Weymouth Residents Call on Councilors to Improve School Funding

Residents and members of the town council urged the members of Mayor Susan Kay’s administration Monday night to fully fund the school budget’s $700,000 deficit.

During two public hearings to transfer $300,000 to the school’s operating budget and $700,000 to OPEB, mostly from free cash, residents encouraged the town council to focus on closing the school budget deficit rather than making a contribution to Weymouth’s Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) liability.

Earlier this year during the budget process, Kay said she would request a transfer of $250,000 and funds from Southfield to help decrease the deficit. The extra $50,000 from Southfield brings the transfer amount to $300,000.

The $300,000 would help cover some expenses that the school district would not have to pay for until the second half of the fiscal year, but does not close the budget gap. The funds along with cuts would bring the deficit down to $170,000.

Not good enough according to many in attendance.

“We’re very concerned about the schools and the funding for the schools that pales in comparison to surrounding towns. The state says we need to start meeting the minimum net school spending which we haven’t done for five years but I say we need to get up to the average which we’re $12 million below and $1,400 per pupil less than the average and our kids and this town deserves better than that,” resident Valerie Giannandrea told the council.

Town Councilor Robert M. Conlon defended the funding of the school budget, blaming a need for public safety funding as the reason for a lack of resources for the schools.

“About 100 of those towns don’t have public safety issues. When you’re dealing with that, you are not dealing with a public safety issue and you can give to the schools. The problem we have here is that we have so much money but we don’t have enough to give to public schools and we have to give it to public safety,” Conlon said.

Council President Patrick O’Connor said the transfer was a step in the right direction.

“I know there are needs in those departments but we are taking a step forward. It’s not a big of a step people want but it’s a step in a right direction,” O’Connor said.

Some recommended a switch, transferring $700,000 to the schools and $300,000 to OPEB or even using all the funds from the proposed transfers for the schools.

“We know that the schools, as well as the police, fire, and library need the money now. I’m curious to why we are holding money for something that may not happen when the other departments are screaming for money,” resident Pan Oliver said.

According to Weymouth Chief Financial Officer Bill McKinney, Weymouth has a $224 million OPEB liability and is incurring more because the town is has not made significant payments over the years, adding that the town has put in $2.2 million.

“There is no way Weymouth as well as the other municipalities in the Commonwealth are going to be able to climb that mountain. What is the point at throwing $700,000 at that mountain? It doesn’t even make a dent into the number,” Weymouth Athletic Boosters Association president Gustavo Perez said.

Only Dedham, Wellesley, and Hingham have been able to fully fund their 30-year publication for OPEB according to McKinney.

The hearings were continued to Jan. 5 when the town council will hear a presentation Aquarius Capital on Weymouth’s obligation to OPEB.