Randolph
| To: | Members of the Board of Education |
| From: | Jeffrey M. Nellhaus, Acting Commissioner of Education |
| Date: | October 23, 2007 |
The October 30th Board of Education meeting is being held in Randolph to call attention to the fiscal difficulties that this school district and others are experiencing. Rising costs and the unpredictability of state aid in recent years have led many districts to reduce services. Randolph has closed schools, laid off teachers, eliminated school transportation, increased class sizes and imposed fees for athletics. Several attempts to pass Proposition 2 1/2 overrides have failed.
At the request of Board Chairman Paul Reville, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has begun a study to identify the causes of budgetary problems in Randolph and other struggling communities around the state. Our main concern is the impact of the cutbacks on the students in these districts. We are studying the data and will consult with local officials in districts that have been particularly affected as well as with the superintendents', school committees', and business managers' associations. Fundamentally, we need to ensure that districts are equipped, financially and otherwise, to meet the demands placed on them by both state and federal law.
Not surprisingly, Randolph's problems go beyond financial challenges. In this month's packet is a report on Randolph from the Educational Management Audit Council (EMAC) and the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA), pointing to some significant performance problems. The district is also listed as "in need of improvement" for subgroup performance in both English and Math. At a future Board meeting, we will discuss the EMAC/EQA report and possible next steps. This month, however, the Board's focus will be on Randolph's finances. We have invited Superintendent Richard Silverman to assemble a panel of school and community leaders to address the Board briefly with their perspectives about the nature, origins and consequences of the current financial difficulties.
The discussion at this month's meeting is an important step in determining what the Board and Department can do to assist Randolph and other communities in similar situations. This discussion, as well as the study that the Department is conducting, will help to inform our FY09 budget proposal.
  | Data Points on Randolph |
last updated: October 26, 2007
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