Brookline School Budget Gets A Boost

Brookline school officials received a welcoming update on the ever-changing 2012 fiscal year school budget this week.

Superintendent Bill Lupini reported on Thursday that next yeabyr’s health insurance rates would only increase 4.8 percent, far below the projected 10 percent spike. The lower rate is expected to free up an additional $511,000 in the department's budget.

“This is all very, very good news for us,” Lupini said.  

The windfall allows the superintendent to restore some of the made to close the department's budget gap. That includes allotting an extra $155,000 to the general education contingency fund, bringing the total to $200,000, and injecting $200,000 into the special education contingency fund to bring it up to $600,000.

The restoration plan also calls for $95,000 to install wireless internet at Brookline High School. After that, enough funds remain for the reinstitution of an enrichment and challenge support position ($47,000) and to purchase the Virtual High School  system ($15,000). The Virtual High School is a part of a non-profit organization that provides supplemental online courses.

The positive developments was couple with the sobering news that the department's kindergarten enrollment includes 10 more students than at this time last year. Lupini added last year’s number included early-enrollment candidates, not all of whom became kindergarteners. This year, “they’re all coming,” meaning the difference is more likely 25 students.

The superintendent went on to say kindergarten enrollment this year could be in the 575 to 580 student range, which will require an additional classroom.

“We are going to have work to do,” said Lupini.

Though as in everything related to next year’s school budget, there are still unknown variables, such as how much Chapter 70 aid the district will receive from the state. Lupini hopes to have those variables defined by the end of the month.