FY24 Superintendent’s Recommended Budget Presentation
On January 18th, Assistant Superintendent Jeff Sands and I presented the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Superintendent’s Recommended Budget to the School Committee. The Superintendent’s Recommended Budget represents a “Level Service” budget, or the funding required to continue all current positions, services and programs in the District. The General Operating Expense (after Offsets) Budget for FY24 totals $40,155,113, which is an increase of $2,580,731 or 6.9% over the current year. Some of the major drivers behind the level service increase include increases of $712,062 in Out-of-District Special Education Tuitions, which is 24.4% over the current year, $660,577 in contracted salary increases, which is 2.9% over the current year, an increase of $340,847 in insurance benefits, which is 7.1% over the current year, an increase of $219,921 for special education transportation services, which is an increase of 76.3% over current, and an increase of $177,294 to regular education transportation, which is 15.3% over the current year. Over the next two months, the School Committee will hear presentations on various aspects of the Superintendent’s Recommended Budget, and deliberate to shape this recommendation in order to adopt a School Committee’s Recommended Budget on March 15, 2023. All FY24 documents, including a calendar of scheduled meetings can be found at: https://www.masconomet.org/Page/913
Strategic Plan Update and Community Survey
Masconomet’s Strategic Plan Working Team has met three times since the launch of the Strategic Planning Initiative. Discussions to date have focused on getting to know each other and better understanding our communication and planning tendencies. More recently we have begun discussing Masconomet’s student and professional culture, student expectations and stakeholder collaboration and communications.
Through these discussions, we’ve developed a survey for all community and school stakeholders to weigh in on four driving questions:
- What should every student know and be able to demonstrate by graduation?
- What are the qualities most important to a thriving professional and school culture?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of Masconomet’s programming and policies as we build a plan for the next 3-5 years?
- What requests do community members have for the planning process?
All community members, Masconomet staff and faculty, and students
are invited to share their perspectives and ideas to the Working Team.
To complete the survey please go to:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MasconometPlanningSurvey.
Tri-Town Council Community Conversation
The Tri-Town Council’s Coalition and Youth Action Advisory Board (YAAB) invite you to attend a “Community Conversation” on Thursday, January 26 from 7 – 9PM in the Masconomet cafeteria. Our Youth Action Advisory Board leaders will be presenting results from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey administered at Masconomet Middle and High School in November of 2021. This national survey instrument created by the CDC, administered biennially since 2010, measures youth risk and protective factors, perceptions, attitudes and resistance strategies. After the data presentation, youth leaders and coalition volunteers will be facilitating table conversations with small groups about the info highlighted in the presentation.
Masconomet High School Hosts Successful 8th Grade Open House
Congratulations to Dr. Carabatsos and the faculty and administration at Masconomet High School for hosting a successful 8th grade Open House on January 12th. The evening began in the Auditorium with an overview of the academic and operational aspects of the high school followed by brief remarks from current Masconomet students. Families then had the opportunity to attend brief presentations highlighting different aspects of Masconomet’s curriculum and program offerings, and attend a student-run athletics, sports and activities fair. Ninety-five families of prospective 9th grade students were able to attend this event and learn about the great things that are happening at Masconomet High School. Dr. Carabatsos plans on making the open house an annual event to showcase the wealth of programs and talent at Masconomet High School.
School Breakfast Program Resumes
The Masconomet Regional School District Food Service Team is pleased to announce that it began offering daily breakfast service on Monday, January 9, 2023. Breakfast will be offered daily from 7:00 – 7:30 AM as part of the universal free school meals program and will consist of a variety of options including yogurt parfaits, whole grain cereals, oatmeal, whole grain muffins, whole grain bagels, fresh fruit, fruit juices, and milk. All students are eligible to receive one free breakfast per day as long as it meets USDA reimbursable breakfast guidelines which include a selection of at least three of the four main food options, one of which must be a fruit or fruit juice. Breakfasts that do not meet these guidelines will not qualify as free and will be subject to a la carte pricing. For students who take advantage of the breakfast program, please note that breakfast must be eaten in the cafeteria and will not be permitted in classrooms or other areas on campus.
News from the Masconomet Superintendent 