Iacobucci calls for change in Town's educational priorities.

Tom Iacobucci today said he would bring a new set of educational priorities to the Mayor's office.

"My priorities are clear," Iacobucci said. "Students first, then teachers, and then administrators."

"Amesbury has had its educational priorities backwards for years now. We have been hiring administrators, while laying off teachers. We just gave the Superintendent a raise - even though the schools' finances are so tight that the Town is now charging parents a bus fee," Iacobucci said. "Those are the wrong priorities."

Iacobucci said one of his biggest concerns was class size. Statewide, the average student-teacher ratio is 13.3 students per teacher. "Here in Amesbury, we have 21.5 students per teacher - in Kindergarten. At the elementary and middle schools, we have student-teacher ratios that range up to 26.5 students per teacher. The High School has some classes that are over 30 students. Our children deserve better than this," Iacobucci said.

Iacobucci also voiced concern about classroom resources. "This year, the Town cut the budgets for classroom materials in every single school, by an average of about 35%. The amount of money saved, by cutting textbooks and other materials, is about the same as the extra money being spent on new personnel costs in the Superintendent's office," Iacobucci noted. "What does it say about Amesbury's priorities, when dollars are taken out of the classroom so they can be used for administration instead?"

"Look at the list of cuts the Town made this year: the Spanish program, from the elementary schools; tutors, at the Middle School; three teachers and part of the athletic program, at the High School. These types of cuts directly affect the quality of education that our students receive. Cutting school programs should be a last resort, not a starting point," Iacobucci said.

Iacobucci also questioned teachers' pay. "We pay our teachers 14% less than the statewide average - and then the Town cuts teaching positions every year to balance the budget," Iacobucci said. "Our teachers deserve to be treated better. After all, they are the people who actually teach our children. We< need to have salaries that are high enough to attract and retain high-quality teachers."

"The Town's priorities have been backwards," Iacobucci repeated. "In this year's budget, the schools' transportation costs dropped by about 18% - but parents are being asked to pay a brand-new bus fee anyway. This year Amesbury will spend about $850,000 on the various school building projects, and that's just the Town's share, after subtracting the state reimbursement. That's the salaries of about 20 teachers - but the Town is spending the money on debt service, instead."

Iacobucci proposed "bridging the 'great divide' between Town Hall and the School Department. We should look at combining some of the operations, and see if consolidation could save some money. For instance, why do we have a grounds maintenance department for the schools, and a different department that maintains the Town's parks and cemeteries? Why do we have duplicate personnel systems? Why do we have two separate accounting systems?"

Iacobucci noted that that some municipalities have consolidated systems, where the same departments provide administrative support for both the schools and general government. "That model looks like it is a lot more efficient," Iacobucci said. "According to the Department of Education, municipalities that have consolidated systems spend an average of $76.42 per pupil on administration. But Amesbury, which has a separate central business office for the schools, spends about $240 per pupil on our central business office. It seems to me that some of that money would be better spent in the classroom."

Iacobucci also looked ahead to future school-building projects. "The Town has requested a $15,000 'facilities study' of the Amesbury Elementary School," Iacobucci said, "and so far, every 'facilities study' has been followed by a construction project. I want to make sure people know what is going on, early in the process, so that everyone who is interested has a chance to be heard and be part of the planning process."

"There are a lot of choices to make, about how to improve education in the classroom. To make the right choices, you have to have the right priorities. You have to keep in mind that money spent on administration is not available to spend on teachers, or textbooks," Iacobucci added. "As Mayor and Chairman of the School Committee, I will put students first. And that's the way it should be."

Data sources:
Statewide student-teacher ratio from: http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state.asp
Amesbury K-middle school student-teacher ratios are from the School Department
Amesbury High School class size was from High School Parents’ Advisory Group meeting.

For the cuts to classroom materials budgets, see FY06 School Committee budget.
Amesbury Elementary School:
Teaching supplies cut by 19%, to $19,060 from FY05 budget of $23,522
Teaching equipment cut by 56%, to $4,000 from FY05 budget of $9,000
Textbooks cut by 39%, to $14,450 from FY05 budget of $23,500

Cashman Elementary School:
Teaching supplies cut by 18%, to $17,900 from FY05 budget of $21,864
Textbooks cut by 22%, to $24,500 from FY05 budget of $31,283

Middle School:
Teaching supplies cut 36%, to $42,746 from FY05 budget of $66,461
Textbooks cut 39%, to $14,500 from FY05 budget of $23,800

High School:
Teaching supplies cut 30%, to $45,786.76 from FY05 budget of $65,078.91
Teaching equipment cut 66%, to $5,010.33 from FY05 budget of $14,742.77

Total of above cuts from classroom resources = $91,298

Total, “Superintendent’s personnel salaries” rose by $95,837 (32%), to $391,660 from FY05 budget of $295,823.

List of program cuts is from FY06 School Committee budget “Summary of Major Reductions from Level Services Budget”.

Amesbury teachers’ salaries and state average: http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/home.asp?orgcode=00070000&view=fin

Transportation costs are from FY06 School Committee budget
Amesbury Elementary School: down 10% to $92,160 from $102,412 in FY05 budget
Cashman Elementary School: down 12% to $90,200 from $102,412 in FY05 budget
Middle School: down 21% to $107,295 from $135,184 in FY05 budget
High School: down 16% to $58,645 from $69,640 in FY05 budget
Total: down 18% to $348,300 from $409,648 in FY05 budget

School building project debt service figure is from FY06 Capital Improvement Plan

Statewide per-pupil average administrative cost (consolidated systems) is from:
http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/account/cost06.html

Amesbury per-pupil administrative cost is from two sources:
#1: “about $600,000 for central business office” is from FY05 School Committee budget, total of line items for:
Superintendent Personnel
Superintendent's Expenses
Superintendent Admin Custodial Equipment
Superintendent Telephone
Superintendent Maintenance Salaries and Custodian Overtime (note: this item parallels similar line items for salaries and custodians overtime in each of the individual schools’ budgets) and
Administrative Technology (note: there are also separate line items for "technology" and "systemwide technology maintenance" and other line items for technology in each school; none of these items were included)

Total of these line items was $599,884.
(This calculation does not include benefits for employees. Also, it is an out-of-date calculation. The total of the same line items in the FY06 budget is $660,313.00.)

#2: enrollment figure of 2,505 total students was from the Amesbury School Department.

($599,884 divided by 2,505 is $239.47, or “about $240”)