Chelmsford Town Meeting Approves Funding for School Deficit

Patch File Photo

Following two nights of discussion, Town Meeting members voted to approve a budget request to help close the deficit the town’s School Department was facing.

Several hours and two nights of Town Meeting later, the schools have what they need to get back on track. The Lowell Sun is reporting Town Meeting Thursday night approved a funding request to close the gap.

Read the full report on Thursday night’s Town Meeting decision from the Lowell Sun >>>

Earlier this month the Chelmsford Finance Committee voted 6-1 to approve a Fall Town Meeting article that would help with the financial deficit the School Department has been facing.

Following questions over the past two months about the mismanagement of school funds which resulted in staff layoffs, the Chelmsford Teachers Union took a vote of no confidence last week in the Superintendent of Schools Frank Tiano.

In October, the majority of the town’s School Committee members said they didn’t plan on taking any action against Tiano and believed he would help them get out of the financial mess they are in.

Earlier that same month, close to 100 residents, teachers and parents attended a School Committee meeting expressing their concern about recent layoffs due to budget issues in the town’s school department. The deficits in the department led to the decision to move forward with layoffs.