$2M Cut From Framingham School Budget Request

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The fiscal 2020 budget is being finalized by Mayor Yvonne Spicer and will be submitted to the City Council on May 2. Ahead of the submission, Spicer issued a statement about the School Department's budget.

The School Committee asked earlier this month for a $139.1 million budget, a 4.57 percent increase or roughly $6.1 million over FY19. The mayor cut down the number to a $137.1 million budget – a 3.1% increase or roughly $4.1 million over FY19. The district said the original proposed budget was the third lowest budget increase in the past seven years. This was the first year that the district built the budget up from scratch, requiring principals and departments to meet with Superintendent Robert Tremblay to defend each schools specific budgetary needs. The School Committee noted in its message in the budget book, that the original request does not fully meet the needs of the district, citing that Tremblay initially found that the district needs $10.8 million beyond the budget request. "This request does not fully meet the realistic need our large, complex school district requires. Fiscal realities are the main reason why this request is not larger," the statement read.

Spicer said in a statement that she supports Framingham Public Schools but must balance its needs against those of the city as a whole, “What my team and I are working toward in the City’s fiscal 2020 budget now is to strike a balance between the impact to our residents’ taxes and the excellent services the City provides; it is a delicate balance," she said.

The statement lists ways the city supports the schools, noting that the school system’s budget has been increased on average 5.6% every year for the last five years, equating to more than $30.6 million. The statement also mentions that Framingham spends more than the state average on its students. On average, Massachusetts spends $15,911.38 per student. Framingham spends $2,667.32 more on each of its students. The Fuller Middle School project is also highlighted as an example of the city's dedication to education.

The new three-year teacher contracts are taken into account in the mayor's draft of the budget, according to the statement. The School Committee built the budget to focus on adding funding to programs like Sage, an expansion of the dual-language program and a rollout of a new 1:1 Chromebook initiative at King Elementary.

Once the fiscal 2020 budget is finalized it will be submitted to the City Council and voted on. The new fiscal year begins in July.

The full budget book can be read here.

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