School Budget Ahead $19,411 from March

Superintendent of Schools Charles Gobron presented the school committee with a slightly altered FY12 budget, thanks to the Town Administrator's reminder that the school budget was owed money that was borrowed for town use last year.

"With this money as part of the starting number, we are now to the good $19,411," Gobron explained.

The new school budget, which is derived from the Town Administrator's base budget, is$18,702,867 and shows an increase of 3.99 percent. This is a change from the budget of $18,683,456 that the committee approved in March. The FY11 budget was approved at 17,940,566.

"I promise we will put that additional money to good use," Gobron said.

With small class size being a very real goal for the school district, Gobron alluded that the extra money could potentially add another classroom teacher to the rapidly swelling 5th grade at the and/or the 2nd grade at Proctor.

School Committee member Steven Witkowski wondered allowed if there would be a room for an added teacher at either school.

"We would build a room,' Principal of Proctor School Margaret Donohue quipped.

Principal of the Marion E. Zeh School Susan Whitten was also quick to say she'd find the space.

In other business, the Zeh School was honored by the Safe Routes to School program for their innovative work in getting their students moving more and to school safely.

"We noticed a surge in bicyclists at Zeh last year," Whitten said. "We did not have any language in the handbook so we started to work with the folks at safe routes to schools back in June."

The Zeh School held their first walk/bike to school day on a very rainy October day last fall.

"We had over 50 kids walking with umbrellas, biking with parents, walking with parents and grandparents," Whitten said. "It was an amazing day."

As part of their work, the Zeh School updated the student handbook to include language on who could walk/bike to school and when they would be eligible for that privilege.

"Walk Boston came in and did a program on bike safety," Whitten said. "We also had Walk Boston do a pedestrian safety course. I thought I knew all about sidewalk rules and walking safety, having spent a great deal of time walking in New York, but I learned a lot.

The Zeh School plans to have another walk/bike to school day sometime in May.