1. Analysis of Impact of Job Sharing and
In-House Reductions
Boxborough School Committee presentation to the
Boxborough Board of Selectmen
March 19, 2012
3. Background on Exploring New Admin Models
• Enrollment at Blanchard has been declining
over the last 3-4 years
• Correspondingly, per pupil expenditures are
increasing
• BSC concerned that continued declining
enrollment will:
Negatively impact educational program (eliminating
too many sections)
Result in ever-increasing per-pupil expenditures and
an unsustainable financial model
4. BSC Took a Proactive Approach to Issues
• Short-term
Creating a 5-year rolling enrollment projection
Eliminating several grade sections
Taking in limited choice students to bolster budget
• Long-term
Working with ABRSC to establish Regional Study
Committee to assess Pre-K to 12 regionalization
Examining job sharing with Harvard
Assessing in-house reduction options
5. Job Sharing Overview
• Shares selected jobs across 2 or more school
districts
• Typically central office positions shared
• Principal is not a shared position
• Maintains local school committees but also
establishes a “union” school committee to oversee
union positions only
• Requires a vote of the School Committee
• Interested towns need to work out a mutual
agreement
6. Job Sharing Estimated Savings
• Share with Harvard with 30% to 33% of shared
positions plus related office space
• Includes Superintendent, SPED Director, Food
Service Director, Admin Assistant to SPED Director,
Data Support
• Saves $45,900 to $78,500 compared to current
structure, depending on positions and allocations
• Saves $137,600 to $170,300 compared to full
administrative model
• Differential is $92,000 between models
7. Job Sharing Advantages
• Opportunity to share costs of system-wide staff
positions
• Town maintains full control of school district
Separate school committees for each town
Local school committee oversees school district
No cross over of policies, curriculum, etc.
• Blanchard would have its own full-time Principal
• Principal oversees hiring of teachers/staff
8. Job Sharing Disadvantages/Changes
• Less face-to-face time with Superintendent; time
with SPED Director is comparable
• Principal becomes the curriculum leader
• Requires state approval to dissolve
• Does not address declining enrollment and small
class sizes
• BSC will likely need to continue to open Blanchard
to choice students to bolster the budget
9. In-House Reductions Overview
• SC realizes the full administrative model is not
financially viable
• If no regionalization or job sharing, in-house
reductions would be necessary
• Followed logic if we could decrease central
office through job sharing, we could cut in-house
• Models cut Superintendent to 30%, 40% and
50% and SPED Director to 30%
10. In-House Reductions Estimated Savings
• Saves $43,300 to $69,900 compared to current
structure, depending on allocations
• Saves $135,300 to $161,900 compared to full
administrative model
• Differential is $92,000 between models
11. In-House Reductions Advantages
• Town maintains full control of school district, for
finances and policies
• No state approvals needed to change
• Blanchard would have a full-time Principal
• Principal oversees hiring of teachers/staff
12. In-House Reductions Disadvantages/Changes
• Would need to find Superintendent and SPED
Director who are interested in part-time positions;
could limit or change pool of applicants
• Less face-to-face time with Superintendent and
SPED Director
• Would need staff to be flexible to handle crises
• Principal becomes the curriculum leader
• Does not address declining enrollment and small
class sizes
• BSC will likely need to continue to open Blanchard
to choice students to bolster the budget
14. Regionalization Update
• MGL Chapter 71, Section 14E allows for 5 ways to
structure a regional school committee:
(1) electing committee members by voters in member
communities with each community’s representation
apportioned according to population;
(2) electing members in district-wide elections to be held at
the biennial state elections;
(3) electing members with residency requirements in district-
wide elections to be held at the biennial state elections;
15. Regionalization Update
• MGL Chapter 71, Section 14E allows for 5 ways to
structure a regional school committee:
(4) weighing the votes of committee members according to
the population they represent; and
(5) appointing committee members by locally elected
officials such as school board members
