Quoted From the Nashua Telegraph, dated Sunday - January 24: Regarding EYP in Nashua

"Small reductions to have big impact in district

Although the big-ticket cuts being proposed to the school district budget grabbed the headlines last week, many of the small reductions will still have an impact.

For example, the school district’s extended-year program for special needs students will be cut by $100,000, which means the length of the program will have to be shortened. Superintendent Mark Conrad said the program is intended for students who would likely regress during the summer without some instruction.

The school district had been running a deficit in the program for two years, Conrad said.

“This reduction does reflect a cut in the program in the number of weeks we will offer,” he said.

The school district would cut $30,000 for summer groundsmen, which means the lawns outside schools won’t be maintained. School board member Rick Dowd asked if the school district could approach PTOs about possibly volunteering to do some of that work, but Conrad said that would likely result in a grievance from the union, which he said would be supported by case law.

“Unless we can hire our staff to do that work, it doesn’t get done,” Conrad said.

One security monitor would be cut from each high school, leaving two for each building. That would save $74,288, but Conrad said it would put more pressure on administrators to monitor security. An outside security monitor would also be cut, saving $24,466.

Each high school would lose a custodian, saving $64,148. Overtime for custodians would also be cut by $40,000.

Under Conrad’s proposal, the school district would cut $125,000 that was being used to support the 21st Century Program, which offered additional services after school. The program would still operate, but on a more limited basis.

Conrad also raised concerns about future budgets. This year and next, the school district will have 38 paraprofessionals being funded through federal stimulus money. That funding will run out after next year, he said.

“It will be critical for us to identify a way to fund those positions in fiscal year 2012,” he said."