School Committee Joins Town Council in Supporting Proposed Override

Like the town council, the Weymouth School Committee is backing a proposed $6.5 million tax override over Mayor Susan Kay’s plan for an $18.5 million debt exclusion.

The school committee voted on Monday to write a letter in support of the override and to request Mayor Kay to remove the debt exclusion from consideration, much to the satisfaction of those in attendance at the meeting.

If approved by voters, an override would supply the school district with an extra $3 million a year in tax revenue.

“I believe the override is the right thing to do at this point. If we’re struggling to find money, we need to buckle down and find the money we need.” School Committee Chairman Sean Guilfoyle said.

An override would remain every year while a debt exclusion is used to cover one-time costs over a set period of time.

Weymouth schools would not see any money from the override until fiscal year 2017.

The support for an override came after demands from residents for more school funding during the public hearing for the fiscal year 2016 school budget. As parents spoke in support of a larger budget and higher quality education, many wore a yellow stick that read, “it’s not ok.” Last week the phrase became an improv slogan for those lobbying for a larger school budget.

This year, the proposal budget is $67.3 million, an increase of nearly $6 million.

The school committee will vote on the budget on Thursday.