Mattapoisett School Committee approves $7.5 million budget

Mar 29, 2021

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett School Committee unanimously approved a $7.51 million Fiscal Year 2022 operating budget at a March 31 meeting.

The budget reflects an increase of over 2% from the Fiscal Year 2021 $7.35 million budget.

The operating budget for Center School will be $2.93 million, and the budget for Old Hammondtown will be $2.8 million.

The budget also includes $126,747 to operate the Bristol County Agricultural High school.

Included in the budget is $5,000 for settlements, which Old Rochester Regional School District Assistant Superintendent Howie Barber said was included to give the district “the opportunity, if there is a circumstance, to take care of those kinds of problems.”

Despite a decrease in enrollment of 41 students, Old Hammondtown and Center School is projected to receive $11,880 more in state aid over Fiscal Year 2021, totalling $851,365.

Required net school spending and the required school district contribution both decreased in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget.

Net spending lowered from $4.95 to $4.94 million, and the district’s contribution lowered from $3.75 to $3.5 million.

Other costs in the budget include $198,444 for the district central office and $627,927 for other facilities, $639,521 for student services, $129,150 for technology and $532,800 for transportation.

There will also be a separate allocation of $70,000 for school choice students, comprising $10,000 for Old Hammondtown, $10,000 for Center School and $50,000 for student services.

Following a public hearing which saw no comment, the school committee voted unanimously to adopt the budget, as well as the school choice allocation.

“We’re trying to provide [students] with that positive influence through our budget process,” Barber said.