Administrators unveil revised school budget
At a public hearing on Monday night, Superintendent Doug White presented the School Committee with a revised budget designed to maintain student services.
“It’s a budget that a lot of work has gone into with a lot of conversations,” said White. “This allows us to maintain the services needed for our students.”
Administrators and the School Committee appear ready to ask for $6,201,900 from Town Meeting voters to fund Center School and Old Hammondtown School costs. The number is an increase of $109,800, or 1.8 percent, compared to last year.
Driving up the cost of the budget are contractual obligations regarding staff salaries. Originally, the proposed budget was $6,625,700.
School Committee Chair James Higgins commended White. He added that changes in state aid might alter the budget picture for the better.
Higgins favored hiring an additional second grade teacher.
“Things can change as time goes by and more money may become available, either from Chapter 70 or state aid,” Higgins said. “My hope of advocating for a second grade teacher is not all lost, but not currently in this budget and understandably so.”
White said administrators would seek support from townspeople to upgrade school supplies. He plans to introduce an article at Town Meeting for a one-time payment that would bring new supplies to the school.
“We need to upgrade the programming in math,” he said.
“We will ask the town to support that with a one time buy which will cover us for several years in the future.”