Burlington School Budget Includes 6.9% Raise For Superintendent

BURLINGTON, MA — Burlington Public Schools Superintendent Eric Conti would earn $216,045 next year under a proposed budget approved by the school committee Tuesday, up 6.9 percent from $201,912 this year. The proposed budget was approved by the town's Ways and Means committee on Wednesday. The budget still needs to be approved by Burlington Town Meeting, which begins on May 13.

If approved by Town Meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Learning would earn $163,095, up 5 percent from $155,300 this year. The line item for instructional technology is $129,704, up 5.9 percent from $122,444 this year. The budget also includes a 21.1 percent increase for the school system's nursing supervisor. That position was budgeted for $86,736 this year but would jump to $105,052 next year.

Conti did not receive a raise last year after the department overspent its budget. School Committee member Christine Monaco said what Conti ends up getting paid next year may be much lower than what the line item in the proposed budget indicates.

"Money is very tight. Next year’s budgeted amount may have been spent on a teacher for some grade that needs it by the time June arrives," Monaco said. "His raise is the last thing we do in a fiscal year. We do a public evaluation and then figure out if there is any money left."

The complete budget is scheduled to be posted on the school system's Website on Friday.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).