← Appropriations & Oversight Committee · 2020-06-08 · Appropriations and Oversight Budget Hearing
Public Comment
Agenda original PDF
Minutes original PDF
Transcript
▶ 24:24 Christopher Cinella: President. Thank you. I would entertain a motion for public comment.
▶ 24:29 Speaker 7: Motion to open public comment.
▶ 24:31 Christopher Cinella: Second. Motion made for public comment by Councilor Eccles, seconded by President Grigoraitis. Madam Thirch, please call the roll.
▶ 24:39 Speaker 2: Vice Chair Migliorelli. Yes. Councilor Tramontozzi. Yes. Councilor McMaster. Yes. Councilor McNaught. Yes. Councilor Eccles. Yes. Councilor Garipay. Yes. Councilor Stewart. Yes. Councilor Thomas. Yes. Councilor Jamaleddine. Yes. President Grigoraitis. Yes.
▶ 25:05 Speaker 3: Chair Cinella.
▶ 25:06 Speaker 2: Yes.
▶ 25:08 Speaker 3: Levin, yes.
▶ 25:11 Christopher Cinella: Okay, do we have some folks in queue?
▶ 25:17 Speaker 3: We do, let me see, I've got, and mr chris minton he notified us earlier you'd like to speak let me unmute him
▶ 25:29 Speaker 1: chris can you hear us uh yes hi everyone this is chris can you hear me yes the screen is yours
▶ 25:34 Speaker 1: thank you so my wife and i have lived in melrose's ward 5 for the past 12 years and we currently have two girls in the school system one at the middle school and one at the winthrop so i'd like to speak in support of the school committee's budget request for the upcoming school year my understanding is that the school committee is requesting a 2.3 percent increase from the fy20 budget after reading through the main points of the budget the increases are primarily due to additional positions that are needed to meet the growing enrollment as well as increases in contract in contractual services for special ed transportation and other contractually obligated raises while i applaud the city council for looking at ways to reduce spending I believe that we must prioritize the education budget. This version of the budget already includes significant cuts to equipment, supplies, and technology, so the school committee has already made difficult choices. From what I've read, state aid is expected to be flat next year, and there will likely be no additional funding through the Student Opportunity Act due to current budget constraints. If you were to pass a level-funded budget, it would amount to a cut because it would not support the growing enrollment as well as our other contractual obligations. that was passed a budget override in part to better fund our schools and we need to move forward not backward it's been a very challenging few months for students parents and teachers i want to ensure that the school system has the funds that they need to provide the best education to our students next year thank you i'm clear anybody there is um manjula i hope i'm not
▶ 27:13 Speaker 2: Manjula. Manjula, thank you. Hi, how are you? Great, you can hear us.
▶ 27:16 Christopher Cinella: Hi, Manjula. You can hear me? Everybody can hear you. If you could just state your name and your address, please.
▶ 27:22 Manjula Karamcheti: Okay. Hi, everyone. My name is Manjula Karamchadi, and I live on Matolf Street. I am a proud Ward 1 resident. I'm a school counselor and a former school counseling administrator i am the current equity director and a faculty mentor at the ww graduate school of teaching and learning which is a partnership with mit and i'm also president of the nvmms pto i'm speaking tonight regarding order 2020-89 and particularly the school budget line i support the school budget which i know was developed during a time of financial strain on the city and the state and under a cloud of uncertainty. I encourage all members to support this line item in full. I want to be clear that I do not support any cuts to the bottom line of the school budget. Our schools and our students have been trying to learn during a time of true emergency over the last few months. Our students, we don't even yet know how they're going to be impacted by learning remotely, being out of the school building, and also in dealing with the issues of racial injustice that have surpassed in the past few weeks. When our students return to school in the fall, whatever that looks like in our buildings or remotely, they will need and deserve educators who care for them
▶ 28:51 Manjula Karamcheti: and tremendous support. In particular, let me say a word about our students with special education needs and special rights. Many of our students with special needs will need services over the summer and extra support in the fall. This is not only our legal obligation, it is our moral obligation. If we are truly a district that supports equity, inclusion and diversity, we have to make sure that we support our special education students. I do not support any efforts by this council to cut or alter any funding streams that support special education. And I was dismayed to see attempted action to that effect by a few members of the council. I thank you so much for your service, especially during these difficult times in our community. I know this is not an easy time to make fiscal decisions, but I implore you to really think about our students and our children first. They are our future and they are what matters. Thank you very much.
▶ 30:01 Speaker 3: thank you is there anyone else would like to speak if you could raise your
▶ 30:10 Speaker 2: digital hand I believe that is it I just had a motion to close public comment
▶ 30:13 Speaker 1: question to close public comment second closed public comment made by President
▶ 30:16 Christopher Cinella: Gregeritis second by Councilor McNaught please call the roll
▶ 30:25 Speaker 2: Vice-Chair Migliorelli yes Councilor Tramontozzi yes Councilor McMaster. Yes. Councilor McNaught. Yes. Councilor Eccles. Yes. Councilor Garipay. Yes. Councilor Stewart. Yes. Councilor Thomas. Yes. Councilor Jamaleddine. Yes. President Grigoraitis. Yes. Chair Sinella. Yes. Levin, yes.