Budget Set, Social Worker Cut to Part-Time

The Winnacunnet Budget Committee formally completed its budget review Monday, setting Winnacunnet High School's budget at $21,710,850, which is $94,172 less than the default budget.

While additional funding was added into the budget to cover an expected $47,538 increase in special education due to a new student, the committee voted against restoring funding to the social worker line to override the Winnacunnet School Board's proposal to .

The budget committee voted 3-2-1 to pass the social worker as a part-time position — something that was proposed by the school board as a way to increase the substance abuse counselor to full-time — after school board member Wayne Skoglund outlined why the board didn't restore funding provided to the budget committee.

"We had to make some cuts somewhere, and that’s an area the administration said could handle [a cut]," said Skoglund, acknowledging that staff and administrators have since told the budget committee otherwise. "If other information is available, it was not made available. [Funding wasn't restored] because we don't like to hear information through hearsay. We can't second something when we don't have the new information available."

WHS Principal Bill McGowan argued that notion Monday, stating that he did "have new information available," but he "wasn't allowed to present it" during last week's .

Skoglund said McGowan wasn't allowed to present it because it came late in the meeting and because he said the information "should've been given long before the meeting" so the board could make a decision as a group.

Winnacunnet Budget Committee Chairman Fred Caesar said "basically" his board's "hands [were] tied" when it came to the funding for the position, and he, Bruce Casassa and Don Janik all voted Monday to pass the budget line as recommended by the school board.

Vic DeMarco and Dick Goodman voted against the motion, while Kari Schmitz abstained.

Skoglund couldn't vote Monday because he attended the meeting as a second school board voice. Goodman is the official voting school board representative to the committee.

DeMarco, who has been in favor of fully funding both guidance department positions, said Monday he was disappointed in Skoglund's reasoning behind the change as well as his attitude about McGowan's information.

DeMarco said the attitude gives the impression there is "no trust" between the school board and administrators. Because of this, he called for the board to change its mindset and called for the budget committee to have their meetings "televised from now on" so everyone can "get the correct information."

"This kind of bickering is terrible — it's absolutely terrible," said DeMarco. "I think we should all be working together and not like, 'You’ve got to prove something to me so like I can give it to you.'"

No motions were made to make future meetings televised or recorded, and it was unclear Monday if the recommendation will be fulfilled.

The budget, which also includes some as well as that will impact the overall bottom line, will now go before the official public hearing.

That public hearing will be on Thursday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m. in the WHS Lecture Hall.