2/13/2007 FINANCE COMMITTEE Minutes

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S increase in administrative safes. Joyce has asked for salary surveys and has been told that hese increases will "bring them lime with the To ". There was a discussion between Sandra Lindsey and Mary Rose Grady, and Sandra suggested that perhaps their issues are "management' issues and not necessarily "budget" issues. Mary Rose agreed. Sandra noted to Mary Rose that the Finance Committee has arrays been available for there, and strongly expressed that there has not been any collaboration at all. Chuck Ga for commented that he has been in Municipal Government for thirty o years, and has yet to get a handle on the School"s budget. Chuck has met with the Business Administrator, and suggested a financial analysis of the budget as he was unsure if it was structurally correct. Chuck stated he would male a Motion that someone do a financial analysis (someone hired, not the Committee) of the Budget clue to his level of discomfort with its structure. Chuck stated that he sees questions/errors, as well as things that do not add up, which are admitted to. Mary Rose stated that Chuck would need to provide her with examples. Chuck understood Mary Rose's comment on the meed for her to have examples, but stated this meeting was not the plane to pursue this. Iden Patrick inter eeted and coniniented that"these folks are trapped in the process", and "it's all people driven". Iden very strongly defended his stand on the issue of productivity, and felt this spending would be an upward trend unless the productivity issue was addressed. Iden wants longer hours of teaching. Mary Rose said that unfortunately the school clay is a different day than in the corporate world, and Iden stated that he saw no reason why the teaching day cannot be extended. Rebecca Romley stated she Feels they are not out of lime in any way as far as payment to administrators or teachers. Chris Avis has taken a look at the figures as far as the salaries, but did not understand why the School Department is trying to get their salaries in line with the Town side. Chris Avis noted and briefly touched upon non-union employees that have been added. Chris stated that they are not really that far away from one another as to the Budget(approximately Seven Hundred Thousand and 00/100 ($700,000.00). Chris also noted that other towns' budget increases are lower, i.e.; Falmouth (3.1%) increase, Sandwich % increase, Barnstable (5.2%). Rebecca commented that she felt they were in a little bit of a situation due to their MCA'S scores. They are driven to improve the scores and school 'improvement. There was a brief discussion between Mary Rose and Chris clarifying the demographics, and the number of SPED students enrolled in the Town. Mary Rose wants to improve MCA'S scores. She warts to go back to a strategic plan with a lot of public input, and different minds working. Rebecca very strongly defended her stand that this money that is being requested is needed in order to succeed. .Tone Mason firmly stated she will not tale from other departments in order to support the School Department's budget due to the fact that these other departments have given year after year. There has been an increase of Fifteen(15%)percent to the School Department's budget in the last three years and they have lost sixty--four 4 students.