Fiscal Year 2019 - hps.holyoke.ma.us

HOLYOKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS - 57 SUFFOLK STREET, HOLYOKE, MA 01040

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Fiscal Year

2019

Holyoke Public Schools Operating Budget

A Pathway for Every Student

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Holyoke Public Schools

July 1, 2018 ~ June 30, 2019

Fiscal Year 2019

Operating Budget

School Committee Members

Honorable Mayor Alex Morse, Chairperson Devin Sheehan, Vice Chairperson

Dennis Birks Erin Brunelle John Brunelle

William R. Collamore Nyles L. Courchesne Irene Feliciano-Sims

Mildred Lefebvre Rosalee Tensley Williams

Dr. Stephen Zrike, Receiver

Special thanks to:

Chief Financial and Operations Officer Anthony W. Soto

Budget Team Cheryn Powell, Budget/Grants Director

Awilda Pagan, Accounting Manager Gail Shattuck, Manager of Data

Amanda Smith, Financial Analyst Tiarra West, Sr. Financial Analyst

…and to the other administrators, staff, and Colleagues for their collaboration and insight.

iii ~ A Pathway for Every Student ~

T H E P U B L I C S C H O O L S of H O L Y O K E, M A S S A C H U S E T T S

57 Suffolk Street, Holyoke MA, 01040

A Message from the Receiver Dr. Stephen Zrike:

It is my pleasure to share the Holyoke Public Schools recommended budget for the 2019 fiscal year. The

recommended budget of $95.4 million represents an increase of $5 million from FY 2018. Included in this

increase is 1-time revenue of $3 million which primarily consist of hurricane relieve funding for students

that came to HPS after hurricane Maria. This budget was designed with our district vision, values and

priorities at the forefront so that we can deliver on our promise to be the first educational choice for

Holyoke families by designing multiple pathways where all students graduate prepared to excel in

college, career and community leadership.

As part of our turnaround efforts over the next three years, we have established four improvement areas-

Instructional Leadership, Management and Operations, Family and Community Engagement and

Professional Culture- each with a series of priorities that will drive our work on behalf of students and

families in Holyoke. These critical priorities are a significant reduction in the number of benchmarks (from

50 to 15) from our first year of turnaround. This will allow us to be more focused and targeted in our

efforts to realize game changing results for children. Our priorities are as follows:

Instructional Leadership

Implement the high school redesign plan to create a pathway for every student.

Enhance and offer more middle school options for students.

Provide educators with clear expectations, adequate resources and effective support to ensure

rigorous curriculum, instruction and assessment for all students with special attention to

writing, mathematics, science and social-emotional skills.

Develop and support the use of a menu of effective academic and behavioral interventions that

accelerate the progress of all students including English language learners and students with

disabilities.

iv ~ A Pathway for Every Student ~

Expand quality learning opportunities for four-year olds.

Management and Operations

Provide greater clarity and support for principals to implement the systems essential to schools

of excellence, including an effective school improvement planning process.

Support and track each school in its effective implementation of educator supervision and

evaluation.

Provide the facilities, transportation, and technology support schools need to meet HPS

Expectations for Excellence in family and community engagement.

Family and Community Engagement

Focus engagement activities on preparing parents to better support their children around

learning at home.

Expand the frequency and quality of communication between families and educators about how

their children are progressing toward standards.

Build more sustainable and effective relationships with community organizations to partner with

schools in providing services to students.

Professional Culture

Improve district and school capacity to recruit and retain effective educators.

Support and monitor school-based systems for effectively using time available for educator

learning and collaboration.

Develop more staff proficiency around culture, inclusion and acceptance.

Support principals to nurture and sustain positive school cultures around communication,

collaboration, problem-solving, conflict resolution and voice.

We have allocated our finite resources in accordance with these commitments. While we faced yet

another year of constrained resources, we worked aggressively to invest in programs, materials and

positions that will positively impact the HPS student learning experience. Below are a list of investments

that are aligned to the aforementioned priorities:

Instructional Leadership

Launching 10th grade academies

Opening two new middle schoolsSTEM and Veritas

Introducing middle school afterschool enrichment clubs

Expanding middle school instrumental programming

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Expanding instructional coachingMath and ELA at each school

Adopting elementary writing programBeing a Writer

Implementing a Middle School Science Curriculum (Grades 5-8)

Utilizing standards Based assessmentANET (2-8)

Designating content area "ambassadors”ELA, Science, Math, Dual Language

Purchasing high school and K-8 academic intervention materialsNews ELA, iXL, ThinkCerca

Accessing additional sensory materials

Investing in a districtwide SEL director

Expanding Pre-K opportunities seats in collaboration with VOC

Management and Operations

• Upgrading school safetyfront door security • Replacing elementary classroom furniture (capital)

• Acquiring new classroom technologyclassroom chromebooks (capital) • Progressing with MSBA accelerated repair and new building projects • Retro-fitting lighting in gyms and cafeterias • Enhancing middle school spaces for STEM and Veritas launch


• Introducing a new role focused exclusively on parent engagement • Introducing a new role focused exclusively on leading the Student Enrollment Center • Launching an EL Parent Advisory Council (ELPAC)


• Expanding teacher leadership opportunities- aspiring leaders, advanced/master teachers, curriculum ambassadors

• Leveraging our partnership with Nellie Mae to support staff proficiency around culture, inclusion and acceptance

• Introducing the Seal of Bi-literacy

In order to fund these essential priorities and maintain other critical services, the Holyoke Public Schools

is relying on the city of Holyoke to meet minimum net school requirements as well as utilizing

approximately three million in one-time revenue streams. While this revenue (carryover, hurricane relief

and charter assessment dollars) allows us to make strategic investments in Fiscal Year 2019, it will be

challenging to sustain as we examine budget forecasts in future years. Given this reality, we will work

hard over the next six months to plan accordingly so that our improvement efforts are not compromised.

In submitting this strategic budget, I want to extend my gratitude to Mr. Anthony Soto and the Office of

Finance & Operations, the HPS leadership team and our school-based administrators. We appreciate the

continued support of our educators, School Committee members, Mayor Morse, elected officials, Holyoke

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taxpayers and our families. We also appreciate the continued support necessary to provide our young

people of Holyoke with the educational experience they deserve.

Sincerely,

Stephen Zrike

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Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1

About This Document ............................................................................................................................... 3

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... 4

District Administrators ............................................................................................................................ 22

Organization and Financial.......................................................................................................................... 24

Introduction to Holyoke Public Schools .................................................................................................. 26

Operating Budget Development Process ................................................................................................ 29

Holyoke Public Schools General Fund Appropriation Overview ............................................................. 37

General Fund – Divisional Budget ........................................................................................................... 51

Curriculum and Instruction ..................................................................................................................... 53

Operations and Finance .......................................................................................................................... 57

Family and Community Engagement ...................................................................................................... 60

Human Resources ................................................................................................................................... 62

Pupil Services .......................................................................................................................................... 64

Special Revenues..................................................................................................................................... 68

Summary of Major Budget Assumptions ................................................................................................ 73

Information ................................................................................................................................................. 75

General Fund Budget Forecast................................................................................................................ 76

Schools .................................................................................................................................................... 77

Appendices ................................................................................................................................................ 101

Glossary of Terms.................................................................................................................................. 103

Capital Planning .................................................................................................................................... 109

1 ~ A Pathway for Every Student ~

Introduction


About This Document

This budget document contains information in the form of tables, charts, and narratives in order to

provide the context for important budget deliberations and decisions made by the Receiver. It also serves

as a guide to help administrators, elected officials, the public and other interested parties understand the

District’s programs, services, goals, and finances in the fiscal year 2019.

PURPOSE STATEMENT

Defining Policy: The budget supports the executive direction and provides strategic goals for the District

to follow in the upcoming fiscal year.

Planning Tool: The budget is a financial planning tool that allocates resources based upon an analysis of

the challenges and opportunities facing the District.

Communication Tool: The budget document is a communication device designed to inform the reader of

major budgetary decisions faced by the District, and the fiscal and human resource allocations for the

upcoming year.

Focus on Performance: The budget’s layout is consistent with the District’s organizational chart and the

chain of command. By stating goals and objectives, the budget supports priorities and plans for every

department.


Executive Summary

Holyoke Public Schools is proud to present its annual operating budget. The FY 2019 budget is balanced

and it reinforces the Receiver’s commitment to allocate as many resources as possible into the

classroom. Through the strong collaborative effort of District leaders and innovative decision-making, our

District can present an honest budget that puts children first.

For FY 2019, the Receiver will adopt a $95.4 million general operating budget, representing a 5.6%

increase over FY 2018. It is important to note that $3 million of this operating budget is being funded by

1-time carryover and hurricane Maria relief funding. The District strives to achieve a budget proposal that

aligns with its mission, vision, and core values, with the ultimate goal of student achievement in mind.

Please note that all of the numbers presented in this budget are based on updated assumptions in the

House Ways and Means Budget. It is important to note that the budget the City of Holyoke publishes for

schools is much less because it does not include Charter Assessments and Fringe Benefits. The budget the

City published is $65 million which represents an increase of $891,000 or 1.4%.


VISION


Our students:

✓ Graduate with an additional credential that provides for college and career options

And Are:

✓ Effective Communicators

✓ Critical Thinkers

✓ Engaged and Productive Community Members

✓ Mindful Individuals

MISSION

To be the 1st educational choice for Holyoke families by designing multiple pathways where all students

graduate prepared to excel in college, career and community leadership.

VALUES

At HPS, we:

Encourage bold thinking

Explore all possibilities for student success

Embrace all students & families as our own

Empower school teams to impact change

Engage in meaningful feedback


HPS STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP

Each school has a system of supports ensuring that students access grade level standards and tasks, experience powerful teaching, have their learning progress monitored and are provided multiple pathways to success. All students are provided a robust curriculum that includes rigorous instruction in core subjects and enrichment opportunities in the arts, music, physical education and more.

Students engage in relevant and meaningful learning, targeted to their needs and interests and have multiple opportunities for success. Students have a personalized approach to their education affording them the opportunity to graduate with an additional credential that provides for college and career options. Students have a variety of customized opportunities during the traditional school day and beyond, including tailored intervention, enrichment, advanced coursework, career and technical education, and dual-enrollment credit.

SY17-18 Accomplishments

● Dramatically increasing graduation rate and declining drop-out rate. We are extremely encouraged by and proud of our students for graduating at a dramatically higher rate. The district’s graduation rate is 69.9%, up 7.8 percentage points from the prior year. Wm. J. Dean Technical High School (Dean) achieved an incredible 19.1 percentage point increase in its graduation rate to 59.1%, and Holyoke High School’s rate increased 6.5 percentage points to 75.4%. Latino students’ graduation rate is 10 points higher than last year. On a similar note, the district’s average dropout rate for the past 10 years has been nearly 10%. Over the last two years, the dropout rate has been almost cut in half, averaging 5.6%. This reduction means over 100 fewer students per year have dropped out of school.


● Increasing student performance in Reading and Mathematics. Although the 2018 MCAS results

are not yet available, we utilize Star assessments to monitor reading and math achievement levels and to help inform instruction based on areas of critical need. Students are assessed beginning, middle, and end of year to monitor growth. STAR tests are nationally representative and are aligned with state standards, which allows us to gauge how our students are performing compared to similar cohorts of students across the country. Since beginning of the year (BOY), the percent of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile:

○ 29-point increase in Kindergarten and 1st grade students in Early Literacy ○ 5-point increase in Grades 2-8 in Reading, with the biggest leaps in grades 2 and 3 ○ 6-point increase in Grades 2-8 in Math, with the biggest leaps in grades 2 and 4

● Creating a pathway for every student through high school redesign. This year, we launched

Newcomer Academy, which served 61 students who were new to the continental U.S. and the English language, and continued with Freshman Academy and Opportunity Academy, for students in need of an alternative path to graduation. In June 2018, we hosted a Signing Day Celebration, where the rising 10th grade students signed a letter of intent to join one of four theme-based linked-learning academies designed to prepare them to acquire 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, and effective communication. They will be the first class to participate in the redesigned experience, which launches next Fall. Many students continue to have increased opportunities through dual enrollment (110+ students) and early college; we are especially excited that we received a state designation for our early college partnership with Holyoke Community College.

● Pursuing new middle school buildings and announcing the opening of two new middle

schools. In 2016-17, the district performed an analysis of the PreK-8 portfolio of schools, and the community overwhelmingly favors separate elementary and middle schools. As such, we are working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and City of Holyoke to pursue the building of two new middle schools, which would hold 500-550 students each. In Winter 2018, we announced the opening of two new middle school options for August 2018. Veritas Prep Holyoke will be run by an in-district operator (which currently runs one of the state’s highest performing schools in Springfield), opening with 130 5th grade students and expanding by a grade per year to eventually serve ~560 students in grades 5-8. Holyoke STEM Academy will serve 6th-8th grade students. It will open with ~265 students and can expand to serve ~300 students by Fall 2019. The STEM-theme was selected based off community interest and alignment to the high school linked learning academies.

● Expanding preschool access and quality. About 100 more preschool students are being served

than last year, and two Pre-K programs (through a partnership with Valley Opportunity Council) received the highest quality Pre-K rating by the the MA Department of Early Education and Care! There remain 150 students without a Pre-K slot currently in Holyoke, and if we can secure funding from the state, our partner is ready to open additional Pre-K seats.

● Completing an inventory of existing curriculum resources and providing guidance for the

scope, sequence and pacing for common curricular resources. Teachers need standards-aligned resources and materials, with explicit pacing guidance and intended scope and sequence expectations, available to support their students’ learning. Towards this end, we have


completed the inventory, which includes Expeditionary Learning Resources for grades 3-8, Math in Focus for grades K-8, Fundations for grades K-2, and Ethnic studies for grades 7-10. We are adopting a writing curriculum for grades K-8 and science for 5-8 next year, new units of study aligned to the career academies, and new intervention resources across all grade levels.

● Increasing opportunities for students in substantially separate programs to participate in

effective inclusion opportunities. Research shows that inclusive education creates an environment in which every students, including those who do not have disabilities, has the opportunity to flourish. Inclusive educational environments have increased differentiation, which leads to increased student engagement, and more academic and behavioral supports for all students. Itinerant service providers, such as speech therapists, are continuously moving therapy services from more restrictive settings to more inclusive settings - we have tripled the time students spend in more inclusive settings. This has enabled more consistent and productive collaboration with teachers and other members of the multi-disciplinary team. We continue to develop plans and train teachers for greater inclusionary opportunities next school year.

● Creating safe and productive learning spaces for all students. Students support teams meet

regularly to discuss the academic and behavioral needs and interventions for students in need of additional supports. We’ve also invested in training on trauma-informed practices and building resilience in youth for all counselors, psychologists, related service providers and the educational staff in our elementary and middle school Therapeutic Intervention Program (TIP). This month, after two years of monitoring, the Disability Law Center is releasing Holyoke Public Schools from the DLC’s oversight following concerns related to the operation of the TIP Program at Peck. This is testimony to the resilience, persistence and very hard work of teachers, paraprofessionals, school leaders and district special education leadership to support the development of some of our most at-risk students.

● Building a culture of academic success and belief in oneself among students. In this year’s

Panorama Culture and Climate survey, we had increases in the percent of students reporting: ○ Most students in their classes try hard to get good grades (41% to 46% favorable) ○ Students are able to get the help they need to be successful at school (61% to 64%

favorable) ○ Their classes really make them think (52% to 59% favorable) ○ Its possible to change behavior by giving a lot of effort (8-pt increase for 3rd-5th

graders) ○ Its possible to change your intelligence by giving a lot of effort (10-pt increase for 6th-

12th graders)

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Families and community members are essential partners in our shared success. When we effectively partner with families, particularly those who have not historically been engaged, we create an essential support network to address our students’ needs and create opportunities for a strengthened community. We want to be family’s first choice for their child(ren)’s education.



● Welcoming more than 250 students who were displaced after the hurricane from Puerto Rico. Our staff and students quickly enrolled and welcomed students into classrooms. We were responsive to their clothing and shelter needs whenever possible, as well as striving to meet their social emotional and academic needs. We are very proud of the urgency and warmth displayed by our team, from the enrollment center to schools to classrooms.

● Strengthening systems around attendance. We have reduced chronic absenteeism from 29% last year to 22% this year for our students in grades K-12th through an attendance awareness campaign and supporting and monitoring school’s attendance efforts. These efforts have also helped contribute to a boost in attendance of 92.6% (up from 91.6%) for students in K-12th grade. We thank our parents, families, community organizations and staff for working together to ensure our students are at school, ready to learn.

● Hosting monthly meetings of the Parent Advisory Group, with 10 out of 11 schools regularly participating. We solicit input and insight on a range of topics, including MCAS, school safety, middle school redesign and high school redesign. Strong parent leaders push us to be a better school system on behalf of all students.

● Hosting two Parent Summit events, where about 60 families in total gathered to learn about how to support their child(ren)’s learning at home. The Saturday session in November consisted of 11 workshops across a variety of topic areas, and the Thursday evening session in April focused on ways for families to support their child(ren)’s learning in mathematics. Another 15 families of students in gr. 2-4 from Morgan, Peck, Lawrence and Donahue all completed Family Book Clubs, where they read picture books about diversity.

● Engaging families in students’ progress. Family and engagement team members at 8 of 11 schools are meeting with at least 10 families each to discuss the academic progress of struggling students. When talking with these families, our team will connect them to summer learning opportunities within Holyoke and/or provide resources for continuing learning over the summer. They will also gauge their interest in having their child’s new teacher for next fall make a home visit over the summer or in the fall.

● Continuing to create a welcoming and supportive environment for families. Our culture and climate survey indicates that families are feeling supported and welcomed. In the 2018 survey, 78% of families reported they receive timely responses to school inquiries, and 86% feel welcome when visiting their child’s school. Our students and families also notice and appreciate the presence of our teachers and staff at many community events, ranging from the Puerto Rican Parade to the elementary Spelling Bee to the Rising Stars event celebrating awesome students to graduation events.

PROFESSIONAL CULTURE

Through improved recruitment, evaluations, professional development and recognition programs, the District will fill every classroom and office with talented professionals whose gifts and commitment will benefit our children every day. We must work together to increase the quality and diversity of our


educator workforce, while elevating the profession of teaching and raising the morale of our teachers and staff. It is our responsibility to create a work environment that is challenging, rewarding and culturally competent. SY17-18 Accomplishments

● Building and developing career development pipelines. We want all staff members to realize their growth potential and see the opportunities available to them within Holyoke Public Schools. We have more than 8 pipeline programs for staff, ranging from an aspiring principals’ program for HPS educators who are interested in getting their administrator’s license to Urban Teachers Pathways (UTP), for paraprofessionals with a bachelor’s degree who are interested in getting their teaching license in a high needs area. Through our partnership with Teach Western Mass and The New Teacher Project (TNTP), the western MA region was awarded a $5 million federal grant to offer a new accelerated teacher pathway that targets hard-to-fill teaching positions. We also project to have 11 Advanced Teachers, who are exceptional educators serving as school-wide models of instructional excellence and magnify their impact by assuming additional leadership responsibilities determined by each school. We are also introducing the Master Teacher role, which will allow a teacher to remain in the classroom while leading an impactful districtwide project.

● Investing in our school leaders as turnaround leaders. We believe that our schools are the center of substantive and transformative change for children, and we know we must build and sustain a system in which empowered school leaders and their teams possess the leadership acumen to create learning environments that deliver on our promise of a pathway of excellence for every student. Accordingly, we partnered with an organization that trains high-capacity individuals to take on the demanding and urgent work of leading excellent schools. The training focuses on developing a strong leadership voice; aligning entire school teams around the mission, vision, values and goals of the school; and developing non-academic and academic systems that lead to schools of excellence.

● Continuing to strengthen evaluation systems and ensure that educators receive frequent coaching. We know that frequent feedback supports teachers in developing their craft as education professionals and ultimately contributes to increased student learning. 79% of teachers report receiving feedback on their teaching at least a few times a month – and 83% of teachers report that the feedback is somewhat, quite or extremely useful.

● Coaching and on-boarding new staff members. We know the demands of teaching are significant, and we must support our new educators in being as effective as possible on Day 1. Accordingly, 41 new teachers participated in an induction program for two weeks in the summer, where they created routines to ensure a strong first day, role played lessons in front of peers, and built a community of support. We continued to support them - and other new educators to the district - through frequent coaching by district Induction Coaches, in addition to the site-based coaching by school leaders.

● Increasing the amount of time each week that teachers have to collaborate and learn together. Every school has dedicated two hours per week - without students present - to analyze data, look at student work, plan instruction together and engage in professional learning. They are able to focus and learn together as professionals.


MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS

We believe that the school leaders and their teams need to be empowered to make decisions in the best interest of their schools. The individuals working everyday on the front lines to ensure our students’ learning are most informed about what our students need. We also believe that autonomy should come with support for schools, particularly for schools with the greatest need to improve outcomes for students. The central office must be judicious, responsive, reflective, nimble and wholeheartedly committed to setting the conditions for schools and students to be successful. We each hold ourselves accountable to student success at the class, school and system level.


● Improving the quality and service provided by the food service management company. Proper nutrition is an essential component for students being ready to learn in school. The Eos Foundation gave HPS a Healthy Start Leadership Award for our progress in feeding students after the bell. Seven schools were awarded a grant for having breakfast in the classroom participate greater than 80%. “After the bell breakfast in the classroom is a straightforward solution to combat childhood hunger in Massachusetts, with well-documented academic, behavioral, financial, and economic development benefits for kids and school districts,” said Andrea Silbert, President of the Eos Foundation. Through our newly re-negotiated contract, staff are more thoroughly trained. The menus are tailored by grade span, more culturally responsive, and available in Spanish. We also have a detailed 5-year capital plan to continually upgrade equipment.

● Improving network reliability, speed, security and user experience with technology through

process improvements, systems, and infrastructure upgrades. Our teachers and students depend on high-functioning technology in order to make the most of every minute in the classroom. We’ve invested in hundreds of new devices and increased the security of the system. Our Panorama Culture and Climate survey indicates a 6-point increase in people being satisfied with the level of technology.

● Investing in upgrading facilities and ensuring facilities are well-maintained. When we expect

excellence of our students and teachers, the physical structure of the building must reflect this excellence. This year, we invested in new flooring and lighting replacement at Kelly. We also received funding from MSBA and the city of Holyoke to renovate windows and doors at Morgan School; windows, doors and the boiler at Kelly School; and windows, doors and the roof at Sullivan School. This summer, we are investing in the spaces at Peck School and Holyoke High – Dean Campus, since these two locations will be co-locating with Veritas Prep Holyoke and Holyoke STEM Academy, respectively. Additionally, this summer, we will be replacing the furniture across grades 1-5 classrooms and investing in additional mobile technology. We’ve also increased the speed and quality of resolving operations, maintenance and technology concerns.

We continue to be on schedule for building two new and state of the art middle school facilities in Holyoke. The feasibility study on the middle school projects is set for completion by July, with


the sites being narrowed down to two and the School Building Committee reviewing a draft of these designs.

● Implementing a new electronic Time and Attendance System to improve accuracy, efficiency

and reporting. We recently moved our 1,000+ employees from an out-of-date paper-based system of tracking employees’ time and attendance to one that is electronic. This helps ensure that time is accurately recorded and reported, creates efficiencies, and provides managers better tools to manage staff time and attendance.

LOOKING AHEAD Although we are proud of our students, families and staff for all that we have accomplished in school year 2017-18, we have much more work to do to create a pathway of excellence for every student. Below are our key priorities for school year 2018-19, which build upon our past successes: Instructional Leadership

● Implement the high school redesign plan to create a pathway for every student ● Enhance and offer more middle school options for students. ● Provide educators with clear expectations, adequate resources and effective support to ensure

rigorous curriculum, instruction and assessment for all students with special attention to writing, mathematics, science and social-emotional skills.

● Develop and support the use of a menu of effective academic and behavioral interventions that accelerate the progress of all students including English language learners and students with disabilities.

● Expand quality learning opportunities for four-year olds Management and Operations

● Provide greater clarity and support for principals to implement the systems essential to schools of excellence, including an effective school improvement planning process.

● Support and track each school in its effective implementation of educator supervision and evaluation.

● Provide the facilities, transportation, and technology support schools need to meet HPS Expectations for Excellence. Family and Community Engagement

● Focus engagement activities on preparing parents to better support their children around learning at home.

● Expand the frequency and quality of communication between families and educators about how their children are progressing toward standards.

● Build more sustainable and effective relationships with community organizations to partner with schools in providing services with students.


● Improve district and school capacity to recruit and retain effective educators ● Support and monitor school-based systems for effectively using time available for educator

learning and collaboration.


● Develop more staff proficiency around culture, inclusion and acceptance. ● Support principals to nurture and sustain positive school cultures around communication,

collaboration, problem-solving, conflict resolution and voice.

FISCAL YEAR 2018 BUDGET UPDATE

With the end of the fiscal year approaching, it is important to reflect on the significant events that have

occurred during the year, which have played a major role in shaping the FY 2019 budget. Understanding

what has happened since the adoption of last year’s budget will result in a stronger picture about the

District’s future direction.

During the school year there was a tragic hurricane in the island of Puerto Rico that brought many families

to the City of Holyoke. The District received over 200 students that were not part of the initial student

projections and that funding was not given to the District from the state. In order to avoid larger class

sizes, the District utilized carryover money and made strategic investments to ensure that we could meet

the needs of these students. The state will be providing the District an allocation of funding for these

students in the current year and a separate allocation will be given for FY 19. This funding will be used to

balance the FY 19 budget and avoid major cuts that could have an impact on the classroom.

In addition to the hurricane relief money, the District is utilizing general fund carryover money to avoid

deeper cuts. The carryover money resulted from the states charter assessment initially being too high. In

April, the City transferred general fund money from the charter assessment line and into the schools

budget. Rather than spend this funding, the District decided to use it to balance the 2019 budget.

The District entered into a new 5-year contract with it’s food service management company but under a

completely new management team. Since the new contract, the District has differentiated menus, hired

a full time dietician, invested in all new cafeteria tables across all schools, and developed a 5-year plan to

ensure that equipment is maintained and that all students have access to quality meals on a daily basis.

The District was approved for 3 accelerated repair projects with the MSBA that would bring new windows

to Sullivan, Morgan, and Kelly. In addition, Kelly will receive a new boiler in the summer of 2018, while

the window projects will not be completed until the end of the summer 2019. The District has also made

very significant progress towards its core project with the MSBA to build 2 new middle schools and replace

the existing Lawrence and Peck schools.

Another significant event in FY 2018 was re-bidding the existing big bus contract and re-negotiating our

specialized transportation contracts, which has resulted in the city avoiding huge increases in

transportation. These negotiations are believed to have saved the city $2-3.5 million in future costs that

would have resulted if the traditional re-bid had occurred. The current appropriation takes into account

some very significant moves that are being made at the middle school level and we believe that the

existing appropriation fully funds the cost of transportation.


FISCAL YEAR 2019 BUDGET PROCESS

Holyoke Public Schools’ annual budgeting process is the mechanism by which the Receiver’s priorities are

formulated and District resources are allocated. By strategically aligning goals with financial and human

resources, the District is making a direct commitment to attaining these goals.

The development of the budget is a year-round process, and is broken out into three key phases: the

Planning and Strategy Phase, the Budget Development Phase, and the Budget Adoption Phase.

Each of these phases are equally important, and rely on strict deadlines and teamwork to ensure that the

budget is in line with the District’s strategic goals and priorities. Throughout the phases, the Budget Team

releases three major budget projections: (1) Preliminary, (2) Level Service, and (3) Final Balanced, each

signifying a milestone in the process.

FISCAL YEAR 2019 BUDGET CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW

As work began on the FY 2019 budget, it became clear that Holyoke Public Schools’ initial expense

projections were higher than the expected revenue for FY 2019. With this in mind, our initial strategy for

building the FY 2019 budget was to determine the costs of continuing the same levels of service that we

were currently providing and include known investments at the time that were part of the Receiver’s

strategic priorities.

Our “Preliminary (1)” level service budget projections showed that a conservative scenario for the District

would require us to solve a $5.2 million deficit. We updated our budget projections to reflect House Ways

and Means figures and to reflect department requests with the “Level Service (2),” and Holyoke Public

Schools’ updated level service deficit was down to $2.7 million. The updated deficit was due to increased

revenue in Ch. 70, cherry sheet estimates, and updating some of the initial projections with actual

numbers. Chiefs were asked to cut 5% from their budget. In addition, our staff allocation was updated

to reflect current enrollment and staffing levels required to meet the needs of our students with

disabilities.

During the regularly scheduled budget update to the Receiver, the revised deficit of $2.7 million was

communicated to the Receiver and key members of the budget team. The team understood that tough

decisions needed to be made to close the deficit. This deficit, while smaller than the initial projection,

was very difficult to overcome because much of the excess had already been trimmed out of the budget.

When submitting their detailed level service requests, the Chiefs and Department Heads thoroughly

reviewed each line item, and justified to the Budget Team the importance and measured success of the

item.

With a hard $2.7 million deficit still standing, some innovative thinking was needed. At that point, the

District decided to take a multi-faceted approach to close the remaining gap in the budget. Considering

many of the District’s expenses are non-discretionary and arbitrary cuts could not be on the table, this

was necessary.


Each Cabinet Chief was required to submit a prioritized proposal of where they would cut 5% from their

discretionary budgets. Simultaneously, the Budget Team analyzed and adjusted the major underlying

assumptions in the budget. Our approach to solving the budget deficit was a holistic approach, where we

analyzed budgeted items from all funding sources. Through attrition and new revenue opportunities, we

were able to help reduce a considerable portion of the deficit. For the remaining deficit balance, we re-

evaluated some initial investments, and reviewed grants in detail. At this point in the budget process we

were able to better estimate any surplus that we would have in the current year and what the funding for

hurricane relief was going to be.

With strategic fiscal management, thorough budget review, and cross-functional collaboration, the

District was again able to solve the deficit, all while investing in new initiatives and preserving class sizes.

This important fact must not be overlooked, because while many school districts are suffering major

service cuts, Holyoke Public Schools’ is making investments and trying to minimize the cuts to instructional

positions.

WHAT THIS BUDGET ACCOMPLISHES

Although we continue to operate in tough economic conditions, we are proud to say that through hard

work and innovative decision-making, Holyoke Public Schools’ will continue the following significant

initiatives in the FY 2019 budget:

Teacher Retention – For the third year, HPS teachers will receive an

increase in their annual salaries this fall based on their evaluation.

Our compensation system is designed to retain and attract great

teachers, while creating incentives for teachers to stay and deepen

their impact on Holyoke students. Select teachers may choose to

take on leadership roles in the district, such as serving on the

teacher leadership cabinet, or in their schools. We are also excited

to continue the role of Advanced Teacher, a designation for outstanding educators who serve as

a school-wide model of excellence and engage in additional responsibilities to accelerate student

and staff learning.

Free Extended Learning Time Opportunities for Students – We are expanding access to high-

quality summer school programs and continuing a significant investment in vacation

academies. Combined with enrichment and after-school activities, these opportunities support

the academic, social emotional and behavioral needs of the whole child. Particularly in high

school, opportunities for credit recovery help ensure students remain engaged in school and

graduate.

High quality, free meals accessible to all students – We know that providing nutritious and

appealing food for students is essential to ensuring their brains and bodies are ready for

learning. This budget continues an investment in Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) for Pre-K to

8th grade students, while hoping to expand to high school as well in 2019. The community has


strongly embraced BIC; we have one of the highest participation rates in the State. We are

continuing the Community Eligibility Provision that allows high need schools to serve free meals

to all students while alleviating the administrative burden to collect paper applications, which

also results in higher participation rates. Finally, we will have a new food service contract with

an improved focus on providing quality and healthy meals to all students at no cost.

Technology Investment – Our continued investment in student chromebooks and teacher and

administrator laptops is a key component to ensuring our students and staff have the resources

they need to teach today’s youth. In addition, the District is investing in classroom displays

throughout the District that will be replacing aging Smartboards.

Safety Investment – Our student’s safety is one of our top priorities. We want students, staff, and parents to feel safe in our schools. The District is investing in the safety of our front door at ever school location. Major improvements will be made to the two-way communication between the front door and the main office. In addition, the District is investing in better cameras throughout the District and card reader door access to our main entrances.

Expansion of Choice Programs – We are expanding opportunities for students and families through choice programs. Our dual language program will serve more than 230 students in Pre-K to 3rd grade at Metcalf and Pre-K to Kindergarten at EN White. Our two-way immersion program provides all students with ample exposure to English and Spanish, allowing them to progress academically in both languages and gain appreciation of many cultures. Our Personalized Pathways Program (P3) at Peck will serve nearly 200 students in grades 6-8. P3 uses the power of one-to-one technology to provide students with an individualized learning experience that includes project-based time, mentoring, intervention/acceleration and enrichment. In Winter 2018, we announced the opening of two new middle school options for August 2018. Veritas Prep Holyoke will be run by an in-district operator (which currently runs one of the state’s highest performing schools in Springfield), opening with 130 5th grade students and expanding by a grade per year to eventually serve ~560 students in grades 5-8. Holyoke STEM Academy will serve 6th-8th grade students. It will open with ~265 students and can expand to serve ~300 students by Fall 2019. The STEM-theme was selected based off community interest and alignment to the high school linked learning academies. Some choice slots for these programs will be offered.

Increases for certain bargaining groups – While some other surrounding districts have been

forced to freeze salary increases, HPS is committed to our turnaround plan and retaining and

rewarding high quality employees. In next year’s budget, funding has been set aside for some

bargaining groups that have not had increases over the last few years.

Professional Learning – At all schools, we are making a significant investment in professional

learning and collaboration for teachers and paraprofessionals. This past year, all teachers

engaged in 10 days of professional learning, with additional planning and collaboration during the

school year. This upcoming year, we have secured additional time for teachers to plan outside of


the traditional school day to ensure that they can engage regularly in uninterrupted and high-

quality planning, collaboration and professional development. We are also investing in support

structures to ensure that the time is used highly effectively and productively.

Class Sizes – Although faced with difficult challenges, the District maintained the same class size

ratios that were used in the previous year’s budget. Our budget last year made an explicit

investment in teachers who support students with IEPs (individual education plans) in inclusion

settings, as well as students who are ELLs (english language learners).

Furniture – The District hopes to replace most of the classroom furniture in our schools in grades

1-5. The furniture in our schools have not been updated for these grades in well over a decade.

New classroom furniture for our students will improve the learning environment and

demonstrates our commitment to investing in our school classrooms.

Coaching/ILS’s – Although faced with many challenges, every school principal was charged to

ensure that their budgeted spending plans included a coach, ILS, Dean, or some other staff

member to ensure that coaching is provided to teachers for both ELA and Math.


FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

There are two main categories of funds available to the

District, the general fund and special revenue funds.

The general fund primarily consists of Chapter 70 State

Aid and the City’s minimum local contribution. Special

revenue funds primarily consist of grant funds and

revolving accounts.

This financial overview will focus primarily on the

“General Fund” budget, which includes the required net

school spending and additional appropriations provided

by the City to cover costs that are not eligible for net

school spending. Overall, the projected budget for FY

2019 is $95.4 million which includes $3 million in hurricane relief funding and general fund carryover.

Holyoke Public Schools is fiscally dependent on the state as shown in the picture. The majority of the

General Fund Budget comes from the required net school spending which is $82.5 million. $10.9 million

or 13.2% of that is the City’s required local contribution. $71.6 million or 86.8% of the net school spending

comes from the states Chapter 70 allocation.

Compared to FY 2018, the general fund budget increased 2.3%. Overall, the District’s revenue is up

primarily due to an increase in charter reimbursement as well as and an increase in the Districts net school

spending requirement.

Expenditures can be broken into two major

categories, personnel services, and supplies and

services. The majority of the District’s

expenditures (62.7%) are in personnel services,

which include employee salaries, stipends, and

fringe benefits. The other major category making

up the District’s general funds budget is supplies

and services (37.3%), which include supplies

allocated to schools and departments, as well as

major contracted services purchased by the

District. Personnel service expenditures

increased by 2.8% over FY 2018, and supplies and

service expenditures increased by 10.6%. The

majority of the increase in salaries is due to the

Districts continued investment in teachers through our performance based compensation model. The

majority of the increase in supplies and services is due to the increase in our charter assessment.

Overall expenditures had a 5.6% increase.

Local Funds

$10.9M13.2%

State Funds

$71.6M86.8%

Fiscal DependancyFY19 Projected Revenues

Personnel Services$59.8M62.7%

Supplies & Services$35.6M37.3%

FY19 Projected Expenses


2018

Adopted 2019

Budget Change % Chg

Personnel Services $58,192,923 $59,822,723 $1,629,800 2.8%

Supplies & Services $32,183,690 $35,592,586 $3,408,896 10.6%

TOTAL: $90,376,613 $95,415,309 $5,038,696 5.6%

The Receiver has structured the organization

into divisions, each with its own mission and a

Chief in charge of carrying out that mission. All

major decisions in the organization flow

through one of these channels. The largest

division is schools, which comprises 68% of the

all funds expenses. Please note that included in

the “Schools” category is charter tuition and

fringe benefits.

The next largest division is Operations &

Finance, which makes up 16% of the expenses.

The majority of this division is made up of

transportation, information technology, and

facilities maintenance, which is closely linked to people and services at the schools. Finally, the third

largest division is Special Education, which captures 10% of expenses. A large part of the SPED budget is

comprised of people and services that are provided to schools as well as out of district tuition.

INFORMATIONAL

According to Massachusetts General Law, Holyoke Public School district is a fiscally dependent entity

organized under the City of Holyoke and therefore does not have the authority to tax, issue bonds, or

incur debt. The majority of the District’s general

fund budget comes from state aid as noted

above. Because of the significant amount of

state funds, each year the City waits for the

decision for funding from the State and then

provides its required contribution.

Historically HPS has spent an average of $16,178

while the state average for that same time has

been $14,567. The District has a high number of

SPED, ELL, and economically disadvantaged

students in comparison to the rest of the state

and thus spends more money per student.

Enrollment declines and flat revenue continue to

Curriculum & Instr.$1.11%

Operations & Finance$15.016%

Family and Community

$0.30%

Human Resources

$0.51%

Receiver / School

Committee$0.81%

Schools$67.971%

Special Education

$9.910%

FY19 Projected Expenses by Chief

$-

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Per Pupil Expenditures

HPS MA Avg.


be an indicator that the future looks to be financially challenging.

Holyoke Public Schools has a high transient population. This characteristic makes it quite difficult to

accurately track and project student enrollment between schools. Although the task can be difficult,

estimating student enrollment is a critical function necessary for the District to appropriately staff

buildings and project funding.

FOUNDATION ENROLLMENT

Foundation enrollment is a count of the number of pupils for whom a school district is financially

responsible on October 1st of any given year. It is comprised primarily of local resident school children

attending their community’s local or regional

school district. However, it also includes

students for whom the District is paying

tuition, such as those at Commonwealth

Charter Schools, other school districts, special

education schools, and other settings. In order

to be included, a student must be officially

enrolled on October 1st. Those who leave in

September or arrive after October 1st are not

counted. A student who happens to be absent

on October 1st is included nonetheless; this is a

measure of enrollment, not attendance. DESE

computes foundation enrollment using pupil-

specific data submitted by each district

through the Student Information Management System. A district’s foundation pupil headcounts are

applied to specific cost rates to arrive at the upcoming year’s foundation budget.

To forecast future enrollment, Holyoke Public Schools uses a four-year average method for both the

District enrollment and enrollment at charter schools and school choice. Total foundation enrollment is

the combination of all these projections. The chart shows that In-District enrollment is shrinking while

enrollment in Charter and School Choice have increased over the years. If this trend continues, it puts a

strain on the rest of the District budget and we are forced to make reductions in other areas to make up

for the loss in revenue and increase in expenses.

ACTUAL ENROLLMENT

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015

Foundation Enrollment 6,189 6,463 6,478 6,639 6,552

Charter School Enrollment 886 824 843 799 725

School Choice Enrollment 383 385 339 339 321

Estimated In District Enrollment 5,293 5,366 5,344 5,366 5,573

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Stu

de

nt

Po

pu

lati

on

(in

th

ou

san

ds)

Foundation Enrollment History & Projections

HPS Enrollment Holyoke Charter


Actual enrollment is a headcount of students attending Holyoke Public Schools on October 1st of any given

year. This enrollment differs from foundation enrollment because it only includes students in the District

as opposed to all students for which the District is financially responsible.

For FY 2019, the District’s foundation enrollment is 6,189, while actual enrollment in Holyoke Public

Schools is estimated to be closer to 5,293. Understanding how foundation enrollment is calculated is

essential to understanding school finance, specifically for Holyoke Public Schools. When students leave

the District to attend a Commonwealth Charter School, they take with them all per pupil funding provided

by the State. This practice adds pressure to the District’s budget. Additional school choice options at

Holyoke Public Schools, such as new middle school experiences, the dual language and P3 programs may

increase enrollment as these attractive options may draw in students who were previously leaving the

District for school choice and charter schools.

Because of dwindling enrollment and revenue streams and the District’s commitment to invest in

classrooms, we had to be creative in the way we deliver services. In order to create funding for our

investments to schools, cuts had to be made away from the classroom. $2.8 million in central office and

District level budget cuts were made to Central Office since the receivership but most of those happened

in FY 17 and FY 18.

CONCLUSION

By utilizing the framework for developing the budget, which included aligning resources to support the

turnaround plan, Holyoke Public Schools’ has closed a $5.2 million budget shortfall while keeping

classroom resources stable next year.

Though we operate in a tough economic environment, Holyoke Public Schools’ will continue to move

forward toward a community working together to prepare our students for their future. By that standard,

this budget is not just a process of fiscal operations, but a part of the larger process to close the

achievement gap and raise the bar of achievement for all.


District Administrators

General Budget Questions:

Anthony W. Soto

Chief Finance & Operations Officer [email protected]

Questions about Policies:

Finance & Operations Anthony W. Soto

Chief Financial &Operations Officer

413.534.2000

ext. 1600

Receivers Office Dr. Stephen Zrike, Jr.

Receiver

413.534.2000

ext. 1300

Strategy and Turnaround Erin Linville

Chief of Strategy and Turnaround 413.512.5302

Human Resources Beth Gage

Chief Talent Officer

413.534.2000

ext. 1500

Family & Community Engagement

TBD

Director of Student Assignment Director of Family Engagement

413.512.5304

Special Education Marianne Currier

Chief of Pupil Services 413.534.2000

Curriculum and Instruction

TBD

Executive Director Curriculum, Instruction,

and Assessment

TBD


Organization and

Financial



Introduction to Holyoke Public Schools

The City of Holyoke is located in Hampden County on the banks of the Connecticut River bordered by

West Springfield on the south; Westfield, Southampton, and Easthampton on the west; and separated

from South Hadley and Chicopee by the Connecticut River on the east. Holyoke is 90 miles west of

Boston; 34 miles north of Hartford, Connecticut; and 150 miles from New York City.


Holyoke is a densely populated city of approximately 23 square miles, with most of its approximately

40,000 residents in the urban core, industrial, commercial and suburban half of the City between the river

and mountain range.

Before European settlement, the area that eventually became the City of Holyoke was used by Native

Americans of the Algonquin and Iroquois tribes for hunting and fishing. Holyoke was first settled in 1745

and was officially incorporated as a town in 1850 and later as a city in 1873.

The first of several

dams was constructed

in 1848 by a group of

wealthy Boston

businessmen to take

advantage of a 57-foot

drop in the river level.

The water power

created by the dam was

transferred to planned

industrial sites through

an extensive series of

7.5 miles of hand dug

canals and raceways to

bring that power to

machine mills and factories. The businessmen also planned and built a system of gridded streets, factory

worker housing and building lots for grander homes for factory owners, giving Holyoke the moniker of

being the first planned industrial city in America. At one point, more than 25 paper mills were in operation

in Holyoke, annually producing the greatest tonnage of paper of any city in the world giving the city its

nickname of “Paper City”. Although there are no longer any paper manufacturers, the dam, canals and

much of the industrial and commercial architecture remain intact. The history of paper related

manufacturing continues with a strong base of paper converting in place of the former paper

manufacturing. Today, Holyoke continues to strongly reflect its industrial history with many of the mills

and associated housing still standing in and near downtown.

Because of the growth of industry, Holyoke’s population grew by over 100 percent between 1860 and

1880 and was established by working-class immigrants, where the first wave of mill workers was


predominantly of Irish heritage. Immigrant populations

continued with significant populations of French

Canadian, Polish, German, and most recently a wave of

migrant population from Puerto Rico since the 1970’s. As

of the 1970 Census, only 3.7% of Holyoke’s population

was of Puerto Rican heritage, while today nearly half of

Holyoke’s population is of Puerto Rican heritage, creating

a rich culture and a unique asset to have the highest

percentage of Puerto Rican population in any City outside

of Puerto Rico itself.

Holyoke is also in close proximity to over 30 colleges and

universities that produce a talented and qualified

workforce for prospective employers in the Pioneer

Valley. In addition to excellent access to major highways

and academic institutions, Holyoke offers existing

infrastructure, affordable housing costs, a growing

workforce, convenient highway access, freight rail service, passenger rail connection under design, and

business development incentives.


Operating Budget Development Process

Holyoke Public Schools’ annual budgeting process is the mechanism by which the District’s priorities are

formulated and resources are allocated. By strategically aligning District goals with financial and human

resource goals, the District is making a direct commitment to attaining those goals.

In this first full budget year of the Receivership, the District altered the entire budget development

process. Continuous improvements have been made to the budget development process, by increasing

the transparency and organization-wide collaboration. These improvements have allowed the District to

invest strategically and improve the quality of service provided to the students.

PLANNING & STRATEGY PHASE

The planning and strategy phase of the budget development process is critical to the overall budget

process. Without proper planning and strategic vision, the operating budget will lack the efficiency and

effectiveness needed to make the decisions of investing the District’s limited resources.

Starting in early November, the Budget Team creates a budget calendar, listing activities and key dates

necessary to develop the budget. The budget calendar is an essential part of the budgeting process as it

communicates the overall project timeline as well as critical deadlines needed to meet the overall

timeline.

Projections and assumptions crucial to the budgeting process are developed. These include program

changes, contract increases, enrollment projections, and anticipated funding levels that are used to

compile a preliminary budget projection. This gives management an early look at potential challenges to

be faced in the coming months.

BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PHASE

The budget development phase is the alignment of the District’s strategic priorities and objectives with

the resources necessary to attain them. During this time, the Budget Team distributes information

necessary to facilitate the budget process to all departments. Departments then return their funding

requests with their needs and priorities for the upcoming year. The departments are also asked to provide

specific areas where they would potentially make cuts, should the economic climate warrant the need. It

is important to understand that as 86.8% of the District’s general funds budget comes from State aid, it

must follow the State’s budget process and timeframe.

As the Budget Office compiles departmental requests along with other district-wide costs and forecasted

revenues, a budget projection that specifically identifies the District’s budget deficit is formed. Working

to balance the budget, we analyze departmental submissions for inefficiencies, inaccuracies, and faulty

assumptions. We then examine other areas of the budget where cuts, efficiencies or revenues can be

realized, and present them to the Receiver and his other district leaders for review and recommendations.

The goal is to balance the budget with minimal impact to classrooms and instruction. Schools are then

given a core staff allocation based on the student demographic and enrollment in their school.


Additionally, principals are allocated a per pupil amount that is equitable across all schools. This per pupil

amount is used to develop specific spending plans as determined by the Principals and approved by the

Receiver. Each principal is given the autonomy to use their per pupil allocation and develop a spending

plan that meets the needs of their student population. The per-pupil amount allocated is used to fund

additional staffing, classroom supplies, and other school based services.

BUDGET PROJECTIONS

Through all four phases of the budget process, the Budget Team tracks and releases budget projections

to show stakeholders where the District fiscally stands. Four major status updates are released at

different stages of the process. They are:

1. Initial Projection: An initial projection of next year’s budget is developed during the Planning

and Strategy Phase in November or December. Since most major assumptions are unknown at

this point, conservative assumptions are used. This “worst-case scenario” projection allows the

District to begin planning potential contingencies. Please note that for this budget we do not

present the initial projection because the initial projection was done after the Governor had

already released his budget.

2. Governor’s Budget: In late January during the Development Phase, the Governor releases his

recommended budget for the following year. Since the majority of the assumptions in the

general fund budget rely on the State budget, this projection gives stakeholders a better idea of

where the District’s financial situation really stands.

3. Level Service Budget: Each year, Chiefs are asked to submit a level service budget. These

budget requests are compiled to establish a baseline for the budget. The level service

projection demonstrates the true budget gap. In addition to the Chief budget requests, the

District also compiles all of the school staffing allocations which take up the majority of the

budget. The staffing allocations project next year’s enrollment and sets staffing and spending at

the school level. This school year the level service budget was released using House Ways and

Means revenue info.

4. Final Balanced Budget: To begin the Adoption Phase, when the budget is finally balanced, a

balanced budget projection is released. This projection includes all cuts, additions, and

assumption changes that were made to the level service budget.

BUDGET ADOPTION PHASE

After the operating budget is balanced, the Receiver’s budget is then presented to the School Committee

for information. Additionally, the budget is also presented to the Mayor as part of the City budget process.

During this time, if the State legislature decides to change the revenue amounts from original

recommendations or the District’s expenditure assumptions change, additional meetings are held to

adjust the proposed spending plan. After final revisions are made, the budget is officially adopted by the

Receiver, and then submitted to the City to be combined with the overall budget for adoption by the City

Council.


BUDGET MONITORING

Budgeting is a cyclical process that never ends. After plans are made, the budget is first developed,

adopted, and then it is time to maintain and monitor all accounts. Departments and schools enter orders

which coincide with the programs and plans reflected in their budgets. If plans change or grants are

added, there may be the need to reclassify expenses or transfer funds between various accounts. To help

budgets stay in line with appropriations, analysts meet with Chiefs, department heads, and principals on

a monthly to bi-monthly basis to review spending activity. Up until the tail end of the fiscal year, accounts

must be monitored for surpluses and deficits to ensure that all funds are spent effectively.

OVERVIEW OF THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS

The majority of the assumptions in the general fund budget rely on the State budget, therefore the

District is dependent on this process in order to determine our budget. Below is an overview of the

State budget process, which plays a major role in the District’s budget process.

Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Documents Budget-Writing Steps

Governor's Budget

(January)

The budget begins as the Governor submits a bill on the 4th

Wednesday in January (or five weeks later if at the start of a

new term) to the House of Representatives.

House Ways & Means Budget

The House Ways and Means Committee reviews the

Governor's budget and then develops its own

recommendation.

House Budget

Individual representatives submit budget amendments, which

are then debated on the House floor. Once debated,

amended, and voted on by the full House, it becomes the final

House budget bill and moves to the Senate.


Senate Ways & Means Budget

(April)

The Senate Ways & Means Committee reviews both the

Governor's and House budgets and develops its own

recommendation.

Senate Budget

Individual representatives submit budget amendments, which

are then debated on the Senate floor. Once debated,

amended, and voted on, it becomes the final Senate's budget

bill.

H.1 Revised

State Finance law requires the Governor to submit budget

revisions to his proposed budget if revenue forecasts predict a

shortfall after the original submission.

Conference Committee Budget

House and Senate leadership assign members to a

"conference committee" to negotiate the differences between

the House and Senate bills. The conference committee report

can only be approved or rejected - no additional amendments

can be made.

Vetoes

Once approved by both chambers of the Legislature, the

Governor has ten days to review it. The Governor may

approve or veto the entire budget, or may veto or reduce

particular line items or sections, but may not add anything.

Overrides

The House and Senate may vote to override the Governor's

vetoes. Overrides require a two-thirds roll-call vote in each

chamber.


Final Budget

(June)

The final budget is also known as the General Appropriations

Act (GAA) or "Chapter xxx of the Acts of 2014."


1/24/18Final State

Budget

Governors

Budget

HWM

Update

FINAL

Budget Change

REVENUES FY2018 FY2019 FY2019 FY2019 FY18-FY19 %

Chapter 70 State Aid 71,400,527 71,524,307 71,590,427 71,590,427 189,900 0.3%

Holyoke Required Local Contribution 10,580,654 10,886,435 10,886,435 10,886,435 305,781 2.9%

Required Net School Spending 81,981,181 82,410,742 82,476,862 82,476,862 495,681 0.6%

City Admin NSS (Admin and Parks) (148,400) (148,400) (148,400) (148,400) 0 0.0%

Charter Tuition/Other Revenues 735,832 2,788,098 1,927,950 1,927,950 1,192,118 162.0%

Other Revenue 0 0 0 0 0 0.0%

Adjusted Net School Spending 82,568,613 85,050,440 84,256,412 84,256,412 1,687,799 2.0%

Transportation (Including Xng Guards/Mon) 7,518,000 7,969,080 7,969,080 7,880,404 362,404 4.8%

Leases not eligible for NSS 190,000 190,000 190,000 190,000 0 0.0%

Medicaid 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 0 0.0%

Total General Fund Budget 90,376,613 93,309,520 92,515,492 92,426,816 2,050,203 2.3%

Supplemental Funding 0 0 0 2,988,493 2,988,493 #DIV/0!

TOTAL OPERATING REVENUE 90,376,613 93,309,520 92,515,492 95,415,309 5,038,696 5.6%

EXPENSES

Salaries 44,751,633 46,094,182 45,813,503 46,275,120 1,523,487 3.4%

Supplies & Services 6,168,238 6,291,603 7,697,303 7,074,288 906,050 14.7%

Total Discretionary Expenses 50,919,871 52,385,785 53,510,806 53,349,408 2,429,537 4.8%

Health Insurance 9,678,510 10,333,828 10,216,329 10,216,329 537,819 5.6%

Retirement / Unemployment 2,759,081 2,820,274 2,070,274 2,070,274 (688,807) (25.0%)

Other Benefits 561,000 577,830 561,000 511,000 (50,000) (8.9%)

NEW Unemployment 0 0 750,000 750,000 750,000 #DIV/0!

Utilities 2,359,510 2,406,700 2,426,310 2,353,373 (6,137) (0.3%)

Out of District Tuition 2,570,912 2,699,458 2,530,722 2,979,401 408,489 15.9%

Charter Tuition/School Choice 13,812,622 16,703,723 15,122,518 15,122,518 1,309,896 9.5%

Total Non-Discretionary Expenses * 31,741,635 35,541,813 33,677,153 34,002,895 2,261,260 7.1%

One Time Funding Expiring 0 2,400,000 0 0 0 100.0%

Transportation, Adult Ed, Leases (Non-NSS) 7,715,107 8,159,080 8,070,000 8,063,006 347,899 4.5%

Sub-Total Operating Budget Expenses 90,376,613 98,486,678 95,257,959 95,415,309 5,038,696 5.6%

TOTAL EXPENSES PROJECTED 90,376,613 98,486,679 95,257,959 95,415,309 5,038,696 5.6%

Total FY19 Anticipated Budget Gap 0 (5,177,159) (2,742,467) 0 0

Holyoke Public SchoolsProjected FY19 Budget


Operating Budget Calendar

DECEMBER

Initial budget planning and allocation planning meetings are held.

Current year budget projections updated.

Initial budget outlook to the Receiver.

Bi-monthly meetings are held with Chiefs and department heads to review current year budget.

JANUARY

Memo of FY 2019 budget instructions and budget reductions are sent out to all Chiefs and

Principals.

First meeting with cabinet are held to initiate the FY 2019 budget request.

The Governor’s FY 2019 (House I) proposed budget is announced and analyzed

Bi-monthly meetings are held with school principals and to review current year budget.

FEBRUARY

FY 2019 budget requests are submitted by each cabinet chief.

Budget Team begins vetting budget requests and second meetings are held with appropriate

budget managers.

Targeted reductions to original budget requests are submitted.

School-based staffing allocations are completed.

Analyzing of budget requests continue.

Presentation to School Committee of preliminary budget deficit.

Final budget review meetings are held with all Chiefs and Superintendent.


MARCH

Budget update provided to receiver and school committee based on updated assumptions.

Bi-monthly meetings are held with school principals and Chiefs to review current year budget.

APRIL

House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee (House II) releases budget in early April.



Operating Budget Calendar (Continued)

MAY

Senate releases budget


JUNE

Potential changes to budget appropriation made based on the State’s final adopted budget.

School Committee and Public Hearing on the budget is held City Council hearings on City departmental budgets.

Mayor submits recommended budget to City Council

Receiver approves budget


JULY

Send communication to all departments regarding their approved FY 2018 budget.

Debriefing on the FY 2019 budget to be held.


AUGUST


SEPTEMBER


OCTOBER

October 1st student enrollment numbers posted by the Department of Elementary and

Secondary Education.

Preliminary FY 2019 school-based staffing allocation adjustments made.


NOVEMBER

Preliminary FY 2019 budget projection completed.

The Budget Team begins developing plans and communications for FY 2019 budget.



Holyoke Public Schools General Fund Appropriation Overview

According to Massachusetts General Law, the Holyoke Public School district is a fiscally dependent entity

organized under the City of Holyoke and therefore does not have the authority to tax, issue bonds, or

incur debt. The majority of the District’s general fund budget comes from state aid (86.8%), which is

combined with local funds and appropriated by the City. Because of the significant amount of state funds,

each year the City waits for the decision for funding from the State and then provides its required

contribution.

Holyoke Public Schools’ general fund budget contains the day-to-day costs of providing preschool through

12th grade and adult educational programs. Although there are mandates and minimum requirements as

to how the funds can be used, the general fund is for the most part unrestricted, and used to support the

goals and initiatives valued by the District. The restrictions that most apply to Holyoke when discussing

Net School Spending are:

1. Transportation

2. Adult Education

3. Leases greater than 3 years’ old

4. Capital Improvements exceeding $150,000

5. Long term debt payments

Local Funds$10.9M13.2%

State Funds$71.6M86.8%

Fiscal DependancyFY19 Projected Revenues


CHAPTER 70, FOUNDATION BUDGET, AND NET SCHOOL SPENDING

Chapter 70 is the Massachusetts General Law that establishes funding requirements for public school

districts within the State. The law establishes a minimum funding requirement or “foundation budget,”

for each district that seeks to ensure an adequate education consistent with the Education Reform Act of

1993. The law also defines the payments that make up the foundation budget. The State uses a complex

formula to calculate an adequate funding level, which is based on many factors including each district’s

student demographics. Then, taking into account the community’s wealth, the formula calculates the

City’s required “local contribution” (the amount the municipality can afford). For FY 2019 this amount is

$10.9 million. The State then funds the remaining amount with Chapter 70 Aid, which for FY 2019 is $71.5

million. Below is a list of cities with the lowest local contribution in the state in 2018.

District Enrollment Budget LOCAL Contribution CH. 70 Aid % Local Contribution

Lawrence 15,364 $194,290,562 $10,120,196 $184,170,366 5.21%

Springfield 29,599 $380,228,842 $38,246,693 $341,982,149 10.06%

Holyoke 6,189 $80,272,516 $10,886,435 $71,524,307 13.21%

Greater

Lawrence 1,543 $28,881,110 $4,493,370 $24,387,740 15.56%

Athol

Royalston 1,658 $18,697,124 $3,209,435 $17,352,600 15.61%

New Bedford 13,726 $171,850,641 $28,496,221 $143,354,420 16.58%

Chelsea 7,211 $93,471,175 $17,300,828 $76,170,347 18.51%

Fall River 11,796 $148,117,901 $29,653,676 $118,464,225 20.02%

Brockton 17,802 $216,450,172 $43,599,345 $172,850,827 20.14%

Cities with the Lowest Local Contribution in the State of MA


Ch. 70 Aid + Local Contribution = Required Net School Spending

Also included in Chapter 70 is the calculation for meeting “net school spending,” or the minimum amount

that a municipality and school district must spend on education during the fiscal year. Required net school

spending is the sum of Chapter 70 aid and the required local contribution as determined by the

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Below is the preliminary net school spending

(NSS) requirement for FY 2019 as well as a trend for the last 5 years. Final numbers are determined upon

approval of the State budget.

Net School Spending Requirement

FY 2019 FY 2018 FY 2017 FY 2016 FY 2015

Enrollment 6,189 6,463 6,478 6,639 6,552

Required District Contribution

10,886,435 $ 10,580,654 $ 10,380,314 $ 10,055,521 $ 9,692,069

Chapter 70 Aid 71,590,427 $ 71,400,527 $ 70,897,779 $ 70,541,434 $ 69,785,403

Required Net School Spending

$82,476,862 $81,981,181 $81,278,093 $80,596,955 $79,477,472

Holyoke Public Schools ‐ Actual Net School Spending

Historically, the Holyoke Public School spending has met or exceeded the net school spending

requirement consistently over the years with the exception of 2016 and 2012. The fact that the City of

Holyoke has exceeded the minimum requirement in any year is a testament to their commitment to

adequately fund education in Holyoke. In FY 2016 the District was forced to solve a $1 million budget

shortfall in transportation. Because resources were drained from educational budget line items that count

towards the net school spending requirement, and instead were redirected to cover the transportation

deficit, the City did not meet its net school spending requirement in that year.

Every year, the District develops a budget at the minimum net school spending requirement amount.

Because the schools are allowed to carryover any unspent funds from the previous year, this has allowed

the schools to spend above the net school spending amount in some years. For FY 2018, it has been clear

during the budget development process that the City does not intend on budgeting above the NSS

requirement. Based on this, the District developed the FY 2018 budget assuming that we will be funded

at the minimum required amount. Below is a trend of the Holyoke Public Schools net school spending

requirement and actual net school spending requirement based on information obtained on the DESE

website:


FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017FY 2018

Budget

Actual Net School

Spending$76,190,441 $79,433,593 $80,384,902 $80,057,058 $79,912,931 $82,210,809

82,097,573$

Required Net School

Spending$76,399,997 $78,863,490 $79,084,666 $79,477,472 $80,596,955 $81,962,117

81,981,181$

Amount Over / (Under) NSS($209,556) $570,103 $1,300,236 $579,586 ($684,024) $248,692 $116,392


BUDGETARY APPROPRIATION

Holyoke Public Schools’ general fund budget appropriation is arrived at based on the formula shown

below. The process begins by taking the Department of Elementary and Secondary Educations (DESE) net

school spending (NSS) requirement and reducing it by “Schedule 19,” a DESE allowable charge for indirect

costs of City administrative services provided to the District (Treasury, Procurement, Auditor, and

Maintenance of school parks). In order to meet the minimum net school spending requirement, the

District then adds any projected Charter Reimbursement based on the latest Cherry Sheet available from

the State. This is then referred to as the adjusted net school spending requirement. To arrive at the

District’s total appropriation, the funding of the adult education program, leases greater than three years

old, and costs of providing students with transportation to and from school are added in. These amounts

are broken out because expenditures for these do not count towards the expenditures required to meet

net school spending, and are therefore appropriated in addition to the net school spending budget.

2018 2019

Budget Budget Change %Chg

Net School Spending 81,981,181 82,476,862 495,681 0.6%

- Schedule 19 (148,400) (148,400) 0 0.0%

+ Other Revenue 0 0 0 0.0%

+ Charter Tuition 735,832 1,927,950 1,192,118 162.0%

Adjusted NSS Subtotal 82,568,613 84,256,412 1,687,799 2.0%

Transportation (Including Xng Guards/Mon) 7,518,000 7,880,404 362,404 4.8%

Adult Ed and Leases 190,000 190,000 0 0.0%

Medicaid and Carryover 100,000 100,000 0 0.0%

Total School Appropriation 90,376,613 92,426,816 2,050,203 2.3%

Carryover from Prior Year 0 0 0 0.0%

Total Operating Budget 90,376,613 92,426,816 2,050,203 2.3%

Below Expenses are NSS Eligible in Other City Budgets

Health Insurance 9,678,510 10,216,329 537,819 5.6%

Retirement/Unemployment 2,759,081 2,070,274 (688,807) (25.0%)

Charter Tuition / School Choice 13,812,622 15,122,518 1,309,896 9.5%

Total Expenses in Other City Budgets 26,250,213 27,409,121 1,158,908 4.4%

Net School Budget Appropriation 64,126,400 65,017,695 891,295 1.4%


Historically, the District has also budgeted other items that qualify for net school spending, in other

budgets outside of the school department appropriation. These costs are Fringe Benefits and

Charter/Choice assessments. In order to arrive at the school department appropriation, these costs are

backed out of the total operating budget. Although our required net school spending slightly increased,

the majority of the expenses that increased were non-discretionary in nature. Transportation and fringe

benefit costs were major cost drivers to the District. When adjusted, the overall school department

appropriation was increased by $891,295 to $65,017,695. This also includes a change of including

Unemployment costs in the school’s general ledger. If this change were not made for FY 2019 then the

budget increase would only be $141,295 which is less than the amount transportation increased. In other

words, the budget appropriation for the schools really decreased for this upcoming year if you take out

transportation and fringe. This was a very challenging budget year for HPS and difficult decisions had to

be made as well as the utilization of one-time funding sources.

Many Districts choose to spend more than their required spending level. Based on the legal

requirements and restrictions established with the foundation budget and minimum net school

spending requirements, the school department is not allowed to include the Central Office lease

payments, transportation costs, adult education costs, or long term debt payments in the amount

required to meet the minimum net school spending baseline. Those costs are in addition to the net

school spending appropriation and must be funded by the City. Failure to meet the net school spending

requirement will be determined by completion of the End of Year Financial Report and there is a

compliance mechanism in place with fiscal penalties for Districts not meeting the minimum

requirement.


MAJOR BUDGET COST DRIVERS

Often spoken about as major forces driving the

District’s budget increase each year are the

areas of employee compensation, employee

benefits (such as health insurance, retirement,

accrued sick and vacation time, and retiree

health benefits), charter tuition / school

choice, and special education out-of-district

tuition. The reason that these expenses are

considered cost-drivers is because they are

significant in value and even slight increases

have a big impact on the overall budget. In

most cases they are legally required. In FY

2019, we will continue our investment of a

performance based compensation system that

rewards our most talented educators.

EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE

Holyoke Public Schools covers up to 76% of the total cost of all full-time employee healthcare premiums.

As shown on the graph, average health plan costs

in the City will rise significantly for FY 2019. This

puts a strain on the budget, as annual increases

are higher than revenue growth, warranting the

need for cuts elsewhere in the budget. In addition

to changes in premiums, future growth in total

health insurance costs will also be impacted by

expected personnel changes, such as an increase

in the number of retirees, an increase in staff due

to enrollment changes and program adjustments,

and other fluctuations. For FY 2019, $9.3 million

has been budgeted in the general fund for current

and retiree health insurance premiums.

RETIREE COSTS AND UNEMPLOYMENT

For FY 2019, the increase in retirement and unemployment costs is expected to be $71,000. Pension costs

will continue to climb as people live longer, healthier lives. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the

average life expectancy in 2010 was 78.3 years, which is up by 10.6% over the past 40 years. On average,

$57$58$59$60$61$62$63$64

$59.2

$60.5

$61.9

$63.5

Sala

ries

(In

th

ou

san

ds)

Average Teacher Salary

$0

$2

$4

$6

$8

$10

FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19

$7.2 $7.1$7.9 $8.3

$9.0

He

alth

Pla

n C

ost

(In

th

ou

san

ds)

Average Health Plan Costs


Holyoke Public Schools’ pays over $353,083 per month for retiree health insurance premiums, which

equates to $4.2 million per year.

OUT OF DISTRICT TUITION

24% of the Districts students are considered students with learning disabilities. Some of the needs of these students are so severe that the District cannot meet the learning needs and has to send them to out of District placements. Unfortunately, the funding that we receive from the state for these students is not adequate to cover the costs. In order to comply with the needs of these students, this means the District cuts elsewhere in the budget to fund these costs. In 2019 the District is estimating it will spend $6.8 million in out of district costs and the funding provided by the state is short by $3.9 million as depicted in the chart. CHARTER SCHOOL TUITION / SCHOOL CHOICE

Being an urban school district, Holyoke Public Schools naturally has a high transient population. This

characteristic makes it quite difficult to accurately track and project student enrollment between schools.

Although the task can be difficult, estimating student enrollment is a critical function necessary for the

District to appropriately staff buildings and project funding.

FOUNDATION ENROLLMENT

Foundation enrollment is a count of the number of pupils for whom a school district is financially

responsible on October 1st of any given year. It

is comprised primarily of local resident school

children attending their community’s local or

regional school district. However, it also

includes students for whom the District is

paying tuition, such as those at

Commonwealth Charter Schools, other school

districts, special education schools, and other

settings. In order to be included, a student

must be officially enrolled on October 1st.

Those who leave in September or arrive after

October 1st are not counted. A student who

happens to be absent on October 1st is

included nonetheless; this is a measure of

enrollment, not attendance. DESE computes foundation enrollment using pupil-specific data submitted

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Stu

de

nt

Po

pu

lati

on

(in

th

ou

san

ds)

Foundation Enrollment History & Projections

HPS Enrollment Holyoke Charter

FY17 FY18 FY19

Out of District Tuition 6,100,000$ 6,600,000$ 6,850,000$

Ch 70 Revenue (1,584,196)$ (1,628,477)$ (1,589,265)$

Circuit Breaker Revenue (1,263,608)$ (1,415,000)$ (1,400,000)$

TOTAL NET OOD COST 3,252,196$ 3,556,523$ 3,860,735$

OOD LEGACY COSTS


by each district through the Student Information Management System. A district’s foundation pupil

headcounts are applied to specific cost rates to arrive at the upcoming year’s foundation budget.

To forecast future enrollment, Holyoke Public Schools uses a four-year average method for both the

District enrollment and enrollment at charter schools and school choice. Total foundation enrollment is

the combination of all these projections. The chart shows that In-District enrollment is shrinking while

enrollment in Charter and School Choice have increased over the years. If this trend continues it puts a

strain on the rest of the District budget and we are forced to make reductions in other areas to make up

for the loss in revenue and increase in expenses.

ACTUAL ENROLLMENT

Actual enrollment is a headcount of students attending Holyoke Public Schools on October 1st of any given

year. This enrollment differs from foundation enrollment because it only includes students in the District

as opposed to all students the District is financially responsible for.

For FY 2019, the District’s foundation enrollment is 6,189, while actual enrollment in Holyoke Public

Schools is estimated at 5,293. Understanding how foundation enrollment is calculated is essential to

understanding school finance, specifically for Holyoke Public Schools. When students leave the District to

attend a Commonwealth Charter School, they take with them all per pupil funding provided by the State.

This practice adds pressure to the District’s budget. Additional school choice options at Holyoke Public

Schools, such as the dual language, the launch of new middle schools, and the P3 program may increase

enrollment as these attractive options may draw in students who were previously leaving the District for

school choice and charter schools.

SCHOOL CHOICE AND CHARTER SCHOOLS

While the District is making progress on its turnaround, we still have families that opt for their children to attend Charter schools and other Districts. The following charts show our historical trends in School Choice and Charter Schools.

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015

Foundation Enrollment 6,189 6,463 6,478 6,639 6,552

Charter School Enrollment 886 824 843 799 725

School Choice Enrollment 383 385 339 339 321

Estimated In District Enrollment 5,293 5,366 5,344 5,366 5,573


0137

FY

FTE

Pupils Tuition

FTE

Pupils Tuition

2008 20.3 105,487 219.4 1,359,063

2009 22.0 110,000 226.6 1,368,528

2010 18.0 92,692 219.7 1,282,691

2011 12.6 69,324 258.9 1,509,446

2012 19.4 104,419 259.6 1,431,334

2013 32.2 168,861 291.4 1,761,438

2014 50.2 259,782 311.6 1,897,966

2015 51.7 274,673 334.3 2,041,216

2016 52.7 293,066 337.0 2,134,577

2017 70.0 393,484 373.3 2,338,760

Receiving Sending

School Choice Trends in Enrollment and Tuition

0137 HOLYOKE

0.0

50.0

100.0

150.0

200.0

250.0

300.0

350.0

400.0

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

N F

TE P

up

ils

Receiving FTE Pupils Sending FTE Pupils


As charter schools become more popular, the costs incurred by the District from these charter schools

increases. Over the past three years, the net costs associated with charter schools and school choice has

increased significantly. The City currently has 2 Commonwealth Charter Schools but students also elect

to enroll in Charter Schools in surrounding Districts.

In the first year of a charter school’s operation, the State reimburses the District 100% for charter tuition

costs with Chapter 46 Aid. For the five years following the first year, the reimbursement rate is set at

25%, and then it drops to 0% in year six. Therefore, while the District’s charter tuition cost is increasing,

the reimbursement for this cost remains at 25% until it drops off in year six. This puts a strain on the rest

of the budget.

When students leave to attend a charter school, the District is not financially burdened with the costs of educating these students, but the District is still left with legacy costs associated with retiree health insurance and pension costs. In addition, there are other legacy costs that stay with the District like utilities, the building principal, and custodians. If 20 or so students leave one of our schools to attend a Charter School, we still end up paying the same amount for a principal, utilities, and the costs to clean the building. Additionally, the state has historically not funded the District 100% according to the Charter Reimbursement formula. As indicated by the red “District Shortage” line, the District has been shorted

2018 2017 2016 2015 2014

Charter Enrollment 824 843 799 725 722

HPS Reimbursement 1,550,967$ 1,711,513$ 1,694,132$ 2,422,850$ 1,889,557$

Fully Funded Amount 2,573,563$ 2,649,290$ 2,589,410$ 3,064,199$ 2,641,074$

District Shortage (1,022,596)$ (937,777)$ (895,278)$ (641,349)$ (751,517)$


an average of $900,000 in Charter Reimbursement funding based on the formula set forth by the state.


EXPENDITURES

The chart below depicts the breakdown of the general fund budget into $1 investments:

*Please note that OOD tuition includes SPED OOD tuition, Charter School Assessments, and School Choice Assessments

Amounts per Dollar

Spent

OOD Tuition $0.19

Salaries and Wages $0.49

Supplies and Services $0.07

Transportation and Other $0.08

Utilities $0.02

Other Fringe $0.14

TOTAL $1.00


General Fund – Divisional Budget

2018

Budget 2019

Budget Change % Chg

Curriculum & Instr. 817,141 1,070,516 253,375 31.0%

Operations & Finance 14,584,928 15,031,115 446,187 3.1%

Family and Community 168,872 251,903 83,031 49.2%

Human Resources 425,075 496,934 71,859 16.9%

Receiver/School Committee 832,579 792,248 (40,331) (4.8%)

Schools 64,742,596 67,899,232 3,156,636 4.9%

Special Education 8,235,709 9,873,361 1,637,652 19.9%

Total General Fund 89,806,900 95,415,309 5,608,409 6.2%

*The increase in curriculum & Instruction is investments made in curriculum for the upcoming year as well as having to cover staff that were previously budgeted on grants. The increase in Operations and Finance is primarily

due to the increase in Transportation costs. HR increased due to the department taking on the benefits office which was previously in another department. Family and Community is up because we added a position of enrollment center manager. SPED increase is due to an increase in out of District tuition as well as the transitions program

being moved to the SPED cost center.

Curriculum & Instr.1.1%

Operations & Finance15.8%

Family and Community

0.3%

Human Resources0.5%

Receiver / School Committee

0.8%

Schools71.2%

Special Education10.3%

FY 2019 Projected Expenses by Function


Curriculum and Instruction

MISSION

Curriculum and instruction (C&I) under the direction of the Director of Curriculum and Instruction,

provides instructional leadership and curriculum support across academic disciplines to impact student

achievement and promote lifelong learning. C&I ensure the alignment and delivery of a variety of

instructional programs and support services for core instructional programs, targeted professional

development for teachers, remedial and accelerated learning opportunities for students, and

exceptional student education, to provide an optimal and equitable education for all students.


24.7%

17.0%14.2%

0.0%

2.9%11.2%

13.0%

24.0%

0.6%

FY 2019 Curriculum & InstructionGeneral Fund Budget by Department

Academics

Art

Early Education

ELA/Humanities

ELL

Extended Learning

Math

Music

Physical Education

2018

Adopted

2019

Budget Change % Chg

Academics 358,833 264,450 (94,383) (26.3%)

Art 7,248 6,448 (800) (11.0%)

Early Education 1,750 55,050 53,300 3,045.7%

ELA/Humanities 14,900 - (14,900) (100.0%)

ELL 105,346 222,213 116,867 110.9%

Extended Learning 119,710 120,085 375 0.3%

Math 250 139,000 138,750 55,500.0%

Music 202,604 256,770 54,166 26.7%

Physical Education 6,500 6,500 - N/A

Total Curriculum & Instr. 817,141 1,070,516 253,375 31.0%


2018

Adopted

2019

Budget Change % Chg

Personnel Services 605,611 721,837 116,226 19.2%

Supplies & Services 211,530 348,679 137,149 64.8%

Total Curriculum & Instr. 817,141 1,070,516 253,375 31.0%

2018

Budget

2019

BudgetChange

General Fund 11.0 7.5 (3.5)

Special Revenues 11.5 10.0 (1.5)

Total FTE's 22.5 17.5 (5.0)

Summary of FTE's for Curriculum & Instruction


Operations and Finance

MISSION

The Budget Team, under the direction of the Chief Financial and Operations Officer (CFOO), and in

collaboration with principals and administrative department heads, develops individual school and

department budgets, which comprise the operating budget for the District; provides support and

oversight; and maintains compliance with federal, state, and local laws as well as policies set by the

Receiver. In addition, the CFOO also oversees the Facilities, Transportation, Technology, and Food

Service Departments.


6.3%

17.0%

14.2%

52.4%

FY 2019 Finance & OperationsGeneral Fund Budget by Department

Business Office

Facilities

IT

Transportation

2018

Adopted

2019

Budget Change % Chg

Business Office 977,024 954,027 (22,998) (2.4%)

Facilities 4,514,613 4,543,553 28,940 0.6%

IT 1,568,184 1,653,130 84,946 5.4%

Transportation 7,525,107 7,880,404 355,297 4.7%

Total CFOO 14,584,928 15,031,114 446,186 3.1%

2018

Adopted

2019

Budget Change % Chg

Personnel Services 1,675,514 1,838,146 162,632 9.7%

Supplies & Services 12,909,414 13,192,968 283,554 2.2%

Total CFOO 14,584,928 15,031,114 446,186 3.1%

2018

Budget

2019

BudgetChange

General Fund 87.6 84.5 (3.1)

Special Revenues 2.5 3.6 1.1

Total FTE's 90.1 88.1 (2.0)

Summary of FTE's for CFOO



MISSION

The Department of Family and Community Engagement was created in early 2016 to enable the district’s strategic priority to engage students, families and communities so we create an essential support network to address our students’ needs. At HPS, we believe families and community members are essential partners in our shared success. Our department’s vision is for HPS to have highly effective relationships with a significant number of actively engaged families and community partners, who are empowered and committed to lifelong learning, and who trust in and contribute to their children’s classrooms and HPS as the best educational option for their children. Our work revolves around five distinct areas:

1. School-Home Alignment, facilitating educational and informational opportunities for parents as

well as supporting teachers to directly engage families.

2. Welcoming & Inclusive Schools, by supporting parent leadership and volunteering opportunities at the schools, providing language access for families, and helping families navigate the school system and its policies

3. Interventions & Support, by implementing systems to foster good attendance, participate in initiatives for student support, and manage enrollment procedures and parent concerns

4. Family Events & Community Outreach, by facilitating family engagement events at the schools, providing culturally competent tools and resources, and developing community outreach initiatives

5. Community Partnership to Support Schools, by identifying partners, volunteers and coalitions in

support of families and our schools

2018

Adopted

2019

Budget Change % Chg


Supplies & Services 30,100 36,542 6,442 21.4%

Total FACE 168,872 251,903 83,031 49.2%

2018

Budget

2019

BudgetChange

General Fund 3.5 4.5 1.0


Total FTE's 15.5 16.5 1.0

Summary of FTE's for FACE


Human Resources

MISSION

Our Human Resource Department works in partnership with a variety of stakeholders to create strategic

partnerships while providing quality, customer driven human resource services in order to support the

district’s strategic priorities and turnaround efforts, and to elevate the quality of our workforce. We are

committed to developing and delivering innovative human resource programs that promote effective,

systematic, efficient, and timely management of human resource functions.

Our core services and competencies include recruitment, hiring, retention, employee relations, labor

relations, organizational and employee development, risk management, performance management,

compensation and benefits, Human Resource information management, and regulatory compliance.

2018

Adopted

2019

Budget Change % Chg


Supplies & Services 118,015 114,477 (3,538) (3.0%)

Total HR 425,075 496,934 71,859 16.9%

2018

Budget

2019

BudgetChange



Total FTE's 4.0 7.0 3.0

Summary of FTE's for HR


Pupil Services

MISSION

The Office of Pupil Services provides students the opportunity to receive high quality education in the least restrictive environment through the provision of specialized services and supports that meet their unique learning, social, emotional, and behavioral needs. It is our mission to collaborate with the school community, families, students, and community stakeholders to ensure the academic, social, and emotional success of every learner.


30.2%

17.0%

14.2%

10.0%

2.9%

3.1% 1.3%

FY 2019 Pupil ServicesGeneral Fund Budget by Department

OOD

Psychologists

Related Services

SETLs

Special Education

SPED Summer School

Transitions

2018

Adopted

2019

Budget Change % Chg

OOD 2,410,212 2,979,401 569,189 23.6%

Psychologists 401,522 457,522 56,000 13.9%

Related Services 3,224,234 3,653,157 428,923 13.3%

SETLs 895,500 989,615 94,115 10.5%

Special Education 1,259,020 1,360,845 101,825 8.1%

SPED Summer School 251,321 304,321 53,000 21.1%

Transitions 128,500 128,500 #DIV/0!

Total Pupil Services 8,441,809 9,873,361 1,431,553 17.0%


2018

Adopted

2019

Budget Change % Chg

Personnel Services 4,796,035 5,339,459 543,425 11.3%

Supplies & Services 3,645,774 4,533,902 888,128 24.4%

Total Pupil Services 8,441,809 9,873,361 1,431,553 17.0%

2018

Budget

2019

BudgetChange



Total FTE's 80.0 93.3 13.3

Summary of FTE's for Pupil Services


Special Revenues


FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FEDERAL GRANTSTitle I 5,871,005 5,590,355 5,330,722 5,064,186 Title I - School Support 1,610,500 1,517,106 1,625,000 1,250,000 Supplemental Support - 20,000 - - IDEA - Special Education Entitlement 1,910,467 1,886,348 1,867,578 1,867,578 Sped/21st Century Enhanced 56,381 35,126 35,126 35,126 Sped Program Improvement 35,535 32,535 32,535 32,535 Title IIA - Improving Educator Equality 676,908 666,033 489,818 485,000 Race To The Top (RTTT) - - - Title III - English Language Acquisition 231,878 412,751 181,427 175,000 Title IV-A Student Support & Academic Enrichment 143,160 - LEP Summer Support 11,235 6,669 4,486 4,400 Perkins 174,314 163,985 169,003 165,000 School Redesign Implementation (SIG) - - - - School Redesign Grant (SRG) 681,117 862,371 500,000 Breakfast Expansion - - - 10,000 E.C.: SPED Program Improvement 3,500 2,650 62,819 60,000 McKinney Homeless 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 Mckinney Homeless Emergency Support 5,000 - 21st Century Community Learning 789,295 826,351 831,565 830,000 Teen Pregnancy Prevention 69,300 - - - Distance Federal Learning - - - - Miscellaneous Federal Grants 1,850,130 1,597,182 1,500,000 1,500,000 TOTAL FEDERAL GRANTS 13,330,448 13,478,208 13,180,610 12,018,825

STATE GRANTSELL Enrichment Programs - - - Literacy Partnerships-GR2 - - - Kindergarten Enhancement Program 172,050 - - Adult Education Learning Center 442,892 446,764 424,847 400,000 Summer Meals Expansion - 14,561 - - Financial Literacy Program - - - - Academic Support Services 10,772 - - Class 2003- Summer - - - - HighSchool Partnerships 2,948 - - - Summer Academic Support 8,775 35,528 35,528 35,000 Targeted Summer Support - 15,562 15,000 15,000 After School Programs 20,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 Support Underperforming Districts/Intervention - 295,712 295,000 295,000 Safe Environments/ Alternative Ed. Programs 20,000 - - IMP Grad Rate 2,983 6,000 6,000 6,000 Miscellaneous State Grants 856,867 847,071 847,071 845,000 TOTAL STATE GRANTS 1,537,287 1,681,198 1,643,446 1,616,000

350,000 623,094 473,094 450,000 TOTAL PRIVATE GRANTS 350,000 623,094 473,094 450,000

REVOLVING FUNDSFood Service Program (Ch. 548 Acts 1948) 3,973,575 4,500,000 4,500,000 4,600,000 Circuit Breaker (Ch. 139 Acts 2006) 1,436,804 1,263,608 1,263,608 1,200,000 Tuition (Ch. 71 Sec. 71F) 288,043 288,043 288,043 735,000 Athletics 33,223 33,223 33,223 35,000 Peg Access 65,000 65,000 65,000 110,000 Sped Tuition/Summer School 134,633 90,000 80,000 50,000 Works and Products 9,863 9,863 9,863 9,000 Rentals 28,416 28,416 40,000 40,000 Theft Damage Restitution 1,858 1,858 1,858 1,500 School Gifts and Contributions 41,988 40,000 35,000 30,000 Miscellaneous Revolving Funds - - TOTAL REVOLVING FUNDS 6,013,402 6,320,011 6,316,595 6,810,500

TOTAL GRANTS & SPECIAL REVENUE 21,231,137 22,102,511 21,613,745 20,895,325


Special revenue funds are accounted for separately from the general fund. Grants from federal and

state agencies or private donors comprise the largest source of special revenue funds available to the

District. These funds are typically for specific programs and may carry many restrictions and reporting

requirements.

Revolving funds comprise the remaining type of special revenue funds. Revolving funds are established

to support ongoing programs with program revenues. These funds include the Circuit Breaker

reimbursement, athletics, and food services program as well as other district programs.

Below are details of major sources of the District’s special revenue funds.

FEDERAL GRANTS

The Federal administration’s strategy has been to maintain and marginally increase support for Title I,

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and level fund or reduce funding for nearly all other

grants. Additionally, they provide resources to improve: supplemental Reading and Math programs; social

services for and the education of homeless students; supplemental education services (academic tutoring

for high needs students); schools in need of improvement; corrective action restructuring; literacy and

Math programs at identified schools (based on review of disaggregated student achievement data); and

required support for non-public schools.

Title I: $5.1 Million

Title I, which is authorized under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), provides resources to local school

districts assisting low achieving students in high poverty schools to meet the State's challenging academic

standards. For FY 19 we are projecting a cut of 5%. The priorities of Title I are to:

Strengthen the core program in schools and provide academic and/or support services to low

achieving students at the preschool, elementary, middle, and high school-levels in support of ESSA

goals.

Provide programs based on scientific research that enables participating students to achieve the

learning standards of the State curriculum frameworks.

Elevate significantly the quality of instruction by providing staff with substantial opportunities for

professional development.

Involve parents of participating public and private school children in the development of and

participation in the program, activities, and procedures for parents and students to improve

student achievement.

IDEA – Special Education Entitlement: $1.9 Million

This federal entitlement grant program is to provide funds to ensure that eligible students with disabilities

receive a free and appropriate public education that includes special education and related services


designed to meet their individual needs. These federal special education funds that are provided are

primarily used to fund out of district tuition costs for students in specialized programs not offered by HPS.

Title III - English Language Acquisition: $175,000

The purpose of this federal grant program is to provide funds to improve the educational performance of

English Learners (EL) students by assisting them in learning English and meeting state academic content

standards. The primary objectives of this grant are to:

Increase English proficiency and academic achievement in core academic subjects of Limited

English Proficient students by providing high-qualify language instruction programs and content

area teaching.

Provide high-quality professional development to enable classroom teachers to deliver effective

sheltered content and English language instruction.

Develop, implement, and provide extended day, weekend, and summer opportunities for English

language and academic content instruction for Limited English Proficient students.

Perkins: $165,000

The purpose of this federal grant is to assist school districts in improving secondary-level programs that

meet the definition of career and technical education as contained in the Carl D. Perkins Career &

Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 P.L.109-270 (Perkins IV).

The five key priorities that ESE has identified for increasing student performance statewide include:

preparing students for college and career; strengthening curriculum and instruction; strengthening

educator effectiveness; supporting data use to improve policy decisions and student achievement; and

turning around our lowest performing schools. The Perkins grant program is intended to support all five

(where applicable) by continuously improving career/vocational technical education in Massachusetts

and close the achievement gap for special populations on the Perkins core indicators of performance.

FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM

Established under Chapter 548 in the Acts of 1948, and primarily funded through cash sales and

reimbursements from the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Holyoke Public Schools’ food service program

is a $4-6 million operation that provides meals to students. The majority of the money is used to pay for

the management fee to SODEXO and to pay for all of our food service staff. The program generates a

surplus, which is used to improve the quality of the program and invest in necessary capital in our kitchens

and cafeterias.

CIRCUIT BREAKER PROGRAM

The State special education reimbursement program governed by M.G.L. Ch. 71B §5A, commonly known

as the Circuit Breaker program, reimburses Holyoke Public Schools for the cost of special education

services.


The formula voted by the State Legislature calls for districts to receive 72% reimbursement of their costs

exceeding an amount equal to four times the state-wide average foundation budget per pupil, as

calculated under Chapter 70. However, because Circuit Breaker reimbursements are subject to

appropriation, the actual reimbursement percentage varies. In addition to the regular Circuit Breaker

reimbursements, the “extraordinary relief” program helps districts whose expenses increased by 25% or

more over the prior fiscal year.

For FY 2019 the District is estimating a 72% reimbursement rate. Reimbursements are based on prior

year’s expenses for special education instructional services provided to each student. For FY 2019,

projected Circuit Breaker funds of $1.2 million will be used to offset the budgeted costs of out-of-district

special education tuition.

Circuit Breaker reimbursements are set aside into a special education account. The District may expend

the funds in the year received or in the following fiscal year for any special education services.


Summary of Major Budget Assumptions

Considering that not all factors are known when building a budget, part of the budget process involves

making realistic assumptions about what will happen. Because changes in assumptions can result in

budgetary surpluses or deficits, understanding the underlying foundations of the budget is important for

readers. Assumptions are made by analyzing the best information available at the time. Below are the

major assumptions used by the District when building the FY 2019 Budget.

REVENUE

Final State revenues will be equal to the House Ways and Means Budget

The City will meet their required local contribution.

Circuit Breaker reimbursement will be 72% as determined by the State.

Title I will not be cut by more than 5%

All E-Rate applications will be approved

Turnaround grants will be level funded

EXPENSES

School-based enrollment will be consistent with the enrollment used for the school staffing

allocations

Utility rates will not increase more than estimates as of May 2018

Personnel salary lost time and attrition will be $700,000

Final State assessments will be equal to the House Ways and Means budget

Special education out-of-district tuition costs will be consistent with FY 18 expenses and circuit

breaker will be used to offset these costs

The City will fully fund their transportation and lease obligations


Information


General Fund Budget Forecast

Below is a five-year forecast of projected revenue and expenses by object. Total revenue is expected to

increase by 0.5%, while expenses are also estimated to increase but at a far greater pace. The small

increase in revenue assumes no major changes to the Chapter 70 formula and a continued loss of students

other Districts. We hope to reverse this trend. On the expenses side we expect salaries to increase 2-3%

with the new comp model. Other accounts were adjusted for CPI and Charter/Choice assessments are

expected to increase at a rate of 5% every year. These assumptions are very high level and will be

monitored over the upcoming years. It is very clear to see that the District has a structural deficit and

unless new revenue comes in, major structural changes will need to be made in upcoming years.

Final State

Budget

Proposed

Budget

REVENUES FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023

Chapter 70 State Aid 71,400,527 71,590,427 72,279,423 72,640,820 73,004,024 73,369,044

Holyoke Required Local Contribution 10,580,654 10,886,435 10,609,824 10,662,873 10,716,187 10,769,768

Required Net School Spending 81,981,181 82,476,862 82,889,246 83,303,693 83,720,211 84,138,812

City Admin NSS (Admin and Parks) (148,400) (148,400) (148,400) (148,400) (148,400) (148,400)

Charter Tuition/Other Revenues 735,832 1,927,950 1,735,155 1,561,640 1,405,476 1,264,928

Other Revenue0 0 0 0 0 0

Adjusted Net School Spending 82,568,613 84,256,412 84,476,001 84,716,932 84,977,287 85,255,340

Transportation (Including Xng Guards/Mon) 7,518,000 7,880,404 8,116,816 8,360,321 8,611,130 8,869,464

Adult Ed and Leases 190,000 190,000 190,000 190,000 190,000 190,000

Medicaid and Carryover 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000

Total General Fund Budget 90,376,613 92,426,816 92,882,817 93,367,253 93,878,417 94,414,804

Supplemental Funding 0 2,988,493 0 0 0 0

TOTAL OPERATING REVENUE 90,376,613 95,415,309 92,882,817 93,367,253 93,878,417 94,414,804

EXPENSES

Salaries 44,751,633 46,448,410 47,841,862 49,277,118 50,755,432 52,278,095

Supplies & Services 6,168,238 6,893,600 7,031,472 7,172,101 7,315,543 7,461,854

Total Discretionary Expenses 50,919,871 53,342,010 54,873,334 56,449,220 58,070,975 59,739,949

Health Insurance 9,678,510 10,216,329 10,727,145 11,263,503 11,826,678 12,418,012

Retirement / Unemployment 2,759,081 2,070,274 2,111,679 2,153,913 2,196,991 2,240,931

Other Benefits 561,000 1,261,000 1,273,610 1,286,346 1,299,210 1,312,202

Utilities 2,359,510 2,353,373 2,400,440 2,448,449 2,497,418 2,547,367

Out of District Tuition 2,570,912 2,979,401 4,268,783 4,396,847 4,528,752 4,664,614

Charter Tuition/School Choice 13,812,622 15,122,518 15,878,644 16,672,576 17,506,205 18,381,515

Total Non-Discretionary Expenses * 31,741,635 34,002,895 36,660,302 38,221,633 39,855,253 41,564,640

One Time Funding Expiring 0 0 0 0 0 0

Transportation, Adult Ed, Leases (Non-NSS) 7,715,107 8,070,404 8,306,816 8,550,321 8,801,130 9,059,464

Sub-Total Operating Budget Expenses 90,376,613 95,415,309 99,840,452 103,221,173 106,727,359 110,364,053Pre-K Expansion 0 0 0 0 0 0

Grants/Funds Expiring 0 0 500,000 0 0

TOTAL EXPENSES PROJECTED 90,376,613 95,415,309 99,840,452 103,721,173 106,727,359 110,364,053

0

Total Anticipated Budget Gap 0 (0) (6,957,635) (10,353,921) (12,848,942) (15,949,249)

5 year Financial Forecast



Schools


Holyoke High School

Principal: Dr. Stephen Mahoney

Number of years as principal at current school: 1

Number of years as a principal in HPS: 1

Number of years employed with HPS: 1

Educational background: B.A. Brown University, M.Ed Stanford University, Ed.D Boston College

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Welcome to Holyoke High School. The 2018-19 school year is a signature moment in the history of Holyoke schools. Combining two schools rich in tradition to become one school, two campuses is a decision driven by what a broad coalition of school and community leaders thought was best for students, and was long in design and planning. The school redesign is more than just in name. This year we launch our Linked Learning Academies, our Early College partnership with Holyoke Community College, and return freshmen to the Dean campus. We have a renewed commitment to student internships and co-operative placements in the community and a comprehensive plan to ensure all our students have full access to the opportunities and support created and provided by committed teachers and staff. That staff and I are committed to creating a shared high school experience across our two campuses while at the same time supporting each campus’ unique programs.

I know that the most important work we do at HHS is to push and support our students to become their very best selves. We need our graduates to be thoughtful and informed citizen-leaders, to be creative and productive in their work, and to be the kinds of men and women who care for family and look out for friends and neighbors. Thank you for your support. Go Knights!

Grades: 9-12

FY 2019 Est. Enrollment: 1,565

STAFFING SUMMARY 2017 2018 2019

Teachers 132 116 120.5

Paraprofessionals 32 33 27

Principals / Administrators 9 8 8

Clerks 9 7 7

Counselors 8 7 9

Nurses 4 4 4

Custodians 16 15 15

Other 11.5 17 27

All Funds Staffing Total 221.5 207.0 217.5

SCHOOL BUDGET 2017 2018 2019

GENERAL FUND

Personnel Services $10,837,339 $9,551,855 $9,734,785

Supplies & Services $495,738 $307,030 $316,337

Total General Fund $11,333,077 $9,858,885 $10,051,122


FY 2017 SCHOOL REPORT CARD

Holyoke High School North Campus

PPI All Students

Met PPI? PPI High Needs

Students

Met PPI High Needs Students?

School Type

500 Beech Street 43.0 NO 49.0 NO HS

(413) 534-2020

Overall Performance Summary*

Accountability & Assistance

Level

All districts and schools are classified into an accountability and assistance level from 1-5 indicating their placement on the Framework for District Accountability and Assistance, the five-level system approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Districts and schools requiring the least state intervention are classified into Level 1; those requiring the most intervention are classified into Level 5. In general, a district is assigned the level of its lowest performing school.

Level Level

3 School Percentile

6 Description Among lowest performing 20% of schools

Accountability Targets & Actual

Baseline 2014

Target 2014

Actual 2015

Target 2015

Actual 2016

Target 2016

Actual 2017

Target 2017

Actual

91 93.3 94.5 94.0 93.3 94.8 95.3 95.5 92.5

84.2 88.2 85.7 89.5 82.5 90.8 81.6 92.1 77.9

72.2 79.2 82.8 81.5 82 83.8 77.4 77.2 77.2

34.0 >50 44 >50 54 >50 46 >50 44

56.0 >50 41 >50 46 >50 47 >50 27.5 *Refer to http://www.doe.mass.edu for additional information as these results reflect peer groups in MA.

Student Data Teacher Data

Attendance Rate 89.1 % Limited English

Proficient 14.9 % of Teachers Licensed in

Teaching Assignment 94.7 Enrollment 1285 % Special Education 16.6

Graduation Rate 75.4 % First Language not

English 42.8

% of Core Academic Classes Taught by Teachers Who are

Highly Qualified 91.2

Dropout Rate 3.4 High Needs 68.3

In-School Suspension Rate 0.9 % African America 2.6

Out-of-School Suspension Rate 10.4 % Asian 1.0

Retention Rate 8.8 % Hispanic 72.1 Student / Teacher Ratio 16.4 to 1

Unexcused Absences >9 49.1 % White 22.7



Holyoke High School Dean Campus

PPI All Students

Met PPI? PPI High Needs

Students


School Type

1045 Main Street 36.0 NO 45.0 NO HS

(413) 534-2071



Level


Level Level

4 School Percentile

1 Description Among lowest achieving and least improving schools

Accountability Targets & Actual CPI & Growth by Subject

Baseline 2014

Target 2014

Actual 2015

Target 2015

Actual 2016

Target 2016

Actual 2017

Target 2017

Actual

ELA CPI 72.3 79.2 77.4 81.5 74.3 83.8 79.9 83.8 86.2

Math CPI 63.7 72.8 56.1 75.8 51.4 78.8 53.8 78.8 81.9

Science CPI 53.1 64.8 44.3 68.7 45.5 72.6 49.6 72.6 76.6 ELA SGP 35.5 >50 50 >50 27 >50 36 >50 25

Math SGP 49.5 >50 33.5 >50 25.5 >50 27 >50 22 *Refer to http://www.doe.mass.edu for additional information as these results reflect peer groups in MA.





Graduation Rate 59.1 % First Language not

English 63.5



Dropout Rate 17.1 High Needs 91.7

In-School Suspension Rate 0.0 % African America 2





Holyoke STEM Academy

Principal: KatieAnne DeMars




Education background: B.S. Western New England University, M.B.A. Western New England University


Welcome to the Holyoke STEM Academy. I strive to empower all students to develop and apply problem solving, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills through a focus on student-centered learning. Holyoke STEM Academy is a high-performing, innovative, and responsive school where all students are passionate learners, resilient problem-solvers, and effective communicators. Holyoke STEM Academy students will be successful in high school and able to compete in an ever-changing world.

Grades: 6-8 FY 2019 Est. Enrollment: 265

STAFFING SUMMARY 2017

2018

2019

Teachers N/A N/A 20

Paraprofessionals N/A N/A 4

Principals / Administrators N/A N/A 3

Clerks N/A N/A 1

Counselors N/A N/A 1

Nurses N/A N/A HS Alloc

Custodians N/A N/A HS Alloc

Other N/A N/A 2

All Funds Staffing Total N/A N/A 31


GENERAL FUND

Personnel Services N/A N/A $1,767,824

Supplies & Services N/A N/A $30,727

Total General Fund N/A N/A $1,798,551


Donahue School

Principal: Marc Swygert




Education background: B.S. Canisius College, M.A. Winthrop University

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL Welcome to Donahue School! Our goal is to provide a safe and supportive learning environment that is conducive to helping students grow in both the academic and socio-emotional realms. We want to empower our students to become innovative thinkers, problem solvers and lifelong learners. We are committed to providing the support and services necessary to make dreams become a reality for our students. Donahue School is committed to creating globally aware students through providing a cognitively demanding curriculum, high quality instruction, and a sense of civic and ethical responsibility in all students. We will nurture collaborative and critical thinking while we support effective communication. The staff and students at the Donahue School are problem solvers, active community members, and work to make Holyoke a vibrant community where diversity is valued and looked upon as an asset. Grades: PK-8

FY 2019 Est. Enrollment: 474


Teachers 41 38 37



Clerks 1 1 1

Counselors 2 2 2

Nurses 1 1 1

Custodians 4 4 4

Other 7 4.5 5

All Funds Staffing Total 94 91.5 93


GENERAL FUND

Personnel Services $3,785,622.00 $3,785,741 $3,815,573

Supplies & Services $70,905.00 $17,501 $4,741




Donahue School PPI

All Students Met PPI?

PPI High Needs

Students


School Type

Whitings Farm Road

EMS

(413) 534-2069



Level


Level Level School Percentile

Description No Level – students participated in Next Generation

MCAS


Baseline 2014

Target 2014

Actual 2015

Target 2015

Actual 2016

Target 2016

Actual 2017

Target 2017

Actual

ELA CPI 74.6 81.0 68.6 83.1 70.2 85.2 67.1 NA NA

Math CPI 63.7 72.8 58.3 75.8 55.9 78.8 56.8 NA NA Science CPI 55.3 66.5 47.8 70.2 50.4 73.9 56.6 NA NA

ELA SGP 50.0 >50 42.0 >50 42.0 >50 36.0 NA NA

Math SGP 56.0 >50 42.0 >50 36.0 >50 38.5 NA NA *Refer to http://www.doe.mass.edu for additional information as these results reflect peer groups in MA.





Graduation Rate - % First Language not

English 38.3



Dropout Rate - High Needs 85.8






Kelly School

Principal: Luis Soria

Number of years as principal at current school: First Year

Number of years as a principal in HPS: First Year

Number of years employed with HPS: Third Year

Education background: B.S. Loyola University of Chicago, M.Ed. Benedictine University, Ed.D Boston College (anticipated)


Dear Kelly families: It is with great honor that I invite you to join our ongoing journey to create a year of excellence for Kelly scholars. We will continue to empower teachers, support students, and promote family engagement. We will facilitate rigorous instruction and continue to develop a school where safety, respect, accountability, and high expectations are clearly evident. It is our commitment to foster a school climate that empowers our scholars to be reflective and responsible citizens and to serve as productive members of our community. We will continue to focus on daily high quality instruction and increase our parent engagement as these are the pillars of a successful school. We will further develop a culture of high school and college readiness. We will build a shared understanding regarding these goals with parents and teachers and work together to ensure that every student is ready to achieve these goals. Kelly FCSS will partner with our parents and community members to ensure that our values are reflected in everyday actions. This will be a year of transformation to the members of this valuable community! Grades: PK-4; 6-8



Teachers 41 41 35



Clerks 1 1 2

Counselors 2 1 2

Nurses 1 1 1

Custodians 5 4.5 4.5

Other 3 3 5

All Funds Staffing Total 67 65.5 61.5


GENERAL FUND






Kelly School PPI


PPI High Needs

Students


School Type

216 West Street EMS

(413) 534-2078



Level




MCAS


Baseline 2014

Target 2014

Actual 2015

Target 2015

Actual 2016

Target 2016

Actual 2017

Target 2017

Actual

ELA CPI 54.3 65.7 49.7 69.5 50.4 73.3 55.2 NA NA Math CPI 45.2 58.9 51.8 63.5 54.2 68.0 52.9 NA NA

Science CPI 38.4 53.8 33.7 58.9 43.0 64.1 32.9 NA NA ELA SGP 46.0 >50 36.0 >50 39.0 >50 47.0 NA NA

Math SGP 51 >50 54.0 >50 53.5 >50 46 NA NA *Refer to http://www.doe.mass.edu for additional information as these results reflect peer groups in MA.



Proficient 35.8

% of Teachers Licensed in Teaching Assignment 91.8

Enrollment 544 % Special Education 14.2


English 57.9









Lt Elmer J McMahon School

Principal: Noreen Ewick




Education background: B.S. Westfield State University, M.Ed. American International College


Welcome to Lt. Elmer J. McMahon School where our mission is ambitious and clear. We are committed to educate all of our PreK to 8th Grade Scholars for success in high school, college and career through challenging academics, positive character development and high expectations. In our school, we value respect, excellence, academic achievement, perseverance, and collaboration with families and community as steps to success. We are confident that all McMahon scholars can and will achieve.

Grades: K-8



Teachers 32 31 30



Clerks 2 2 1.5

Counselors 2 2 2

Nurses 1 1 1

Custodians 3 3 3

Other 4 2.5 2.5



GENERAL FUND






McMahon School PPI


PPI High Needs

Students


School Type

75 Kane Road EMS

(413) 534-2062


Accountability & Assistance Level


Level School Percentile

Description No Level – students participated in Next Generation MCAS


Baseline 2014

Target 2014

Actual 2015

Target 2015

Actual 2016

Target 2016

Actual 2017

Target 2017

Actual

ELA CPI 74.3 80.7 65.6 82.9 68.1 85.0 78.0 NA NA

Math CPI 62.0 71.5 64.2 74.7 62.2 77.8 65.8 NA NA

Science CPI 47.9 60.9 48.5 65.3 52.7 69.6 56.0 NA NA

ELA SGP 40.0 >50 34.0 >50 41.0 >50 58.0 NA NA







English 27.1









Lawrence FSCS PreK- 3 Campus

Principal: Catherine Hourihan

Number of years as principal at current school: 5 years

Number of years as a principal in HPS: 5 years

Number of years employed with HPS: 25 years

Education background: B.A. UMass, MAT Our Lady of the Elms

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL Welcome to the Lawrence School! I am honored to serve with exceptional Educators in providing Students and Families with care and guidance in this safe and supportive learning environment. A quote that we live by is, we will do “whatever it takes” for students to become critical thinkers and problem solvers. Through shared leadership, we are making successes possible for all our students.

I have the privilege of working with positive and productive Educators, who dedicate themselves each day to providing quality educational experiences for our students. To ensure students are on a successful path to middle school, high school, and college or career options, all Lawrence PreK-3 Students will read on or above grade level, master foundational skills and problem-solving, and develop critical thinking and positive character.

The Lawrence Community achieves its mission of ensuring the elementary success of every student by providing a quality education based on four core values about teaching and learning.

We believe in determination We believe in respect We believe in achievement We believe in excellence

And, by living our Lawrence Mission and Vision, we are modeling strategies for positive behaviors in school and life. We are committed to our students, and believe they can acquire knowledge and learn the skills necessary to become productive citizens. Our students will make positive contributions to society as a result of the foundations they have received at the Lawrence School.

Grades: PK-3



GENERAL FUND





Teachers 25 24 21.5


Principals / Administrators 3 2.5 2

Clerks 1.5 1.5 2

Counselors 2 2 2

Nurses 1 1 1

Custodians 3 3.5 3.5

Other 6 6 7.6

All Funds Staffing Total 51.5 46.5 43.6



Lawrence School PPI


PPI High Needs

Students


School Type

156 Cabot Street ES

(413) 534-2075



Level



Description


Baseline 2014

Target 2014

Actual 2015

Target 2015

Actual 2016

Target 2016

Actual 2017

Target 2017

Actual

ELA CPI

Math CPI

Science CPI ELA SGP

Math SGP *Insufficient Data Available on DESE website because this is a new school in 2014





Graduation Rate** - % First Language not

English 42.6



Dropout Rate** - High Needs 94.8






Metcalf School

Principal: Amy Burke




Education background: B.A. University of Maine, M.Ed. UMass


Welcome to Joseph Metcalf School. I am honored to serve with exceptional Educators in providing Students and Families with a positive community environment that fosters a love of learning and focuses on teaching the “whole child”.

The vision for the Joseph Metcalf School is to provide students with a rich, high-quality education. In our Dual Language Program that education will be taught in both Spanish and English. Children at Metcalf School will have the opportunity to become fluent speakers, readers, and writers. Our vision for our preschooler is for them to develop the skills necessary to become Kindergarten ready. All of our students will become flexible thinkers with the ability to build life-long friendships with children of different cultures and language backgrounds. Children will achieve their highest potential by having educational opportunities to develop their problem solving skills and social-emotional development making them better equipped to achieve at high levels and be on a path to success in college and career.

Grades: PK-4



Teachers 17 15 17



Clerks 1 1 1

Counselor 0 0.5 .5

Nurses 1 1 1

Custodians 2 2 2

Other 4 1.5 1.5

All Funds Staffing Total 52 43 36


GENERAL FUND



Total General Fund $1,814.054 $1,580,170 $1,613,887



Metcalf Pre-K School PPI


PPI High Needs

Students


School Type

2019 Northampton Street NO NO ES

(413) 534-2104



Level



Description


Baseline 2014

Target 2014

Actual 2015

Target 2015

Actual 2016

Target 2016

Actual 2017

Target 2017

Actual

ELA CPI

Math CPI

Science CPI ELA SGP

Math SGP *No Data available on DESE.





Graduation Rate** - % First Language not

English 31.7



Dropout Rate** - High Needs 63.3

In-School Suspension Rate 0 % African America 5.7

Out-of-School Suspension Rate 0 % Asian 1.1

Retention Rate 0 % Hispanic 59.9 Student / Teacher Ratio 17.6 to 1



Morgan Full Service Community School

Principal: TBD

Number of years as principal at current school: TBD



Education background: TBD

MESSAGE FROM THE FORMER PRINCIPAL Welcome to Morgan Full Service Community School. We will be working together, as partners, to provide the best possible education for your child in a nurturing environment that is student centered and positive. Commitment by all stake-holders is an important part of our educational process and communication is the key to assuring a successful year for your child.

We believe children should learn the academic and social skills to give them the traits necessary to become independent, responsible, life-long learners. While instilling the importance of the treating each other responsible and always trying to do your best we have created The Morgan Way: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe.

Through a culture of excellence, intentional planning and demanding tasks, Morgan School educates students in grades PK-4 for success in middle school and beyond. Grades: PK-4



GENERAL FUND





Teachers 31 32.5 20



Clerks 2 2 2

Counselors 2 2 1

Nurses 1 1 1

Custodians 4 4 4

Other 5 3 3




Morgan School PPI


PPI High Needs

Students


School Type

596 South Bridge Street EMS

(413) 534-2083



Level


Level Level

5 School Percentile

Description Chronically underperforming school


Baseline 2014

Target 2014

Actual 2015

Target 2015

Actual 2016

Target 2016

Actual 2017

Target 2017

Actual

ELA CPI 56.9 67.7 53.9 71.3 49.3 74.9 62.6 NA NA

Math CPI 45.3 59.0 44.1 63.5 38.4 68.1 55.1 NA NA








English 51.6









Peck School

Principal: Sarita Graveline



Number of years employed with HPS: First Year

Education background: B.A. Mount Holyoke College, M.Ed. UMass


Welcome! Our commitment at Peck Full Service Community School is to provide a safe and intellectually challenging environment that will empower students to become innovative thinkers, problem solvers and lifelong learners. We aim to inspire future leaders that are equipped to be agents of change in their communities and beyond.

Our Peck mission is rooted in promoting their intellectual development, creativity, personal accountability, mutual respect, and a commitment to service through developing them in small, personalized, community-oriented settings that support them to rise to the challenges and duties of community citizenship and leadership. We have high expectations for all students, and are committed to supporting their academic, social, and emotional needs as unique individuals. Strong positive relationships between staff, students, and families will be integral to our collective success.

At Peck, our program offers core academic classes, specials classes, an advisory program, targeted student interventions, personalized learning opportunities and enrichments as we work to provide a well-rounded student experience. During the year we will be opening our doors at a variety of events and we welcome all of our extended Peck family to come join us and see what’s new. We look forward to the involvement of our families and the growth of our students. We can't wait to see you!

Grades: 4-8 FY 2019 Est. Enrollment: 325


GENERAL FUND




STAFFING SUMMARY 2017 2018 2019 Teachers 34.4 33.5 30



Clerks 2 1 2

Counselors 3 2 2

Nurses 1 1 2

Custodians 6 7 7

Other 2 15 13

All Funds Staffing Total 70.4 78.5 73



Peck School PPI


PPI High Needs

Students


School Type

1916 Northampton Street EMS

(413) 534-2040



Level




MCAS


Baseline 2014

Target 2014

Actual 2015

Target 2015

Actual 2016

Target 2016

Actual 2017

Target 2017

Actual

ELA CPI 63.9 72.9 49.4 75.9 54.3 78.9 56.0 NA NA

Math CPI 58.5 68.9 47.8 72.3 50.2 75.8 48.7 NA NA








English 53.3









Lt. Clayre Sullivan School

Principal: John D. Breish




Education background: B.A. Hamilton College, M.Ed. UMass

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL Welcome to Lt. Clayre P. Sullivan School where our vision is to prepare all students academically, socially, and emotionally for success in a diverse global society. We are proud to have served Holyoke students and families from Pre-K through grade eight for the past twelve years.

Our students and families hail from many different neighborhoods, backgrounds, and cultures, but what binds us together is the universal desire to help everyone learn at high levels. We do this by providing well-rounded learning experiences that meet the needs of all learners within a student centered, data-driven learning community where we continually collect, analyze, and act on data to identify strategies that help students improve their academic, social, and emotional well-being.

Additionally, we believe that including multiple voices and perspectives in our decision-making is a fundamental value that guides how we do our work. Students voice is increasingly being addressed through student surveys, questionnaires, and our student council. Parent partnerships are cultivated through surveys, conferences, the school PTO, and the Sullivan School Council. Finally, teacher voice and leadership are harnessed through multiple leadership teams and increased structured opportunities to collaborate throughout the day. We hope that you will make Sullivan the school of choice for your family!

Grades: K-8



Teachers 43.5 41 39



Clerks 2 1 1.5

Counselors 2 2 2

Nurses 1 2 3

Custodians 5 5 5

Other 4 3 3

All Funds Staffing Total 82.5 79 76.5


GENERAL FUND






Sullivan School PPI


PPI High Needs

Students


School Type

400 Jarvis Avenue EMS

(413) 534-2060



Level



Description

No Level – students participated in Next Generation MCAS


Baseline 2014

Target 2014

Actual 2015

Target 2015

Actual 2016

Target 2016

Actual 2017

Target 2017

Actual

ELA CPI 77.3 83.0 73.0 84.9 75.7 86.8 78.0 NA NA

Math CPI 69.9 77.4 69.1 79.9 68.5 82.4 70.1 NA NA

Science CPI 57.7 68.3 57.2 71.8 62.4 75.3 56.4 NA NA

ELA SGP 40.5 >50 43.0 >50 53.0 >50 52.0 NA NA







English 43.5









E.N. White School

Principal: Jacqueline Glasheen




Education background: B.S. Salva Regina University, M.Ed. UMass


Welcome to the EN White School. I am proud to work each day with students, families and the staff to create an extraordinary learning environment where we value relationships and support and support one another as we grow as a community together. Through culturally responsive instruction, targeted supports and accountability systems for students and staff, E.N. White School ensures all PreK to grade 5 standards and have the foundations necessary to be successful in grade 6 and beyond. Our number one priority to provide our students instruction each day that is based on a rigorous standards based curriculum that provides all students with opportunities to problems solve, engage with their peers, apply strategies learned and reflect on their learning. Second to instruction is our commitment to consistency improving the climate and culture of our school so that all students, staff, and families are involved in creating a learning environment that is positive, safe, and allows students to feel comfortable taking academic risks. Grades: PK-5 FY 2019 Est. Enrollment: 384


2018

2019

Teachers 38 39 28


Principals / Administrators 3 2 2.5

Clerks 1 1 1

Counselors 1 1 1

Nurses 1 1 1

Custodians 4 4 4

Other 5.5 4.5 4.5

All Funds Staffing Total 72.5 72.5 61


GENERAL FUND


Supplies & Services $29,990 $25,296 $883




E. N. White School PPI


PPI High Needs

Students


School Type

1 Jefferson Street EMS

(413) 534-2058



Level




MCAS

Accountability Targets & 2018 Goal CPI & Growth by Subject

Baseline 2014

Target 2014

Actual 2015

Target 2015

Actual 2016

Target 2016

Actual 2017

Target 2017

Actual

ELA CPI 66.2 74.5 65.0 77.3 61.0 80.2 61.4 NA NA

Math CPI 58.7 69.0 58.5 72.5 53.5 75.9 48.1 NA NA

Science CPI 50.9 63.2 54.1 67.3 62.0 71.4 55.5 NA NA

ELA SGP 39.0 >50 44.0 >50 43.0 >50 41.0 NA NA







English 34.1









Veritas Prep

Principal: Rue Ratray



Number of years employed with HPS: First Year

Education background: B.A. Evergreen State College, M.A.T. Simmons College


Welcome to Veritas Prep Holyoke. I am excited to work this year with families, students, staff, and community members to create the highest quality learning environment for all of our students. Veritas Prep Holyoke is a college prep middle school, where our close-knit community sets high expectations for all students and provides them with daily tutoring and customized supports. The school’s mission is to prepare students in grades 5-8 to compete, achieve, and succeed in high school, college and beyond. Our goal is to do this work in a setting that is safe, supportive, and welcoming to both families and community members. In Fall 2018, Veritas Prep Holyoke will open with 130-150 students in grade 5, growing to serve 515-600 students in grades 5-8 when operating at full capacity. All students zoned for Kelly and Morgan schools are guaranteed a seat at Veritas, although we are accepting applications on a waiting list for a limited number of "options" seats.

Grades: 5 FY 2019 Est. Enrollment: 135-150


2018

2019

Teachers N/A N/A 17

Paraprofessionals N/A N/A 0

Principals / Administrators N/A N/A 2

Clerks N/A N/A 1

Counselors N/A N/A 1

Nurses N/A N/A .5

Custodians N/A N/A 2

Other N/A N/A 2

All Funds Staffing Total N/A N/A 25.5


GENERAL FUND

Personnel Services N/A N/A $1,130,229

Supplies & Services N/A N/A $574,361

Total General Fund N/A N/A $1,704,590


Appendices


Glossary of Terms

Appropriation

An authorization granted by a legislative body to incur obligations and to expend public funds for a stated

purpose. The expenditure of an appropriation is usually limited in amount and time.

Balanced Budget

A budget in which estimated revenues and other resources are equal to or greater than estimated

expenditures.

Budget

A plan of financial operations embodying an estimate of proposed expenditures for a given period and

purpose and the proposed means of financing that plan.

Chapter 70 Aid

Chapter 70 is the Commonwealth’s school funding statute. The program seeks to ensure adequate and

equitable school funding for all Massachusetts public pupils. It defines and calculates an adequate funding

level for each district, given the specific grades, programs, and demographic characteristics of its students.

It then determines how much of the “foundation budget” should be paid for by each city and town’s

property tax, based upon the relative wealth of the community. The remainder is funded by chapter 70

state aid.

E-Rate

E-rate is a federal program of the Federal Communications Commission administered by the Schools and

Libraries Division of the Universal Service Administrative Company that provides eligible K-12 public

schools and libraries 20% to 90% discounts (NOT grants) on approved telecommunications, internet

access, and internal connections costs.

Expenses

Expenses represent the total cost of operations during a period regardless of the timing of related

expenditures.

Fiscal Year

In accordance with M.G.L. Ch. 44 §56, July 1st through June 30th constitutes the mandatory fiscal year for

public school districts.

Fringe (Employee) Benefits

Funds appropriated and expended to pay the employer cost of providing employee health, life, dental,

and vision coverage, FICA and Medicare, and the employer portion of the Massachusetts Teachers

Retirement System and the Holyoke Retirement System.

Food Service Fund


A type of enterprise fund used to record financial transactions related to food service operations.

Foundation Budget

Based on the Education Reform Act of 1993, a foundation budget is the Commonwealth’s calculation for

the minimum amount that a district can spend in order to provide an adequate education to students.

This amount is adjusted each year to reflect the fluctuations in student enrollment, grade level population,

low-income population, English language proficiency, inflation, and city income levels. Inflation is

adjusted each year in accordance with M.G.L. Ch. 70 §12, so the FY 2014 inflation rate is 1.54%.

Function

The basic account identifier for expenditures, it describes the activity for which a service or material is

acquired.

Fund

A fiscal and accounting entity with a self-balancing set of accounts recording cash and other financial

resources, together with all related liabilities and residual equities or balances and charges therein, which

are segregated for the purpose of carrying on specific duties.

Graduation Rate

All Massachusetts public high schools and districts at the grade 9-12 level must meet or exceed the State’s

graduation rate standard for all reportable student groups in order to make AYP. The graduation rate is

one of two criteria (the other being the fulfillment of local requirements) required by the Department as

a condition for high school graduation.

Grants/Categorical

Contributions or gifts of cash or other assets from another government or entity to be used or expended

for a special purpose, activity, or facility.

No Child Left Behind (ESSA)

Signed into law by former President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002, ESSA is the principal federal law

affecting public education from kindergarten through high school. ESSA is built on four pillars: expanded

local control and flexibility; doing what works based on scientific research; accountability for results; and

more options for parents. The goal of ESSA is for all students to reach grade level proficiency in ELA and

Mathematics by the 2013-2014 school year.

Non-Discretionary

Funds appropriated and expended to pay for utilities and/or utility type expenditures. Common

descriptions associated with these types of expenditures are, heat, light, and electric. Other types of

expenditures, such as the fuel for the school buses, may be controlled at this level.

Object

As used in expenditure classification, this term applies to the article purchased or the service obtained.


Operating Budget

The authorized revenues and expenditures for ongoing district services, and is the primary means by

which a district is controlled.

Pupil Enrollment

For any budget year, the number of pupils enrolled.

Purchased Services

Amount paid for services rendered by persons, organizations or other agencies for a service or product

required to obtain the desired results. Examples are travel allowance, heating, lawn equipment repair,

printing, equipment rental, etc.

Revenue

Increase in governmental fund type net current assets from other than expenditure refunds and fund

balance transfers.

Required Local Contribution

Amount that a municipality is required to pay towards the school district’s foundation budget. This figure

is based on the prior year required contribution, and includes some transition factors, so that the shift

toward the target levels occurs over a period of several years.

Salaries

Funds appropriated and expended to pay the actual salaries of employees charged to a specific school or

department.

Special Revenue Funds

All transactions for those specific revenue sources requiring separate accounting due to legal and

regulatory restrictions as administrative action. Included are programs for early childhood development,

job training, gifted and talented children, free lunch, and other programs.

Student Attendance Rate

As shown on school and district AYP reports, it is the additional AYP indicator for elementary and middle

schools. Attendance rates are calculated by dividing the total number of days all students attended school

by the total number of days all students were enrolled.

Supplies

An expenditure object within an activity, which includes all supplies that have useful life of less than one

year. Amounts paid for material items that are consumed for the operation of a district. Examples are

general instruction, music, language development, textbooks, dictionaries, audiovisual, tools, etc.


What is Net School Spending?

I. Three Components

A. A foundation budget calculated for the district representing minimum

spending needed. Adjusted annually to reflect changes in enrollment,

demographics, inflation, and geographical wage differences.

B. A local contribution or local appropriations required to meet net school

spending.

C. Chapter 70 Aid is the share of the foundation budget funded by the state.

II. The Net School Spending Formula

A. Required Net School Spending = Local Contribution + Chapter 70 Aid.

III. Key Concepts in the Chapter 70 Formula

A. Foundation Enrollment – the number of students Holyoke is

responsible for educating financially as of October 1 each year.

B. Foundation Budget – increases or decreases based upon the foundation

enrollment and the inflation factor used by the state.

C. Local Contribution is calculated by increasing the previous year’s

contribution by the Municipal Revenue Growth factor and adjusting this

number based upon Holyoke’s ability to pay, the latter based on the

state’s aggregate wealth model.

D. Municipal Revenue Growth Factor is Holyoke’s percentage

increase in local revenues from one year to the next as calculated by the

Department of Revenue.

E. The Aggregate Wealth Model looks at both personal income wealth

statistics and property wealth statistics in Holyoke.

Actual Net School Spending includes all funds expended by the School Committee via the budget, grants,

and other funds as well as certain City expenditures, excluding certain types of expenditures such as

transportation, adult education, leases greater than 3 years, and long-term debt.

Legal Requirements for Actual Net School Spending

Chapter 70: Section 11. Excess funds; application to following fiscal year

Section 11. If in any fiscal year a district’s actual expenditure for public education is less than the amount

required to be appropriated for public education pursuant to this chapter, the difference, shall be spent

for public education in the following fiscal year; provided, however, that any unexpended funds, whether

appropriated to the school committee account or to town accounts for expenditure to meet public


education costs, shall be deemed reappropriated for public education in the following year without

further action by the appropriating authority; provided, further, that the amount of state school aid for

the following fiscal year shall be reduced by the amount said difference exceeds 5 percent of the amount

required to be appropriated; and provided, further, that in any year in which additional money is required

to be spent due to a spending deficiency in the prior year, if a district fails to spend the carried forward

amount or under-spends its current year budget by more than 5 percent of the amount required to be

appropriated for that year, state school aid in the following year shall be reduced by the entire difference

between those amounts. The board shall promulgate regulations to enforce the provisions of this section.

CRM 603 10.06: Annual School Spending Requirements

(1) The Commissioner of Education shall determine each school district's actual net school spending in the

prior fiscal year and the estimated net school spending in the current year from information contained in

the End-of-Year Pupil and Financial Report.

(2) The sum of the following expenditures for public education from local revenues and M.G.L. c. 70 school

aid, reported in accordance with 603 CMR 10.04 and 10.05 and the guidelines for reporting student and

financial data published by the Department, shall be considered a school district's annual net school

spending for purposes of determining compliance with the requirements of M.G.L. c. 70:

(a) District and school site administrative services and materials

(b) Student instructional services, materials and equipment

(c) Student support services; including attendance, health services, food services (not

including the cost of food), and school security

(d) Student activities; including athletics, performance groups and clubs

(e) Operation and routine maintenance of school facilities and equipment

(f) Extraordinary maintenance of school facilities (under $150,000)

(g) Health insurance and retirement contributions for current school district employees

(h) Non-employee insurance

(i) Rental or lease of land, buildings, or building space for student instruction or school

Administration purposes for a period not exceeding three years

(j) Interest on short term borrowing in anticipation of revenue to fund current year

operating expenses, except in a year when state aid payments to the district or municipality

have been delayed or forfeited for failure to comply with student or financial data reporting


requirements;

(k) Tuition and related charges for students attending other public schools, collaborative

programs, or private schools by agreement of the school committee or assignment by a

State agency;

(l) Assessments, minus any reimbursements, for school choice and charter school students

attending schools outside the district;

(m) The cost of health insurance for retired teachers in a school district where such costs

were considered by the Department to be part of the district's net school spending in fiscal

year 1994.

(3) The Department shall compare each school district's net school spending in the prior fiscal year with

the net school appropriation required by M.G.L. c. 70, § 6 to determine the district's compliance with

M.G.L. c. 70 net school spending requirements. For the purposes of this calculation, actual expenditures

in the prior year by municipal departments other than the school department for school district purposes

shall be used for the following expenditure categories: school district employee retirement and insurance

programs, interest on short term borrowing in anticipation of revenue to fund current year operating

expenses, tuition payments on behalf of resident students, and assessments for charter school and school

choice students. Estimated expenditures by municipal departments other than the school department

shall be deemed to be the actual expenditures in all of the other categories in which municipalities are

permitted to report expenditures pursuant to 603 CMR 10.05.

(4) The Commissioner of Education shall, within 30 days after receipt of a district's End-of-Year Pupil and

Financial Report, notify the school district superintendent and municipal officials of any prior year

spending deficiency and resulting expenditure obligation carried forward into the current fiscal year

pursuant to M.G.L. c. 70, § 11. In such instances, any funds remaining in the school district's account at

the close of the fiscal year shall be reserved by the municipal accountant or regional school treasurer and

shall be made available to the school district without further appropriation. If the amount of the prior

year's net school spending deficiency is greater than the amount of the school district's unspent funds

available to be carried forward, an amount sufficient to meet the carried forward spending obligation

must be appropriated by the municipality or municipalities responsible for the financial support of the

school district.

(6) If, in any fiscal year, a district's actual expenditures for public education are less than the amount

required under M.G.L. c. 70 taking into consideration any permitted carry-forward, the Department shall

direct the Commissioner of Revenue to reduce the district's state school aid distribution by the amounts

set forth in M.G. L. c. 70, § 11. When a deduction is so taken, there shall be no corresponding reduction

in the district's net school spending requirement for the current year.


Capital Planning

The City of Holyoke has a Capital budgeting process that seeks to satisfy the capital needs of each department in the City. Holyoke Public Schools’ (HPS) is organized as a department of the City, and as a result, does not have the statutory authority to issue its own debt according to M.G.L. Ch. 44 §7. As a department of the City, HPS submits its capital project requests to the City Auditor as part of the regular development process. The Auditor then brings the projects to the City’s Finance Team for consideration. All capital expenditures requiring debt service must be authorized by the Mayor and the City Council. While HPS cannot issue its own debt, it is the largest department in the City with over 11 buildings to operate and/or maintain. According to financial ordinances of the City, a capital project is a fixed facility, object, or asset costing more than $10,000 with an estimated useful life of five years or more. Projects and assets that do not meet both of these criteria are considered operating expenses and, therefore, included in the operating budget. The goal is to improve existing infrastructure, extend its useful life, or build or acquire new capital assets. This is considered an investment because the money expended is used to reduce costs and/or improve services over a multi-year timeframe. The HPS has significant projects in the foreseeable future, for a list of these see below.

MSBA Core Project: The Holyoke Public Schools has submitted a core project to replace the Lawrence School. We are currently, in partnership with the MSBA, conducting a feasibility study on this site and we hope that in the future we have 2 new middle schools that will allow us to provide state of the art education to our middle school population.

MSBA Accelerated Repair: The Holyoke Public Schools has a few ARP projects with the MSBA in the pipeline. These projects include roof, doors, windows, and/or boilers for Sullivan, Kelly, and Morgan Elementary Schools. The District is in the process of underdoing a feasibility study for these projects.

For the district’s full 5-year capital plan see the following page.


Row Labels 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Grand Total

Dean Tech 260,000 490,000 775,000 1,565,000 3,090,000

Boilers/Roof/Window 750,000 750,000

Building Improvement 60,000 490,000 25,000 65,000 640,000

Electrical 200,000 200,000

HVAC 1,500,000 1,500,000

Donahue 2,548,640 4,000,000 140,000 100,000 6,788,640

Boilers/Roof/Window 1,600,000 1,600,000

Building Improvement 125,000 4,000,000 140,000 4,265,000

Electrical 193,640 193,640

HVAC 600,000 600,000

Technology 100,000 100,000

Building Inprovement 30,000 30,000

E.N. White 185,000 1,775,000 3,500,000 2,550,000 8,010,000

Boilers/Roof/Window 1,500,000 3,500,000 5,000,000

Building Improvement 275,000 50,000 325,000

Electrical 160,000 160,000

HVAC 2,400,000 2,400,000

Technology 100,000 100,000

Building Inmprovement 25,000 25,000

Holyoke High 40,000 60,000 2,300,000 2,400,000

Boilers/Roof/Window 2,300,000 2,300,000


Kelly 5,915,050 1,150,000 411,800 1,630,000 9,106,850


Building Improvement 345,050 170,000 311,800 180,000 1,006,850

Electrical 170,000 150,000 320,000

HVAC 980,000 980,000

Technology 100,000 100,000

McMahon 2,180,000 2,120,000 80,000 230,000 1,065,000 5,675,000

Boilers/Roof/Window 2,100,000 600,000 850,000 3,550,000

Building Improvement 120,000 80,000 230,000 430,000

Electrical 80,000 125,000 205,000

HVAC 1,400,000 1,400,000

Technology 90,000 90,000

Morgan 3,715,000 3,200,000 230,000 100,000 7,245,000



Electrical 130,000 130,000

HVAC 1,700,000 1,700,000

Technology 100,000 100,000

Schools 676,275 98,438 7,000 88,201 869,914

Technology 636,900 636,900

Vehicles 39,375 98,438 7,000 88,201 233,014

Sullivan 8,910,000 2,580,000 60,000 80,000 410,000 12,040,000

Boilers/Roof/Window 8,700,000 600,000 9,300,000

Building Improvement 30,000 180,000 60,000 80,000 310,000 660,000

Electrical 180,000 180,000

HVAC 1,800,000 1,800,000

Technology 100,000 100,000

Grand Total 24,429,965 15,375,000 378,438 5,233,800 9,808,201 55,225,404



Fiscal Year 2019


Fiscal Year 2019 - hps.holyoke.ma.us

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