Dear Staff, Families and Lowellians,

We are in the throws of our budget season which is very difficult given the budget shortfall the School Department is facing.

The School Committee will be presented with the Superintendent’s Recommended budget at the May 19th School Committee meeting. The Budget Hearings are scheduled for Thursday, May 27th and Tuesday, June 1st at City Hall, Council Chambers at 7PM. Please plan to attend, as the cuts will gravely impact our School District.



To date the School Committee has been asked to examine numerous reduction possibilities. The following chart illustrates the potential savings from reducing 24FTE teacher positions and reducing the current 4-house configuration to a 3-house configuration at Lowell High School:

24 FTE Teacher Staff Reduction
$ 1,385,328
Mean class size of 24 students

1 House Office Reduction
$ 366,716
From 4 to 3 House Offices
Total Savings:
$ 1,752,044

Following are additional budget reductions that are being considered and evaluated for recommendation within other employee groups at Lowell High School:


Interscholastic and Intramural Athletics
FY10 Budget $ 747,915
Potential Reduction $ 249,305

After-School Clubs & Student Activities
FY10 Budget $ 142,000
Potential Reducation $ 71,000

Instructional & Support Specialists
FY10 Budget $ 235,851
Potential Reduction $ 159,254

Building Custodians
FY10 Budget $ 850,543
Potential Reduction $ 195,670

Security Guards
FY10 Budget $ 273,938
Potential Reduction $ 39,134

Clerks and Clerk Schedulers
FY10 Budget $ 594,859
Potential Reduction $ 183,335
Total: $ 897,698

The following chart illustrates the potential savings from 3 FTE and 4 FTE reductions at the elementary and middle levels respectively. There are currently 14 elementary schools and 6 middle schools in the district. As the Bartlett Community Partnership School and Pyne Arts Magnet School are 2-strand, K-8 schools, please note that they are included with the elementary level reductions.

Per School Savings
Elementary Level Reduction:
1 FTE
$ 808,108
2 FTE's
$1,616,216
3 FTE's
$2,424,324

Per School Savings
Middle Level Reduction:
1 FTE
$ 346,332
2 FTE's
$ 692,664
3 FTE's
$1,038,996
4 FTE's
$1,385,328

There have been many administrative changes in the school district for the 2010/11 school year. Below are the announcements that have been made in the last few weeks.

Jason DiCarlo, McAuliffe School New Position: Murkland School Principal
Marianne Bond, Murkland School Principal New Position: McAvinnue School Principal
Matt Stahl, Moody & Washington School Principal New Position: Pawtucketville Memorial Principal
Kelly Clough, McAvinnue School Principal- Resigning
Alison Corner, Pawtucketville Memorial Principal- Retiring
Bill Manolopoulos, PyneArts Principal- Retiring but will return for one more year
Linda Lee, Shaughnessy Principal- Retiring but will return for one more year
William Samaras, LHS Headmaster- Retiring
Edward Rozmiarek, LHS Headmaster Starting July 1, 2010
Susan Mulligan, Bailey Acting Principal
Please feel free to contact me at any time – my door is always open.

My best to you,
Chris Scott