No cuts in initial school budget
Damien Fisher
WINCHENDON — Superintendent Brooke Clenchy presented the School Committee with something not seen in recent years on Thursday night — a proposed budget that calls for no cuts in staff.
"This is the first time in five years we're going to have no layoffs," said Chairman Michael Barbaro of the fiscal year 2013 budget plan. "It's a moment to be celebrated."
The budget proposal relies on numbers provided by the state, and estimates $11,115,275 in Chapter 70 education funding and $4,744,544 in local contributions for a total of $15,859,819.
"This was such a different year for us," Ms. Clenchy said.
The district was forced to cut more than a dozen staff members last year in order to make up a roughly $1 million budget shortfall.
"It's not like it's been in past years, where you're handing out 20 (pink) slips to paraprofessionals," the superintendent said.
While the numbers provided by the state could change, the district at present has been able to build a level-services budget that includes no loss in staff or programs.
"We don't have to go to the town and ask for one penny more," Ms. Clenchy said.
When indirect costs are removed from the school budget equation, the total number is $12,829,903. The district is required to pay the town for costs such as health insurance and unemployment that the town covers for the district. This year, that number is estimated at $3,029,909.
Last year's total budget, after the indirect costs were paid, was at $12,873,169.
Ms. Clenchy said this budget means the district will be able to have a continuity of staff members and programs offered, which is a real benefit for the education of the students.
Committee member John McDonough said if voters at town meeting wanted to make a difference, they could vote to increase the local contribution by a modest amount and bring back some of the programs lost to the years of attrition.
The budget will be presented again at an April 5 public hearing, after which the committee will vote to send it to town meeting.