"Melrose Public Schools Administrative Offices
360 LYNN FELLS PARKWAY, MELROSE, MA 02176
CYNDY S. TAYMORE
Superintendent of Schools
Email: ctaymore@melroseschools.com
To: Melrose School Committee
From: Jay Picone, Director of Finance and Administrative Affairs Date: July 14, 2015
Re: FY15 Monthly Report –June
Telephone: (781) 662-2000 V/TTY FAX: (781) 979-2149
JAMES T. PICONE Director of Finance and Administrative Affairs Email: jpicone@melroseschools.com
4.5.a
Attached you will find the FY15 Monthly Update for May, which consists of:
 A one page summary of budget categories and applied funds
 The FY15 budget report printed directly from MUNIS for the period ending June 30, 2015.
We have closed the FY15 fiscal year with a balanced budget. Additionally, by using sound and conservative fiscal practices, coupled with salary savings and a reduction in out of district special education placements and expenses, we were able to save approximately $619,000 in our reserve funding. As you know to balance the FY16 budget we projected to use $2,953,500 of our reserves. The savings from this year will allow us not to deplete fully our reserves in FY16, which provides us with money for contingencies and unforeseen special education costs.
Attachment: cover memo school committee July 14 2015 (4105 : Monthly Budget Summary)"

So we have a balanced budget for 2014-15. We also have a surplus of $619,000+. And we need an override why?? Oh yes all of the legal bills for violating civil liberties, cover-ups and open meeting law complaints. Say, maybe just maybe if they stop breaking the law...[:-?]

But Dillon: C Taymore and her cronies need to create savings from somewhere to ensure there is funding for their yearly "deep summer" non-contract bonuses for her and all her administrative buddies off the backs of the taxpayers, all approved of course by school committee lackies, Robert Dolan, Kristin Thorpe, Maureen Driscoll, Jessicca Dugan, Don Constantine, and Christine Casatelli.(not Carrie K of course). Did anyone tell these fools that you don't reward poor performance and unlawful practices? Do they understand these same administrators are responsible for an unprecedented Civil Rights Investigation by the Federal Department of Education of our school administration?

But how else would these clowns fund all the extraordinary legal expenses being incurred to defend the non-defensible Civil Rights Violations, illegal retaliatory actions taken against our neighbors and friends who dare file any kind of complaint with the school administration ( a violation of Federal Education Laws), Open Meeting Law violations, And State Freedom of Information Act violations that are almost a weekly occurrence under this administration?

I firmly believe that over 70% of the parents with children in the school district have no idea what you are talking about - Slushy - 20% of them don't care, while the other 10% support the school administration. It is truly scary to think that this override may pass basically because of citizen apathy and ignorance!

Myrun, you got to run.

Thanks for the vote of confidence - if I were only 20 years younger - I would - but at that time the school system was acceptable - my kids went through the school system and they all excelled and earned many awards in college - thanks to the education they received in Melrose Public Schools.

Only part about this whole thing I agree with is the two extra cops. Could use more than 2 but beggars can't be choosers. Besides Dolan only added that part in as a cherry on top, who knows if we'll even see more Officers.

Dear Or....are you reading any newspapers lately - like the recent report by Chief Lyle that crime is down substantially in Melrose!!!! Come on folks - stay awake - we need intelligent, clear-thinking people voting in November!

Probably the reason why crime is down in Melrose lately is because of all the detail work the cops have had with all the construction going on in the city for the past several years. You can't go a block in distance before running into police details on road construction sites. If you are a criminal - Melrose is definitely NOT the place to to do your thing!

It could be that many petty crimes are going unreported which theoretically make it look like a reduction in crime seeing that only reported crimes go into the statistics. I can tell you there are many more house breaks and thefts from vehicles going on in the Northern part of town.

I Paid for Years like Alot Of People.Let The Women Who Are Writing Articles In The melrose paper Pay For The override.They Keep Saying We Need It So There Kids Can Have A Great education. We Already Did This For Years...Let The familys That have Kids In School Pay for The Override And Leave The People Who Paid Out The Ass All The Years Alone, Or Better Still Move To Winchester!!!!!!!!!! NO WAY ON THE OVERRIDE.

Let me repeat again - we have a school budget surplus of over $600,000; the latest statistics by Chief Lyle notes that crime is down in Melrose - substantially over the past 5 years; many of the positions Taymore wants to fill can't be filled by this coming school year; and many of the positions she wants are facilitators - sorry folks but sounds more like "wants" not "needs"!

I want alot of things in life - but I don't have the money for them - why should our city be run on "wants" rather than "needs"? Answer that critical question successfully and we will all vote for the override!

MFD: Have you seen the "Learning Commons" drawings in the Melrose Free Press? It's basically a wide open hangout space for students who will be basically planning where they will be meeting afterschool for the next drinking party. It is almost impossible in that type of wide open and distracting environment for any student to get any work done. What a colossal waste of money.

How do these students have time to "hang out" when they are being tested so regularly? Has actually sitting down and doing homework a relic of the past? Or will they be allowed to go on their phones and plan the parties after school?