Dear Everyone Learning @ Amherst, Regional, and Pelham Schools:
Step 1 - Calls into the State HOUSE now! See information below for the Who? and What?
Step 2 - Calls during the HOUSE debate the week of April 24
Step 3 - Wait for the Senate budget
At a recent Saturday meeting with state representatives, your School Committee members and I heard hours of information and discussion about the state budget picture. We heard "cautious optimism" that the Governor's budget that was released in January would prevail with next steps being the HOUSE budget and then the SENATE budget.
The HOUSE budget was released Monday and it is shocking, especially for schools and towns that understandably built their budgets on the Governor's numbers (which are usually lower than the final numbers).
One of the speakers commented in his remarks that when a legislator floated the idea of taking health insurance out of collective bargaining, "You think we got one call? We got 10,000 calls!"
Well, they need to get 10,000 calls about the HOUSE budget which level funds (ZERO increase from the current year) Regional schools and most towns.
We can't wait for the Senate to change this.
Please...
CALL YOUR HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE - TODAY! Thursday is too late!!! Skim down for WHO and the MESSAGE!
BACKGROUND
The State House budget was released yesterday and it is bad news! The Senate comes next but right now the focus is on the House process.
As you know, we have already made cuts in our elementary schools' and Regional schools' budgets. The proposed budgets include what we have labeled as "Tier 1" cuts. We are working to protect the cuts that would need to be made at "Tier 2" if we must reduce to the level proposed by the Finance Committee. If we have to cut our Tier 1 AND Tier 2 we will be cutting over $1 million from the elementary school budget and close to $2 million from the Regional (middle and high school) budget. (Information is on our website www.arps.org ).
If the State House budget prevails, we'll be working on a "Tier 3" list of cuts!
WHO?
MOST IMPORTANT CALLS (emails might get ignored): Contact the House Education Committee Chair Patricia Haddad and the House Ways and Means Committee Chair Robert DeLeo to support AMENDMENTS FOR INCREASED FUNDING.
AND please contact our House Representative Ellen Story (represents Amherst) and House Representative Steve Kulik (who represents some of our Regional towns) to thank them for their support. They are REALLY going to bat for our kids!
Patricia A. Haddad - Education Committee, Chair
Rep.PatriciaHaddad@Hou.State.MA.US
office # 473G
617- 722-2070
Robert A.DeLeo - Ways and Means, Chair
RDeleo@hwm.state.ma.us
office # 243
617-722-2990
Ellen Story - Represents Amherst!
Rep.EllenStory@Hou.State.MA.US
office #167
617-722-2011
Stephen Kulik - Represents some of our Region's towns
Rep.StephenKulik@hou.state.ma.us
Room 473F
617-722-2210
WHAT?
* MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE: SUPPORT AN INCREASE of Chapter 70 aid at least to the level proposed by the Governor. Tell them "If the House budget prevails, our Region will need to make an additional $300,000 in CUTS in addition to the $2 million we've already identified to cut."
* Support Rep. Guyer's amendment to increase funding for Regional Transportation to 100%
* Increase circuit breaker funding to 100% (support for special education costs).
* Cap Charter School tuition at the same level of school choice tuition. (Why should a charter school that provides fewer arts programs than ARHS and ARMS get more money per student?)
THANK YOU!
Jere Hochman