School Department shifts money around to finish FY2000 with zero balance
Published on July 12th, 2000
Stoneham, MA- The Stoneham School Depart-ment closed out fiscal year 2000 with a zero balance.
The schools had $17,756,000 to spend, and they used it all, but not a penny more.
"We were overspent in several accounts, but other line items helped us make it up," Superintendent Joseph Con-nelly said.
The heating account was $65,000 overspent.
"We had budgeted for 85 cents a gallon, and at one point we were paying $1.85," Connelly said.
The maintenance and grounds account was $7,000 overspent.
The special education tuition account paying for outside placements was $67,672 overspent.
"We budget exactly what we need for known cases at the beginning of the year," Connelly said.
If more children are identified for special education placement or new special education children move into Stoneham, costs increase.
"We then go back and ask for what we need; this is the most accountable system," Connelly said.
The school was able to use $63,000 in surplus salary money, which was made available by teacher retirements.
The rest of the money came from small surpluses in the more than 200 line items of the school budget, Connelly said.
Last year the school turned back $100,000 to the town.
"But doing that is not usual," Connelly said.
This year the school gave nothing back.
Connelly said Robert Mc-Ardle, the Administrator of Pupil Personnel, is working to develop more special education programs in Stoneham so the school system does not have to pay the tuition and transportation costs associated with outside placements.
"Our next budget meeting will be our September (fiscal 2001) budget projection," Connelly said.
Connelly said holding a series of budget reviews — in September, January, March, April, May and June — has been a successful strategy to balance the budget.
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