Parents again speak to the BSC, hold meeting with BPS CFO

Julie Smith-Bartoloni and Julian Roquet speak at the latest Boston School Committee meeting about the impact of the proposed budget on our school.

Parents Julie Smith-Bartoloni and Julian Roquet became the latest parents to deliver joint testimony in support of the Curley at the last Boston School Committee meeting. Their statement is the fifth one we have made to the Boston School Committee. Parents from the Mather Elementary School graciously stood in solidarity with the other Curley parents while our statement was delivered.

Click here to view the video of the meeting.

During the public comment period, students from English High in Jamaica Plain gave an impassioned statement for funding their girls softball team. Their statement occurs around the 36 minute mark.
Julie and Julian, our own parents, deliver their statement begins around the 41 minute mark.

The statement delivered by Julie and Julian is linked to below, along with other past statements:

Carlos Rojas, the student representative on the Committee, later asked for a report on the Curley’s ongoing budget concerns during the new business portion of the meeting.

Impromptu Meeting with the BPS CFO

After the public comment period, the Curley parents in attendance were asked by Tim Nicolette, Chief of Staff for the Superintendent, to meet with John McDonough, CFO of the Boston Public Schools, and Seth Racine, Assistant CFO. There was a wide ranging discussion about our funding and enrollment history. Our situation appears to be unique compared to other schools within the District.

We asked for more data detailing the enrollment and budget history for the eight other schools of comparable size and grade level to the Curley, beginning in 2009. We look forward to receiving this data from Mr. Racine.

We appreciate that the channels of communication between the Superintendent and parents remain active. We look forward to meeting with Mr. Racine in the near future to address our questions around how the weighted student funding formula may be augmented so that our students’ needs are better served.

Come Support our Parents at the Next Hearing Tomorrow!

The second BPS budget hearing (different from regular BSC meetings) will be held on Monday, March 12 at 6 p.m. at the Thomas Edison K-8 School, 60 Glenmont Road, Brighton, MA 02135. Directions are here.

As always, come and support the parents who are slated to speak on Monday, and don’t forget to wear your Curley shirts!