Cuts On the Horizon For Stoneham Schools?

With the current fiscal problems the town faces in its upcoming fiscal year, Stoneham school district superintendent Les Olson presented the School Committee with a report on where money had been spent as well as potential changes that may need to be made for next year.

First came the good news, such as Stoneham’s escape out of accreditation warning status from the New England Association Schools and Colleges (NEASC), a brand new across the board math curricula, and the fact that graduation rates have risen five percent over the past four years.

While these improvements required spending increases in most areas over the past four years, the schools were still able to keep per pupil spending well under state averages in an array of categories and actually reduced per-pupil expenditures in administrative costs by one percent.

The reduction was particularly surprising in some areas such as spending on school supplies, which rose 62 percent since 2007 but was still only 70 percent of the state average.

However, due to the town’s looming budget crisis for fiscal 2012, it appears that program cuts may need be made in different areas.

Olson suggested several areas where the cuts could be made in terms of looming non-personnel expenditures such as a delay on new textbooks in some areas and a $50,000 budget decrease in support for the athletics department.

He also proposed eliminating some positions, including two special education professionals whose students recently left the district, and the removal of elementary Italian and Title I reading paraprofessional positions that were entirely supported by grant money that the district will no longer receive, although he noted that any other employee reductions would not be as warranted since the amount saved from expected appropriations would be partially offset by added appropriations needed for unemployment benefits.

While the proposed cuts appear to be necessary, Olson lamented that they may jeopardize the district’s current upward momentum.

“Quite frankly, I see any of these reductions as a step backwards in our programs,” Olson said. “I know some of the cuts will raise the issue once again regarding our accreditation status with (NEASC).”

The final number that the district will have to decrease the budget by will depend largely on the result of Stoneham’s Town Meeting in April. If the voters approve a measure, allowing the town to increase appropriations by more than 2 ½ percent for the next fiscal year, the overall school budget would still drop $821,000, according to Stoneham Town Administrator David Ragucci’s budget recommendation.

However, if the override doesn't pass, the schools would have to cut $983,000 if the town decides to maintain a scheduled to take effect July 1, and a $1.8 million cut if the trash fee increase isn't put into place.

No matter what happens in April, it appears that some cuts will need to be made unless new funding sources can be found to make up the loss of federal and state funding that has led to the current shortfall outside of taxation above the override level, which may involve increasing fees on things like school lunches and athletic participation, which Olson believes would reduce participation rather than increase revenue.