7

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, January 3, 2020 Page 7 The District Review Report Questions persist over whether Saugus Public School resources are being allocated adequately and effectively By Mark E. Vogler and areas for growth:” The district’s budget docu(Editor’s Note: This is part of an ongoing series of stories about The District Review Report of Saugus Public Schools recently issued by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Today’s article looks at shortcomings in the area of Financial and Asset Management.) N et school spending by Saugus Public Schools has consistently exceeded the required level over the past decade by margins ranging from 17.3 percent to 49.3 percent. Yet, questions have been raised whether the school district’s resources are being allocated adequately and effectively. “Many principals, teachers, and students expressed concern and frustration with the history of allocation of financial resources, which they stated has led to an inadequate deployment of staff, both at the leadership level and in key school-based roles, and insufficient provision of learning materials, textbooks, and supplies,” the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) notes in 90page document titled the “District Review Report of Saugus Public Schools. “Whether accurate or not, the widespread perception that the allocation of resources is inadequate and ineffective may be creating the impression that the district is not fully supporting the needs of staff and students,” the report suggests. “The current allocation of resources may not be sufficient to improve students’ performance, opportunities and outcomes.” Those are the observations of a team of educational consultants that visited the school district for a four-day period back in March as part of its research for the report. The District Review -- a process that every school district undergoes periodically (Saugus Public Schools had its last one in 2010) is used to assess a school district’s strengths and weaknesses and offer recommendations that can be used to make significant improvements in a school system. The category of “Financial and Asset Management” -- one of several major components to an effective school system -was identified in the report as a critical area which needed to be addressed. The report identified these major “challenges ments for fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2020 do not include key information that connects improvement planning and student performance to the allocation of resources, nor do they include all available resources, such as grants and revolving accounts. In addition, the district and the town do not have an up-to-date and signed written agreement on municipal expenditures in support of the district. The district and the town do not have a comprehensive plan to improve and maintain its buildings and to ensure the effective use of buildings and operational systems. Staffing of facilities is incomplete. Some students and teachers do not have current textbooks, or do not have access to classroom materials that are available in sufficient quantities. Teachers and students said they were using outdated textbooks, some of which were falling apart. Other teachers said they had no textbooks at all. Teachers sometimes find it necessary to purchase their own classroom materials or ask parents to contribute materials. Although the fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2020 budget documents include some important financial data, neither document includes student performance data, the goals and priorities of the district to improve performance, and detail on all sources of funds that can be used to meet goals. The district and the town do not have a current and signed written agreement on municipal expenditures in support of the schools. The district and the town do not have an up-to-date, written agreement on a method for determining the cost of municipal services that are provided to the district by the town, as required by state regulation CMR 10.05. District leaders and town officials reported that it has been many years since there has been an agreement. However, a town official said town officials were drafting the agreement and would meet with district leaders to discuss it. This document did not exist at the time of the last district review in 2010, at which time the district and town were urged to reach agreement through improved communication. The district and the town do not have a comprehensive plan to improve and maintain its buildings and to ensure the effective use of buildings and operational systems. Staffing of facilities is incomplete. A comprehensive review of available documents by the review team indicated that neither a long-term capital improvement plan nor a preventive maintenance manual was available or public. Upon inquiry, district leaders and town officials told the review team that the district did not have a comprehensive capital improvement plan for its buildings and systems, or a preventive maintenance manual. A town official stated that the district had only a short, informal informational document for capital improvements. The town plans to hire an engineer who will serve as town wide maintenance officer and have responsibility for compiling a comprehensive capital plan. The district had a head custodian who retired recently and has not been replaced. The head custodian’s only districtwide responsibility was for accepting supply deliveries to a central location and monitoring inventory. The district does not have a buildings or facilities manager. The superintendent is responsible for buildings and grounds, including areas such as appropriate use of pesticides and water testing for the presence of lead, while the executive director of finance and administration is responsible for the financial costs associated with buildings and grounds. Given the depth and complexity of the superintendent’s other responsibilities, the review team found the idea that he bore responsibility for pesticide and lead testing to be a concrete example of the consequence of a hollowed out central office staffing pattern. There is no preventative maintenance manual at either the district or the town level. The absence of a capital improvement plan and a preventative maintenance manual were noted in the 2010 district review. The District Review Report noted potential impacts from the limitations in financial and asset management. “A budget document that is only marginally connected to district and school goals, and with limited student performance data, does not give stakeholders a clear picture of how resources are allocated to support the district’s priorities,” the report concluded. “Without a current and signed written agreement on a methodology for calculating the cost of municipal services that are provided to the district by the town, the district cannot effectively monitor and internally audit costs for education-related services and ensure the accuracy of these expenditures,” it warned.. The report also noted the problems of not properly maintaining the buildings. staff and a coherent plan for consistent and proactive maintenance, the district cannot reliably provide safe, secure, and well-maintained teaching and learning environments that are conducive to teaching and learning,” it said. “Awareness of issues and planning for near and longterm building and systems needs is essential in the effective and high-quality management of facilities.” But the report also notes the “Without the appropriate REVIEW REPORT | SEE PAGE 20 SNOW BLOWER SALES, SERVICE & REPAIRS Pickup/Delivery Available 781-289-6466 AUTOTECH 1989 SINCE Get Your Vehicle Winter Ready! OIL CHANGE SPECIAL Up to 5 Quarts of Oil (Most Vehicles) Includes FREE Brake Inspection & Safety Check Only $24.95 DRIVE IT - PUSH IT - TOW IT! CASH FOR YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR SUV! 2011 FORD F-150 CREW CAB Platinum Package, 4X4, Loaded, Every Option, Clean Title, Only 99K Miles, Trades Welcome! PRICE REDUCED! $18,500 Easy Financing Available! 781-321-8841 '13 DODGE DURANGO SXT 1236 Eastern Ave • Malden EddiesAutotech.com Vehicle! 4X4, Most Power; includes Moon Roof, Premium Sound System, Back-up Camera, 3rd Row Seating, Tow Pkg., Clean Title, Only 92K Miles! TRADES WELCOME! $14,500 We Pay Cash For Your

8 Publizr Home