Dear Colleagues,
With just over a week to go until Town Meeting begins, we find ourselves in unfamiliar budget territory. Recently, and without notice to the School Committee, the Board of Selectman reduced the School Department’s FY20 budget from a 3.65 percent increase to a 3.5 percent increase. While a seemingly small change, this represents an approximately $154K reduction. Equally important, it has created a number of process questions that need to be resolved prior to the start of Town Meeting. With this in mind, I am inviting all staff to attend an after school meeting on Tuesday, March 19th, at 3:30PM in the High School auditorium, so I can provide you with an update.
Moving on to more positive news, I want to thank the Wellesley Education Foundation for once again honoring WPS educators who have served for 25 years in our district. At last night’s “Chair Ceremony” we were able to recognize these extraordinary educators in front of family, friends, and colleagues. Please join me in congratulating Kirsten Blackwill, Jayne Byrne, Kathleen Derian, Jenny Leung, Deb Levine, Jen MacPherson, MaryAnne McDonald, Ilene Sharpe, and Kristen Snyder for their service to our students and our community.
Best regards,
David
Calendar
03/19/19 – All Staff FY20 Budget Update – 3:30 pm – WHS Auditorium
03/25/19 – Annual Town Meeting Begins – Middle School Auditorium
04/15 -04/19/19 – Spring Break (no school)
Apply now to enroll children of non-resident WTA members in WPS
Children of teachers or nurses residing outside of Wellesley shall be entitled to attend Wellesley Public Schools without charge for tuition on a space-available basis (Article 12, WTA Unit A Contract). If you are interested in this benefit for the 2019-20 school year, please click here to access the form. Once completed, please return the form, along with a letter of intent, to District Registrar Nancy Costigliola in Central Office in person or by email at registrar@wellesleyps.org. The application and letter of intent deadline is May 1, 2019.
Graduate Course Reimbursement
Course reimbursement funding of $30,000 is available to distribute in FY20 among qualified teachers. This funding is for graduate course work done as part of a master’s degree program to fulfill a teacher’s obligations for the Massachusetts Educators Professional License and for course work required to achieve the next stage of licensure culminating in a professional license and/or when a specialist teacher’s immediate supervisor, subject to the approval of the Assistant Superintendent, verifies that there are no further in-district courses available for recertification in that specialist’s field, that specialist may apply for tuition reimbursement. Any Unit A member for whom no DESE license exists, including but not limited to occupational and physical therapists, so long as that member maintains appropriate certification and/or licensure required to perform his or her duties, shall be eligible to apply for tuition reimbursement. To apply for this course reimbursement, please send, by no later June 3, 2019, the completed reimbursement form, along with evidence of your enrollment in an applicable master/doctoral degree program, name and description of the course, evidence of course cost (a billing statement), proof of payment (i.e. credit card statement, canceled check or receipt of payment), and transcript to Valerie Spruill, Administrative Assistant to the Director of Human Resources, spruillv@wellesleyps.org. You will be notified of the amount awarded to you some time prior to the first paycheck in September 2019. Please note: all information must be received by June 3, 2019 or you will be disqualified for reimbursement. All courses must have occurred in the summer of 2018, fall of 2018 and spring of 2019 and have been completed by June 3, 2019. Any courses taken prior to the summer of 2018 will not count for reimbursement.
Renewing Your Educator’s License?
Information about requirements to renew your educator license is available on the WPS website. Click here to go to the HR Licensure tab. When you apply for your license on the DESE website under ELAR, the DESE will send you an electronic communication about what is missing from your licensure file in order to renew. The HR licensure tab and your ELAR account are two tools to assist you with information about licensure renewal.
Insurance Benefits Information
Health and Dental Insurance Benefits information is handled by the Town Hall Benefits Office. Inquiries should be directed to Joanne Liburd at JLiburd@wellesleyma.gov or by calling 781-431-1019 extension 2244.
WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website
For all Internal Job Postings, please go to “Internal Job Postings” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.