(previous)
But “every second- to fifth-grade class will average out above 25 to probably 30 students” if one of the schools has to be closed, she said.
School Committee Chairman Beirne Lovely
said most schools across the state are facing
similar challenges.
“We have a very serious situation,” he said. “The handwriting is on the wall. You don’t have to go far to see what kind of shape [the state] is in.”
He said the School Committee
has to “expect the best but anticipate
the worst.”
However, Lovely said the town is “really blessed” to have built six new schools during a period when financial times were better. “We’re still relatively better off than some towns in the commonwealth,” he said.
Committee member Glenn Pavlicek said he has met with Gormley and her staff to discuss the financial situation and said the possibility of closing
an elementary school was raised at those meetings.
“It’s something we’ve been discussing … it’s certainly on the table,” he said when interviewed by the Times prior to the meeting. “Nothing is decided. But if we get zero dollars, if there are local aid cuts, we have to look at things being radically different next year.”
Pavlicek is part of the School Committee’s subgroup for finances, along with Mary Kelly and Chris Huban. The group meets with Gormley every other Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. The group is posted to meet next Tuesday, Jan. 13.
The School Committee plans to hold a special meeting Wednesday, Jan. 14, at 6 p.m. at Milton High School. Gormley said the purpose of the meeting is to spell out how the loss of teachers will impact each school.
“We are putting together a special budget to tell you exactly where the impact will be,” she said.
The School Committee also will meet Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. at the high school.
Gormley said school officials have met with the Selectmen and Warrant Committee to discuss the financial challenges. She said the goal is to
advocate the needs of the schools and work together on the same page to inform the public.
The School Committee has asked for approximately $2.2 million more in next year’s budget. The schools need $1.8 million to roll over current staff and services, Gormley said.
The budget request is for about $34.2 million, which is seven percent more than the current budget.
Lovely said an override may “frankly be the only way we can keep our staffing.”