School Dept. budget stands at $18.1 million
Published on March 25th, 1998
STONEHAM, MA - With the Special Town Meeting looming over the heads of the School Department, a need for serious budgetary consideration has become of the utmost importance.
Acting Superintendent Robert Barbarisi and members of the School Committee appeared before the Board Of Selectmen on Tuesday and told its members that the $18.1 million budget is a preliminary figure and would likely be reduced substantially before it appears before voters.
"At this time, the School Committee has not taken any stance on priorities in this budget," School Committee member Jeanne Craigie told the Board. "I don't think we're going to get the $18.1 million."
Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting supported this statement by telling the Board that the town could fund the School Department at $16.7 million. Any number over that, he said, would mean cuts in other town departments.
"The dilemma that we have right now... is that the request from the School Department is substantially beyond our means in any shape or fashion," Nutting explained. "There's a huge gap and it's a huge issue.
"It's fiscally impossible to meet their demands at the present. Any funds that the School Department gets will have to come from the other municipal departments."
Barbarisi explained that this is a difficult time in the budgetary process due to the transition of superintendents and the huge demands placed on the School Department by the state.
Many of the costs included in the budget cannot be avoided, he told the Board. An increase of over $600,000 is expected in the special education program alone due to state mandates. Also, staffing increases are needed at both the Middle and High schools to meet with the state's Time and Learning requirements.
Another hurdle which the Department must overcome, Barbarisi said, is that "spending has been curtailed practically when school's started. In the past two years, many things have fallen back below what was there before."
He said that a "steady erosion" in terms of staffing and programming has taken place in the Department over the past two to three years and is sure to continue if adequate funding is not provided.
Stoneham schools are funded below the state average in terms of per student expenditure, Barbarisi pointed out, and, when compared to the surrounding communities the difference gap becomes even larger.
Board members appeared surprised to hear about the School Department's request and the state of disarray that may be caused if funding is not received. Originally, it was believed that a budget request of approximately $16.5 million would be tendered by the School Department. Appropriations by the town for the current fiscal year have amounted to approximately $15.85 million, but actual spending is expected to top $16.1 million, Nutting said.
"I think the Board is flabbergasted because of the money we're talking about," Chairman Albert Conti said. "I don't think we've got the resources this year to turn this thing around.
"I don't think we've been stingy as a town... and I'm surprised to see that we're below the state average."
It was originally proposed that the School Committee arrive at a definitive figure and submit it to the Board in about a month. Nutting, however, explained that, with Town Meeting taking place May 4, that timetable simply wouldn't work.
"A month from now is a week before Town Meeting," he explained. "That's not the time for debates. In a lot sooner time than that, those three boards (School Committee, Board of Selectmen and the Finance & Advisory Board) will have to come together and make a decision.
A joint meeting between the three was scheduled for April 9 at 7:30 pm in the High School Library. This meeting will be open to the public.
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