Union Scare Tactics Dominate Wachusett Budget Debate
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
The postcard, which depicts a sad student carrying a backpack with individual sheets of paper listing cuts the superintendent would make if the budget fails. Among them: loss of middle school foreign language, art, music. Also depicted: “close school libraries,” “cut athletics,”“71 teachers gone,” “increased class sizes,” and “less 1-1 support.”
So who's behind the postcard? The Wachusett Teachers Association joined forces with Superintendent Thomas Pandiscio and mailed postcards.
The proposed $79.3 million budget for fiscal 2013, which is $3.5 million more than fiscal 2012, requires approval by four town meetings in the five town regional school district. If two towns vote down the budget, then the budget is sent back to the school committee to be revised.
Two of the district towns, Paxton and Rutland, are requiring a Proposition 2 ½ override in order to pay for their share of the school assessment. Voters in Paxton were scheduled to vote on the budget last night, but a posting technicality postponed the vote until May 21. That vote however, is contingent upon the town approving a $300,000 override as part of the annual town election vote next Monday, May 14.
If the override fails in Rutland but the school budget passes in four towns, then devastating cuts in town services will be required in order for the towns to pay for their legal obligation to the school district.
Pandiscio, who has been advocating for an $80 million budget since January, has said that if the budget does not pass, cuts will be made to athletics and extracurricular activities, school libraries will close, six assistant principals, 60 teachers and a math instructional coach will be eliminated.
Pandisicio had previously told GoLocalWorcester that he did not intend to reduce the size of the custodial staff, which is currently at 58 full time and 5 part time employees, and earns more than $2.2 million.
Parents Contacted
To build support for the budget at town meeting, the Wachusett Regional Education Association (WREA) sent postcards to parents urging them to vote for it.
Robert Becker, WREA president, said a postcard was sent to each family of school age children in the district.
"There was a bunch of association members who worked on it," Becker said. "Probably one of our art teachers drew it. It's an image that conveyed the message we wanted parents to hear."
Becker said that the union paid for the post cards and the mailing, but did not know the exact cost of the project. "I would have to check with our treasurer on that."
Becker also said that while the union has always worked hard to get budgets passed, but this was the first time in recent memory that postcards have been sent to parents.
Rutland Selectman Michael Pantos said the way the school budget has been handled has been divisive in town.
“It’s disappointing to see our own town representatives to the school committee not considering the impact of the school budget,” he said. “The towns can only raise taxes by 2 ½ percent every year, but the school district has no restrictions on its budget increase. It’s driving a stake right through the town.”
"The teachers association is doing what is in their best interest," Peter Bogren, a selectman in Paxton, said. "That's their job."
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