Planning for the 2013 budget is underway, but for now, the Rochester School Committee has frozen an already tight budget.

During the Dec. 1 committee meeting, school district business administrator Katie Isernio confirmed that the remaining budget for 2012 is $62,152.21.

“We know we have some challenges in this budget,” Isernio said.  “We need to put our collective heads together to solve this.”

Superintendent Doug White said that while the Budget Subcommittee reviews the accounts, the budget will remain frozen unless needed for emergency issues.

One such issue addressed at the meeting was the lack of an assistant principal at Rochester Memorial School. Principal Jay Ryan said that while he does have advisory counselors to help shoulder the workload, he may be stretched too thin.

“The biggest problem is I’m not able to give as much academic and leadership counsel as I should be able to,” Ryan said.

With the current budget frozen, the committee agreed that the issue would have to be put on hold for the 2013 budget discussions.

Committee member Tina Rood, who is also on the Budget Subcommittee, agreed with Ryan that the vacant assistant principal position is a subject the committee should address.

“It truly is a problem and it’s something we need to take into consideration,” Rood said. “Its very tight this year and we are most likely going to have to all work together, not just as a committee, but the whole town as well. We need all hands on deck.”

The Budget Subcommittee, Rood said, has been meeting more frequently to keep an eye on the funds as they are, as well as to see what can be done about it.

The School Committee will next discuss the budget during their Jan. 3 meeting.

In other business:

Food Service Director Caitlin Meagher reported that the Rochester Memorial School has seen an improvement in the amount of students purchasing school lunches. Participation has grown from 37 percent in September to 40 percent in October.  The goal, Meagher said, is to see further increases by the end of the year. She said the goal for this year is 47 percent participation, an increase from last year’s of 44 percent.

The committee presented Rochester’s Facilities Manager, Mike Meunier, with recognition of achievement for his work throughout the building of the Rochester Memorial School. Along with the award, the committee also gave Meunier a copy of the Shel Silverstein children’s book, “The Giving Tree,” as a thank-you for his efforts in the building process.