Medford School Budget Approved

MEDFORD, MA – The Medford School Committee on Monday approved a $58.6 million budget for FY2019. According to the Medford Transcript, the vote was 6-1, with committee member Erin DiBenedetto voting no due to cuts to maintenance and no increases to the number of kindergarten aids.

The budget is about $2.1 million higher than the previous fiscal year. It will be supplemented by a little over $2 million in operating revenue and state and federal grants, bringing the total budget to $60,629,011, or a 3.65 percent increase, according to school officials.

Included in the budget is over $240,000 in increased security spending, a substantial portion of which administrators hope will be covered by rental income. Additional funding will be provided for camera repairs and replacement.

Cost of transportation is expected to increase by $170,000, as administrators say the cost per bus by contract has been raised. The higher electricity cost is expected to be offset by savings in telephone costs, and the special education budget will be raised by a minimum of over $510,000, based on salary and personnel requirements.

Other matters included in the budget:

• consolidation of math directorship into math/science directorship
• addition of a math/tech lab teacher at McGlynn
• addition of a computer science/data specialist teacher at the high school
• addition of two ELL teachers
• hiring and before and after school program coordinator
• enhancement of technology infrastructure using federal and local matching funds
• increase in athletic and student activity budgets

See the full budget below:

MPS FY19 Proposed Budget by Alex Newman on Scribd

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