WEST SPRINGFIELD – On April 2, a public budget hearing was hosted before the West Springfield School Committee meeting. Superintendent of Schools Michael Richard presented the budgetary requests of West Springfield Public Schools. The meeting was a continuation of the public budget hearing hosted on March 12.

Richard showed a slideshow presentation that broke down each budgetary request into categories. A slide showed in the presentation read, “All budgetary requests are rooted in the District Improvement Plan, School Improvement Plans and class-size reduction.”

The request is for a 4.47 percent increase, which would bring the fiscal year 2020 budget to $45,459,367. The fiscal year 2019 budget is $43,513,155. The total increase would be an additional $1,946,252 for the school department budget for fiscal year 2020.

The following is a breakdown of each category presented by Richard and the requests made for each.

Health Services and Social Emotional Learning

In social emotional learning, two additional full-time adjustment counselors have been requested. The counselors would be distributed to schools based on needs. A total of $120,000 has been requested in the budget to fund the positions.

The Health Services department has requested the addition of a licensed practical nurse and has requested $27,658 to fund this. According to the West Springfield FY 2020 Budget Request document, “The Health Services Department is requesting $27,658 to support the addition of a Licensed Practical Nurse to address the significant increase in the number of medically fragile/high need students as well as the increase in high medical needs students that are remaining in district.”

School Choice

Several positions, totalling $395,866 are currently a part of school choice revolving funds. It is being requested that these funds be added to the General Operating budget. According to the budget document, “Currently, there are several positions funded through the use of accrued school choice funds. These positions have an annual cost of $816,326 and the school committee is requesting that at least $395,866 of these positions be moved to the general fund for FY 2020. This is needed as the amount of funding available within the school choice revolving fund is decreasing.”

During the public budget hearing, Richard explained, “[Managing school choice balance] as we have discussed, over the years is declining and we appreciate the support the mayor and the Council has given us to move some of these requests or some of these positions that have been assigned to school choice off of that so that we can return to the original purpose, which is a one-time, non-recurring expense and not staff positions.”

English Language Learners

Three requests have been made in the English Language Learners Department, including $50,000 for one full-time student support staff member, $9,375 to fund a software product that assesses learning levels and student growth and $30,366 for a half time teaching position in the English Learners Early Childhood program.

According to the West Springfield FY 2020 Budget Request document, the support staff member would “assist with coordination between the various student support services and interventions with emphasis on the needs of the English Language Learner Department.”

Special Services

A request has been made for $60,000 for one full-time transitional kindergarten teacher at John Ashley School. According to the budget document, there is an increasing trend of high needs students enrolling in John Ashley School following the Cowing Early Childhood Program. The addition of the teaching position would support the addition of a transitional kindergarten classroom.

The Special Services department has also requested $25,000 to support a half-time speech-language pathologist, citing in the budget document a "projected increased caseload at Fausey School."

A request for $60,000 has been made to support one full-time special education teacher for needs at Tatham, Memorial and Mittineague elementary schools.

The Special Services department has requested four full-time paraprofessionals for needs at John Ashley School, a request of $60,000.

The School Committee is requesting $99,939 for one teaching position and two paraprofessional positions for a social/emotional behavioral classroom at Memorial School.

Two paraprofessionals have also been requested for the Cowing Early Childhood Program, which will run two sessions next school year and supports additional autistic students at the school. The request is for $30,000.

One paraprofessional position has also been requested to support the position that was created using Hurricane Evacuee funds in fiscal year 2019 budget at Mittineague school. $15,503 is being requested for the grade two classroom.

Arts

One request for $60,000 for an additional music/chorus teacher at West Springfield High School has been made in the Arts department. The budget document states, “We will be able to provide our students with a wide variety of music electives and expand advanced coursework in performing arts offerings in Advanced Placement programing as well as relieve overcrowding in PE/Health classes.”

Grant Reductions

West Springfield High School has requested $50,000 in order to support the success of the Pathways to Prosperity grant. The funds would support one full-time director of West Springfield High School’s Innovation Pathway and Work Based Learning program.

One teaching position is currently federally funded under the Title IIA grant. During the hearing, Richard said, “We’ve been informed by the government that we cannot continue to assign staff using those funds.” The request is for $64,342.

Funds have been requested to continue services provided by the Inclusive Preschool grant. According to the budget document, “Due to State cuts the School Department will lose funding (a total of $58,977) from the Inclusive Preschool grant and is requesting funds to allow the services that have been provided by this grant to continue.”

Class Sizes/Enrollment

In response to increasing class sizes, the district is requesting $110,000 to fund two classroom teacher positions for the implementation of additional first grade classrooms.

The district has also requested $55,000 for staffing to address class size increase in Tatham grade five classes.

“The bottom line [is] we need to continue to support our students and student achievement. We need to support the community academically, artistically, athletically and social-emotionally,” Richard said at the conclusion of the hearing.

West Springfield resident Kira Thompson addressed the School Committee following Richard's presentation. "I wanted to thank you for listening to the parents who have been coming and talking to you and taking our opinions to heart and planning a better budget than I originally had seen a long time ago when looking at the budget. I really appreciate all of the additions to the budget that have been added so far. There’s still a bunch that we could still do. I want to thank you in advance for going to the Town Council with a budget that might be difficult to get them to approve and all the parents are behind you in trying to get our budget approved. Thank you again for working towards getting the budget and the funding and all the things the town needs for their schools and the students," Thompson said.

Detailed information regarding the budget request is available at wsps.org and in the School Department office, located at 26 Central Street in West Springfield. The Town Council is expected to vote on the budget in June.

To view the Public Budget Hearing, visit livestream.com/accounts/5714082.