by Frank Schroth

Just as the sparrows annually return to Capistrano, so too do parents return before the School Committee at this time of year. It is the budget season and as has become common, the Warrant Committee has requested a level funded budget of all town departments. This inevitably means cuts. At recent school committee meetings parents have appeared to express their concerns over the lack of funding for the visual arts., music, and special education.

At the January 18th session, John Gillooly, a member of the Milton Visual Arts Alliance, asked why Milton lagged so far behind other towns such as Belmont with regard to art instruction. Gillooly identified Belmont as a town with roughly an equivalent educational footprint: same number of schools (6), same size population, and similar median income levels. With regard to art however, Belmont has 11 art teachers to Milton’s 6 according to Gillooly. “Somehow they have twice the number [of art teachers]. . . something other than priorities accounts for that.” He advocated for broadening how we view art. “Creative thinking is the differentiator”, he said, in accounting for why Apple was superior in the development and marketing of its products.

Later in the session the committee heard from Jerry Vitti and Vinita Russell members of the Special Education PAC. They provided the committee with a presentation on the status of special education in general along with Karen Clasby, Administrator of Pupil Personnel Services. During their presentation Mr. Vitti and Ms. Russell expressed their concern over the proposed cut of 6 educational assistants. Some of these special ed students need eyes on them at all times. These assistants can make the difference between a student functioning successfully in a public school setting versus being sent out of district.

When the committee met on 2/1 they heard from Ed Hayward and Amy Delaney, parents who stressed the importance of retaining a strong music program. Hayward argued that funding should be preserved for music at all levels. He estimated that his child who performs with the 16th String, a quartet, has performed in 50 community concerts in the last 4 years. “They offer opportunities for excellence.” Ms. Delaney said that it was her son’s participation in music ensembles “that makes him feel part of a family – a part of something.”

You can find the budget documents here.