Schools Pondering $48 Million Budget for FY12

The School Committee is looking at a proposed $48 million budget for the coming fiscal year, up 2.85 percent from the current budget (just under $46.7 million).

Salaries accounted for $36.7 million of the current budget, and $37.6 million for the coming fiscal year, including pensions of roughly $80,000, according to the budget summary.

Next year’s salary figure does not include numbers from a new teachers’ contract, which is being negotiated. Rather, it is based on moving every school department employee up one salary rank, Joseph Elia, assistant superintendent for finance and operations, told the committee Thursday.

The non-salary budget of $9.97 million would increase by almost 4.2 percent to nearly $10.4 million.

School Supt. Mark Donovan presented the School Committee with the budget proposal last night.

In a handout separate from the detailed budget book, Donovan broke out “significant salary changes” in the coming fiscal year budget. They include:

• just under $916,000 from moving all school employees up a salary step, plus retirements;

• just under $258,000 for special education programs now funded by American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds; and

• just under $176,000 for additional in-district special education programs at the middle school, for students who are moving up to that level.

Donovan also proposed to add three new positions: 

• a third assistant principal at the high school, at a cost of $85,000;

• a third elementary adjustment counselor, at just over $50,000; and

• a grade 6 teacher at the Kennedy Middle School, at a cost of just under $44,000.

The two “excellent” high school assistant principals are stretched very thin, Donovan said, and cannot focus on curriculum. The high school accrediting agency also recommended adding that position, Donovan said.

Elementary principals are “passionate” about adding a third adjustment counselor, according to Donovan. The two current counselors cover four schools and are also “stretched very thin,” he said. Those two positions, added a few years ago, have made a “world of difference,” the superintendent said.

The sixth grade teacher is needed because of an “enrollment bump.”

On the non-salary side of the budget, significant changes include:

• an increase of just under $146,000 for instructional supplies, up 17 percent;

• just under $203,000 more for auxiliary agencies, such as buses and athletics;

• $136,000 more for fuel and utilities, up 7.2 percent; and

• just under $100,500 more for maintenance and equipment, up 8.7 percent.

The good news, Donovan said, is that non-salary special education costs will go down by almost $259,000, or 6 percent. Out-of-district tuitions are down, he explained, because two students have moved into in-district programs.

Finally, the technology budget would rise by $85,000.

Donovan’s goals in developing the fiscal 2012 budget include using technology to “enhance” both “our instructional options” and “communications and to streamline administrative functions.”

The bottom line guiding principal for the Fiscal Year 2012 budget, Donovan said, is responsible and realistic budgeting.

The proposed budget also recognizes the current economic status of the city and state; moves the district forward in some key areas; preserves the quality of the comprehensive education program we provide to our students; and meets our legal obligations, according to Donovan.

The committee will hold a special budget meeting this coming Wednesday, March 16, starting at 6:30 p.m., and do more budget review at its next regular meeting on March 30.