1. WILMINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Superintendent’s Proposed FY18 Budget
Building a school community where ALL children can learn
Joanne M. Benton, Interim Superintendent
March 2, 2017

2. Our Mission
Wilmington Public Schools provides a challenging, relevant, personalized educational experience that promotes both the academic success and the social and emotional well-being of all students.  Well-trained and highly qualified staff provide students with multiple ways to demonstrate individual learning and growth, and prepare them for success in school, work, and life.
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

3. Respect Inclusiveness Responsibility Integrity WPS Core Values Page 2
Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

4. Strategic Mission
We want the Wilmington School Community to be a place where all students have the opportunity to learn through high-quality, rigorous curriculum and engaging, personalized instruction delivered in a safe, supportive, inclusive environment.
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

5. Guiding Principles
We are committed to a set of system-wide goals based on our strategic plan.
We are committed to quality teacher-student relationships.
We must acknowledge fiscal constraints on our budget planning.
We take pride in our well-maintained facilities.
We are committed to hiring and retaining the best employees.
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

6. What are our priorities
Class size
Programs
Direct service to students
Continuation of Full-day Kindergarten
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

7. Major Factors Driving FY18 Budget Decisions
FY18 contractual obligations
Increased use of technology in the classrooms
More complex special education IEPs
Increased utility costs
We, like school systems across the state, find ourselves faced with the difficult task of striving to continuously improve our services to students in a time of significant and growing fiscal constraint. In light of this, the development of the FY05 budget was a particularly critical one. Available revenues are decreasing at a time when there are increased demands being placed on those limited funds. Many variables continue to be at work here: the demands of unfunded mandates on public education, increased costs of utilities, and enrollment increases to name just a few. With the addition of each new student, comes an associated increased cost. In addition, we are currently in the process of negotiating new contracts with four bargaining units.
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

8. The level of funding recommended for FY2018 will enable the school department to address the following:
Maintain current staffing levels which will allow the School Committee to support advantageous class size at all levels
Reinstate a part-time library media specialist at the Boutwell and Wildwood Schools and a full-time library media specialist at the Middle School
Reinstate professional development funds to support our staff with strong, valuable and appropriate professional development opportunities
Ensure all legal mandates are funded, e.g., special education, homeless transportation, E.L.L.
Establish a Tech Academy for students in the Summer that will be self-supporting
Establish Wilmington as a S.E.I. training site for surrounding communities
Fund all contractual requirements (e.g., utilities, union contracts, transportation contracts)
Fund more supplies at the Middle School in order to reduce requests of parents for school supplies
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

9. Who We Are 3,463 Students Grades PK –12 471.90 Staff Members
93% of our high school students go on to higher education
30 Students whose first language is not English
70 Out-of-district placements
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

10. Wilmington Public Schools
FY18 Proposed Budget
Personnel Changes
FTEs
FY17 Budget
471.70
Changes prior to the start of FY17 School Year
Teacher Additions
2.40
Teacher Reductions
(4.00)
Educational Assistant Additions
9.20
Educational Assistant Reductions
(3.00)
4.60
FY17 Start of the School Year
476.30
FY18 Budget Changes
Librarian at Middle School
1.00
Librarian at Wildwood Early Childhood Center
0.20
Librarian at Boutwell Early Childhood Center
Librarian at Shawsheen Elementary School
(0.20)
OIT Technician
(1.00)
Teacher Reduction
(2.00)
Central Office Reductions
(1.60)
(4.40)
FY18 Budget
471.90
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

11. Wilmington Public Schools
FY18 Proposed Budget
Salary Changes
FY17 Budget
$ 29,697,986
Step & Lane Changes
$ ,493
New Positions
$ ,847
Salary Increases
$ ,371
Less Charged to Grants (Kindergarten, Title 1, IIA)
$ ,734
Replacements
$ (179,313)
Reductions
$ (580,191)
Longevity
$ ,875
$ ,816
FY 18 Budget
$ 30,641,802
Percentage Change
3.18%
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

12. Wilmington Public Schools
FY18 Proposed Budget
Non-Salary Changes
FY17 Budget
$ 7,947,481
Curriculum & Curriculum Supplies
$ ,695
Special Education Tuitions
$ ,363
Electricity
$ ,000
Transportation (General Education and Homeless)
$ ,500
Professional Development
$ ,417
School/Office Supplies
$ ,520
Maintenance & Repairs
$ ,082
Textbooks
$ (33,278)
Inclusion Consultant
$ (25,000)
Other Changes
$ (10,637)
$ ,662
FY 18 Budget
$ 8,227,143
Percentage Change
3.52%
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

13. Wilmington Public Schools
FY18 Proposed Budget
FY 17 Budget
FY 18 Budget
$ Change
% Change
Salary
$ 29,697,986
$ 30,641,802
$ ,816
3.18%
Non-Salary
$ 7,947,481
$ 8,227,143
$ ,662
3.52%
Total
$ 37,645,467
$ 38,868,945
$ 1,223,478
3.25%
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

14. FY2018 Capital Requests Total $350,500 Technology
VoIP Telephone System Project
$ 50,000
Elementary Switch Replacement Project
$ 36,000
MCAS 2.0 Laptop Cart Project
$ 40,000
Exchange Server Upgrade Project
$ 25,000
MS Tech Ed Engineering Lab Replacement
$ 67,500
PreK - 3 Lab PC Replacement Project
$ 72,000
Laptop Battery Replacements
$ 30,000
SPED Van
Replaces Van # 1
Total $350,500
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

15. In Conclusion
Our budget work is based on the belief that the most important interactions that take place are between the teacher and the student. We have labored to build a budget that supports the mission of the Wilmington Public Schools.
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017

16. QUESTIONS ?
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Finance Committee Review March 2, 2017