Healthy Discussion Continues Stoneham Budget Process

The time to roll up the sleeves and debate cuts may be coming, but a joint meeting of the School Committee and the Board of Selectmen Wednesday produced positive feelings and a desire for more discussions, praise for the Superintendent's efforts to restore music programs, and an overall kumbaya atmosphere at the Central Middle School Library.

A new look for Stoneham politics?

Before jumping too far ahead, the meetings was the first following Superintendent John Macero's presentation of the FY19 budget to the School Committee last week. That budget contained six options based on the final dollar figure and by the time the School Committee, Town Manager, and Town Meeting have their say, the final figure could be an unknown option seven.

The Board of Selectmen saw a school budget that ranged from a 7.2 percent increase with plenty of reasons to get excited about the next school year, to a 3.5 percent increase that included numerous roll-up-the-sleeves cuts totaling $557,580. If the 7.2 percent figures survives, the additions include $135,000 for an elementary literacy coach, $141,750 for a STEM increase at all levels, $63,000 for an increase in elementary school physical education, $52,500 for music, $15,750 for art, and $60,587 for increased high school programs like Italian, MCAS, student activities, and textbooks. In the 3.5 percent increase, those additions are all gone, along with other cuts depending on the amount.

"I'm only asking for 7.2 percent," joked Macero, who was hired six months ago from Winthrop and is working on his first Stoneham budget. On Monday Macero meets with the Finance Committee, and then he'll await the final budget figure from Town Manager Tom Younger. If it's the 7.2 percent increase Macero hopes for you'll hear the cheer from neighboring towns. But if it's less, Macero will revise his budget and present it to the School Committee again. Throw in a public hearing and Town Meeting in May and FY19 will be finished.

At the start of the meeting, Macero updated the Board of Selectmen on the status of the high school. In December the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) denied Stoneham's request for money to fund improvements to the high school. Part of the reason, explained Macero, is that the MSBA decided to fund three vocational schools (including Northeast Voke in Wakefield) instead of the usual two. Given that vocational schools are more expensive it meant less traditional high schools were funded and Stoneham missed the cut.

But Macero said he was "strongly urged to re-apply" by MSBA officials and the town will do that before the April deadline. "I'm hopeful that next year will be the year," said Macero. "We shall see."

With just four agenda items the meeting could have ended in less than hour except for the back-n-forth healthy discussion between the two town committees. Everything was on the table, from overrides (Stoneham has never had one), to the less-than-ideal level of service as a result. Class size and its relation to increased housing was an issue that connected schools with selectmen responsibilities.

"A great exchange of ideas," is what School Committee chair Marie Christie called it. "We should have more of these."

With the budget process in the early stages, there should be plenty more opportunities to talk.

Photo by Bob Holmes