voters puts a great deal of strain on the already-limited resources of a school district. It can create or exacerbate a strained relationship between the employees of a district and the broader community that may take years to heal. There are, however, a number of market research activities school districts can undertake that may help them craft a well-informed, responsible budget that is in-line with what taxpayers in the community are willing to support.

These market research options are offered at Research & Marketing Strategies (RMS)  and include:

• Enrollment Projections – Getting an accurate estimate of the number of students that will be in the district at all the various grade levels in future years helps to assess staffing and building needs and address them in a proactive rather than reactive manner. It also allows districts to justify aspects of the school budget by documenting tangible anticipated needs. One method of enrollment projection includes the Cohort Survival method, which combines live birth data along with historical enrollment trends to arrive at estimates for up five years into the future. Another method is a district-wide census of households, which counts the number of school age and future school age children in the district.

• Community Perception Surveys or District Surveys – One underlying cause for budgets being rejected by voters is a disconnect between districts and the communities they serve. Sometimes it is difficult for districts to gauge the priorities of the community, the public perception of the district’s performance, or any number of other factors that can influence school budget voting. A way that districts can get a better handle on those attitudes is to conduct a Community Perception Survey. Such studies are typically conducted either via telephone or online, and they measure attitudes and opinions about a wide range of aspects of the district including academic performance, the importance of athletics, the conditions of facilities, and so on.

• Quick Pulse Surveys – This method is similar to the Community Perception Survey but the survey is briefer and more focused on a single issue. This type of market research is used just prior to a vote to assess support for the school budget or after a failed school budget or referendum vote to assess why people voted the way they did.

• Community Stakeholder Focus Groups – This is a qualitative technique whereby a cross-section of people from the community such as parents of students, non-parents, retirees, business leaders, public officials, etc. are brought together in groups of eight to ten participants and engaged in a moderated, structured discussion regarding issues of interest to the district. Focus groups often provide deeper and more nuanced information than is available from a survey. They give participants an opportunity to explain in detail why they feel a certain way.

• School Board Retreats – In some cases, the School Board in a community may want insights on how they can operate as a more effective collaborative team, communicate better among themselves and with the community at large, or to help them focus on long-range concerns facing the school district. A structured, facilitated retreat held with the board members can aid this process. A retreat session might consist of a half day, a full day, or even a series of gatherings.

• Town Hall Meetings – A qualitative technique that offers an opportunity for school districts to present issues to the community and solicit feedback. Town Hall Meetings are prearranged, publicized gatherings in a large venue, such as an auditorium, where the school district can lay out the details of a school budget, spending referendum, or proposed district policy change in a structured presentation. The audience is invited to ask questions or offer feedback. This method can help districts achieve buy-in among the community, as well as allow for feedback on potential problem areas while there’s still time to make adjustments.

These market research methods can all be used alone or in conjunction with one another. And they all serve the vital purpose of helping school districts and the communities they serve understand one another and work together.