FINAL CALL: ACTIONS FOR A BETTER BUDGET
- kennedyschoolpta
- May 18
- 2 min read
Updated: May 19
We're in the homestretch.
Last Wednesday, the School Committee met publicly with the Superintendent and SPS finance team and asked probing questions and began their final deliberations about whether the level-service budget that Dr. Carmona has officially presented will be approved and be sent back to the Mayor and City Council for the final steps of ratification. There were strong indications that School Committee is feeling our pressure and taking it seriously. They began to ask Dr. Carmona ''what if" questions about what pushing the budget beyond the bare minimum of legally mandated services could look like. "What if" there was more? Where would those additional investments be in a bigger budget? What were the "last five things" that had to be cut from the current budget to eke out level service and keep close to the Mayor's demand for only a 5% year-over-year increase?
They meet again this coming Wednesday at 6:00pm for final deliberations -- and a vote -- on the level-service budget.
There are two more actions you can take to push for a better budget for Somerville Schools.
1) Sign on to a second group letter via this RallyStarter. The first letter received over 500 signatures!
Or if you prefer to write your own, send public comments to:
2) Sign up for up to 2 minutes of Public Comment at tomorrow night's Regular meeting of the School Committee.
Here's a few notes about public comment and in particular about tomorrow's meeting:
Tomorrow night public comment will come AFTER another item on the Agenda. (It usually is first.) Do not leave the meeting thinking they are skipping public comment. But you still MUST sign up for comment between 6:45-6:59pm.
You can make your comment in person at City Hall Chambers or virtually via zoom (the meeting will be audio only on zoom).
To sign up in person, you must arrive between 6:45 and 6:59 to sign up on the list (typically at the podium in Chambers)
To sign up virtually, you must first pre-register at this link: https://k12somerville.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EB-AFq7pR0SMl0vsJ0WNEg
You will receive an email confirmation containing the zoom link
At 6:45pm, the Zoom will open. Sign in using the link in your email (usually says "Join Webinar"
Once in the Zoom, enter your name and address in the chat box and hit send
The signup ends promptly at 7pm
Typically in-person commenters go first and zoom commenters go after
Looking for talking points? Check out this op-ed in the Somerville Times by Samantha Steiner
Wednesday night's Finance meeting will be at 6pm. The link has been fixed and you can register to receive the zoom link by clicking here: https://k12somerville.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_X6mrNRZNSQuiI-PUagc5-Q
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