Proposed Peabody School Budget Up 8.8 Percent

PEABODY, MA — Peabody Public School officials will hold a series of public meetings on a proposed $80.6 million budget for next year. The budget is up $6.5 million, or 8.8 percent, from the current year's spending plan. The budget does not call for staff or program cuts, and the increased spending reflects higher costs for special education, transportation and health insurance.

Those costs, according to Mayor Ted Bettencourt, have "skyrocketed." Bettencourt also chairs the school committee. At a school committee meeting last week, Bettencourt said increased special education, healthcare and transportation costs account for $3 million of the $6.5 million increase in the proposed budget.Another $2.7 million comes from contractual and cost of living pay raises.

The budget also relies on increased funding from the state -- a number that could change as state lawmakers try to finalize the statewide spending plan. In Peabody, the school committee will hold public hearings on the budget and then pass it on to City Council, which will likely vote on it in June.

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