By J.J. Huggins
jhuggins@eagletribune.com
January 04, 2009 12:35 am Public officials keep saying money will be tight this year and budget cuts are looming. But that didn't stop school department employees and school committee members from Methuen, Andover, North Andover and Haverhill — and across the state — from attending a conference on Cape Cod in November where many slept in hotel rooms and dined on the taxpayers' dime. The Massachusetts Association of School Committees and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents held their joint conference at the Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis Nov. 19 through 22. Registration for the conference cost $295 per person, except for those who signed up late — they cost $340. Methuen sent the most personnel and racked up the largest tab of any local community, according to a review of public records. The city spent $4,566 on registration for the conference, meals, hotel rooms and mileage reimbursements. That has at least one city councilor fuming. "I'm a little disappointed at the lack of judgment that spending $5,000 in light of talk about teacher layoffs and police layoffs and Fire Department layoffs and cutting school aid and (imposing) user fees," said Methuen City Councilor Joseph Leone. "Whatever the purpose was for the conference, if they felt there was an overriding need to go, I think they should have paid their own way." The city paid for the attendance of five School Committee members — Barbara Grondine, Kenneth Henrick, George Kazanjian, Mayor William Manzi, and Robert Vogler — and three administrators — Superintendent Jeanne Whitten, director of pupil services MaryEllen Kelleher and interim business administrator Frank Colvario, a consultant who gets paid $100 an hour to work an average of 25 hours per week. Whitten said she wanted the School Committee to go. "No one overspent," she said. "Most of their meals, they actually paid for themselves." The School Committee and administrators charged the public $418 for meals, $1,342 for hotel rooms for two nights at the resort, and $399 for mileage for the 100-mile trek to Hyannis. Grondine and Vogler did not seek reimbursement for meals, and several members carpooled. Manzi and Colvario didn't seek reimbursement for their hotel rooms, the records show. Andover sent Superintendent Claudia Bach and four School Committee members: Deb Silberstein, Dennis Forgue, Tony James and Art Barber. They racked up $2,209 in expenses, according to records provided by the Andover School Department. Silberstein paid her own way. "It's always been my practice to pay for myself," Silberstein said. "I personally feel I'm in the position to pay my own expenses, and I've chosen to do so over the last few years." Bach was the only Andover official to bill taxpayers for lodging and mileage, which cost $248 and $111, respectively. Silberstein said the conference gave the committee and Bach a chance to learn from and collaborate with other districts. "These conferences are very valuable," said Silberstein. "I think they're even more valuable in these difficult times." Particularly helpful, Silberstein said, was a presentation on cost savings and efficiencies. The School Committee has already used the presentation to help prepare for next year's budget planning, she said. "We will bring back the value well in excess of ($2,209) to the district," Silberstein said. Haverhill sent Superintendent Raleigh Buchanan, School Committee president Kerry Fitzgerald and Sandra McArthur, the principal clerk to the superintendent. They ran up a tab of $1,645, according to records provided by the Haverhill School Department. Fitzgerald paid for her own hotel room and mileage, and McArthur did not stay overnight. "I'm one of the few people that pays my own way," Fitzgerald said. The three of them spent $470 on meals. Buchanan spent $223 on lodging for two nights at the Holiday Inn and $162 for mileage. North Andover sent School Committee member Chris Nobile and secretary Beverly Zagarri. Zagarri attended for free. The town spent $845 for Nobile's registration, meals and three nights of lodging at the Holiday Inn. He did not ask for reimbursement for mileage, according to school records. "It was a very valuable conference. There were a number of ideas and strategies, which I shared in subsequent School Committee meetings, which we've already begun to work on," Nobile said. Lawrence didn't send anybody to the conference, according to Mark Rivera, special assistant to Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy. Glenn Koocher, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, said his group tries to keep the annual conference affordable. He noted Cape Cod is cheaper during the offseason. The conference, attended by about 900 people, featured guest speakers like state Attorney General Martha Coakley. Officials received briefings on issues such as the fiscal crisis and legal developments, Koocher said. Manzi said he drove down to celebrate Methuen Committeeman Henrick's reception of a lifetime achievement award, then he headed back the next morning. "I think the conference has value," he said. Whitten said it was nice to meet with the Methuen School Committee off site for two days and "talk about issues germane to our own particular school system in the context of a conference that supported our work." "You can't put a price on that," she said. "We got a lot out of it," said Committeeman Kazanjian. "To me, that really isn't that much money," said Henrick. "I brought back an awful lot of reading material. I don't think Methuen was that extravagant." Grondine said it was good place to network. "I thought it was very informative," she said. "I thought it was a minimal expense. It was nothing overboard." "You find out what's going on and you talk to other communities about what they're doing to economize," Vogler said. "That's how you get ideas about how to save money." The money for the conference was in the budget, Whitten said. But that doesn't matter, Leone said, putting money in the budget doesn't mean they have to spend it. "They can budget a fleet of Lincolns for the School Committee if they want," he said. The School Committee is required to do eight hours of training, Whitten added. "If the City Council wants to go to a conference or attend a seminar or some other event that a councilor feels would help him do his job right, we would pay our own way," Leone said. Whitten said the conference could be on the chopping block next year, when finances are expected to be tighter. Leone said "there are much better ways to spend five grand." "Buy some textbooks. Buy some teachers' supplies, buy some of the stuff that's on the list that they give to parents at the beginning of the school year," he said. Staff Writer Brian Messenger contributed to this report. ÔÇæÔÇæÔÇæ Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to eagletribune.com.
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