Falling apart in Randolph
THE RANDOLPH public school system is a shell of its former self, and a brittle shell at that. If the townspeople and state Department of Education don't take action soon, all hope for quality education will die in this suburb south of Boston.
The town's woes aren't obvious. The main business district looks healthy, and the housing stock appears sound. But the schools tell a different story. On Tuesday, the state Board of Education heard testimony at Randolph High School from elected officials, the school superintendent, parents, and students about bare-bones budgets and a steady decline in quality since 2002. School superintendent Richard Silverman described closed schools, the slashing of dozens of teaching positions, the elimination of language and vocational instruction, and even the shutdown of school bus service. And he was just warming up. Last year, parents pulled about 300 children out of the 3,400-student system.
Randolph proves that the state's funding formula for education reform is no longer reliable. It still works at the edges. Wealthy towns like Weston and Dover get little from the state and fare just fine. Poor cities like Lawrence can receive 90 percent or more of their school operating budget from the state. But Randolph, with a school budget of $29 million, is caught in the middle. The roughly $11 million it receives in state education aid isn't enough to protect against increases in fixed costs or even update textbooks.
There's more going on in Randolph than just a lack of money. Demographic changes and an influx of low-income families have roiled the town. Both white and middle-class minority families are opting out of public schools. So while the town's elected and school leadership is stronger than it once was, support for public education still lags. Shortsighted voters in Randolph consistently reject attempts to raise money for schools by overriding Proposition 2 1/2, which limits what a town can levy from property taxes.
As a result, the town is contributing less than its tax base suggests it could. So, how can the state step in to keep schoolchildren from being hurt - without rewarding towns that don't kick in their share?
The state's Foundation Budget Review Commission, consisting of legislators, educators, and civic leaders, is supposed to review the formula every two years. That's an opportunity to pick up anomalies like Randolph. But it's been about seven years since the group last met, according to a state education official. It's well past the time to reinvigorate the commission or find a different mechanism to adjust the formula. First, the state needs to inject some funds into Randolph's classrooms. The fastest way to do that would be by designating the Randolph schools as "underperforming" and in need of emergency aid.
Maybe that label will bring Randolph voters to the polls in support of an override vote needed to restore both their schools and their civic pride.
