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School Committee’s Budget Plan Preserves Six Unnamed Positions

By Scott MacKeen
Staff Writer
3/18/10
The Warrant Committee’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 includes funding to spare six school positions that would have been eliminated under a prior budget proposal.

However, school officials say they have yet to determine which six spots they would like to see remain.

They were originally proposing cutting 24 jobs, including seven teachers.

That’s the elimination number cited by school officials as being necessary if they have to operate under a similar budget to the current fiscal year. It would not provide the $1.5 million they say is needed to cover increased costs and contractual raises.

School Finance Subcommittee member Mary Kelly informed the School Committee on March 9 that the Warrant Committee has set a proposed FY 11 budget. The budget saves six of the 24 school positions that were up for elimination, she said.

There are roughly 600 positions in the department.

The School Committee’s original proposed FY 11 budget called for an increase from the FY 10 level of $32.9 million to $35.5 million. That budget included funding for four teachers school officials said would help tackle increased student enrollment and MCAS improvement issues.

The Warrant Committee, however, has said it is unlikely any new funding will be available in the next budget and asked departments several months ago to submit level-dollar budget projections.

Warrant Committee Chair Tom Hurley said his committee finalized a balanced FY 11 town budget at an all-day meeting Feb 27, which includes $600,000 in new funding, of which $360,000 was allocated to retain the school positions. “We put enough funding back in their budget to add back six [full-time equivalents], presumably teachers. I say presumably because the School Committee ... can allocate the funds anyway they choose,” Hurley said in an e-mail.

School Superintendent Mary Gormley said the School Finance Subcommittee has yet to decide how to the use the additional funds. She stressed that an additional $1 million in one-time federal stimulus funds are being utilized to avoid deeper cuts.

Hurley said he does not foresee any additional layoffs.

“There will be positions in some of the departments that will remain unfilled,” he said.

The School Committee held an open public meeting on its proposed FY 11 budget March 16. More will be reported next week.