Towns surprised by postgrad program charge

Douglas Finance Committee Chairwoman Pamela R. Holmes didn't expect that her small town's budget would be spending nearly $47,000 to pay for five adult post-secondary students to train as practical nurses in Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School's evening program.

The 60-week part-time certificate program, comparable to a community college offering, was launched in 2011 but touted as a tuition-based course.

Ms. Holmes has served on the Finance Committee since 1993 and trained as a registered nurse. She understands the need for educating health care personnel as well as the need for towns to manage their limited budgets, and was surprised to find the postsecondary students were included in what the town pays the regional vocational-technical high school in Upton.

"We weren't even told about it until it was a done deal," Ms. Holmes said in an interview. She's not sure how aware other towns in Valley Tech's district are of the assessment, either.

The assessment for postsecondary students receiving career training is perfectly legal but may not be transparent to those outside the arcane world of Massachusetts public school foundation budgets.

According to Valley Tech's Superintendent-Director Michael F. Fitzpatrick, students in the district pay a tuition of $9,900 plus fees, according to the school's website, and as a state "Chapter 74 program" the tuition is capped at the level for local community colleges.

Massachusetts students from out-of-district towns pay $16,320 tuition and out-of-state students pay $16,830.

Under state law, students in Chapter 74 programs are also counted in the vocational-technical school's foundation budget, the average base amount for school districts' "adequate spending," set by the state. The foundation budget is the starting point for state aid and assessments to the regional school district's member towns.

"The foundation formula is what drives the town payment," Ms. Holmes said.

According to Ms. Holmes, who combed through the numbers for Valley Tech's fiscal 2017 local assessment, the town of Douglas is assessed for each postsecondary student $9,398; state Chapter 70 aid pays Valley Tech about $6,615 per student; and state Chapter 71 regional transportation aid contributes $717, for a total local and state subsidy of $16,731 per student. This subsidy is in addition to the $9,900 tuition the student pays through personal funds, loans or federal financial aid.

Ms. Holmes said the issue slowly came to light a few years after the program started, but recently became more pressing since a larger proportion of local students are now participating.

"We were totally incredulous about the foundation students," she said, recounting an April 7, 2014 Finance Committee meeting attended by Mr. Fitzpatrick in which the town subsidy became clear. 

While critical of the funding formula, the Douglas officials who spoke to a reporter still praised the quality of the practical nursing program.

According to Mr. Fitzpatrick, 100 percent of students who completed the program passed the NCLEX-PN exam allowing them to apply for licensure as licensed practical nurses in the state. Overall job placement rate since its inception is 96 percent.

Mr. Fitzpatrick wrote in an email: "From an access and/or tuition cost basis, our practical nursing program has created an opportunity which would not otherwise be available to this district’s citizens, particularly those of limited means striving to improve their family's quality of life by starting new careers in the healthcare industry."

"We never want to deny people education," said Douglas Selectman Timothy Bonin. "But it's a difficult thing ... when we're cutting what we're cutting to pay for postsecondary education."

Last year Douglas's school budget cut after-school sports and activities, plus some dozen or more teaching staff, because of a shortfall. Douglas High School Athletic Boosters jumped in to raise $95,000, including a $20,000 contribution from Guaranteed Builders Inc., and each high school athlete was charged $300 to keep programs going.

On Tuesday selectmen voted to place a $1.7 million Proposition 2 1/2 override question on the May 2 town meeting warrant and May 10 ballot. Most of that, $1.5 million, would go toward schools while $200,000 would go toward extraordinary maintenance.

"It's disappointing that they're allowed to do so," Superintendent of Schools Norman P. Yvon said about Valley Tech's nursing program being included in its foundation budget. "I don't think that the local communities should pay for postgraduate programs."

Northbridge School Committee Chairman Michael LeBrasseur said he also disliked counting postsecondary students in the foundation budget. Northbridge has five students enrolled in Valley Tech's practical nursing program, at the same time the district has eliminated 23 positions, reduced transportation, increased fees signficantly and resorted to fundraising to retain several athletic offerings.

"Our budget is barely covering the costs to educate the 2,400 students we have from preschool through Grade 12," Mr. LeBrasseur wrote in an email. "To know that vocational schools are providing postsecondary programs to their students, funded by local assessments and state aid, is troubling. I wonder how many taxpayers are even aware of this program."

Not all postsecondary career training programs offered by vocational high schools are Chapter 74 certified, so they're not all counting those students in their foundation budget.

John A. Lafleche, superintendent of Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School in Charlton, said the school also offers a practical nursing program with a $13,500 tuition and a cosmetology program with a $8,050 tuition.

The tuition doesn't have to be capped at the local community college rate because the program instructors aren't Chapter 74 certified. In order to be Chapter 74 certified, Mr. Lafleche explained, instructors - who are practicing professionals in their field - would have to take several additional college courses, which the district felt would be burdensome.

The programs are accredited by the Council on Occupational Education and students are eligible for Pell grants and federal student loans. Ninety-five percent of Bay Path's practical nursing graduates pass the NCLEX-PN exam on the first try and 100 percent have passed by the second try, according to the superintendent.

"There are no charges to the towns," Mr. Lafleche said.

Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School in Fitchburg offers a postsecondary Chapter 74 certifiedpractical nursing program, similar to Valley Tech, which therefore does count enrollment in its foundation budget.

Assabet Valley Regional Technical School in Marlboro also has a Chapter 74 postsecondary practical nursing program.

"Different districts handle it differently," Mr. Lafleche said. "There is an advantage to the student for the town to cover part in the foundation. It's a philosophical argument one way or the other."

The 13 member towns in Valley Tech's district will be voting on the school's fiscal 2017 $21.96 million budget proposal at their upcoming town meetings.

According to the school's budget document, total expenditures reflect a 3 percent increase over the current year. However, total member assessments reflect a 4.36 percent increase driven by 17 additional students, significant increases in active and retiree health insurance and relatively flat state aid.

"Our district towns' leaders have identified what they consider a manageable percentage increase in their Valley Tech assessments, and we've worked hard to once again produce a plan within that range," School Committee Chairman Joseph M. Hall of Bellingham said in a statement.