OUR TOWN

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Despite the lack of adequate federal, state and local fiscal resources for the Millbury
Public Schools, the administration and staff, with significant community support, once
again, continued to move the district forward in many ways during the 2011-2012 school
year. Many of the quantifiable successes were the result of continuous years of
effectively forecasting, planning, preparing and analyzing well, the academic needs of all
students; the facility needs of the three school buildings to optimize student learning and
the most appropriate distribution of staff, despite continued lay-offs, to maintain
student/teacher ratios and the effective delivery of instructional practices.
School districts throughout the country have faced the same challenges for the past four
years, given the economic downturn, beginning with the 2008-2009 school year.
However, what makes the Millbury Public Schools unique is the thoughtful pre-planning
about how best to utilize dwindling resources, the implementing of utility costefficiencies
that are fixed costs in any school budget, and repeatedly examining the most
effective and efficient use of every dollar. Every decision, regarding programs, buildings
and how best to use the district’s reduced fiscal resources met the most important and
stringent standard in the district, which was “how will students benefit from the
decision?”
In FY 2012, the school district lost $458,432 when the federal ARRA grant was no
longer available, as anticipated; $1,952 in the Safe and Drug Free Schools grant; $4,524
in the federal Special Education Allocation and $7,888 in the Kindergarten Enhancement
grant. All of these grants, except the Safe and Drug Free Schools grant, have funded and
continue to fund professional and paraprofessional staff. The Millbury Public School
District employs 285 individuals and the loss of any resources to fund staff, directly
impacts the level and quality of services to students.
For the fourth consecutive year, FY 2009 – 2012, the school district’s budget funded by
local dollars was reduced. A total loss of $230,800 was incurred during 2011 – 2012,
resulting in the loss of 1 ful1-time elementary teacher and a .5 kindergarten aide; a
portion of the Shaw choral music teacher; 1 full-time High School guidance counselor, a
portion of the HS engineering teacher; and a .5 custodian and .5 maintenance worker.
The reduction of 4.1 FTEs represented -$ 202,300. The Central Office and building
administrators saved the district $28,500 during this same year, by voluntarily declining
their COLA increases, outlined in previously agreed contracts. The total reduction of
local funds, from FY 2009 – 2012 equaled $1,065,100.
During that same period of time, the enrollment of the public schools decreased by 38
students from 1,869 on October 1, 2011 to 1,831 in 2012; reflecting the loss of 58
students at the Junior/Senior High School; an increase of 21 students at the Raymond E.
Shaw School and the loss of 1 student at the Elmwood Street Elementary School.