January 19, 2007
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Joseph Gillis Jr.
You can do something!
The following story was in today's Patriot Ledger. There is an interesting comment from the Superintendent. about requesting such a large increase -- "would be considered arrogant and a bit ludicrous".
With budget time here for Bridgewater and Raynham, perhaps a cautionary tale? Proposals need to be taken seriously, and at least in this instance, the school administration in Scituate read the political and financial climate and determined that such a large request would not serve any purpose. In fact, it could have a detrimental effect on future presentations and discussions.
Schools won’t try for 17% increase: Budget request about to be reduced
By DIANA SCHOBERG, The Patriot Ledger, 1/19/2007, dschoberg@ledger.com
The Scituate School Committee has changed its mind about asking for a 17 percent budget increase, much of the money for which would have had to come from a multi-million-dollar Proposition 2˝ override.
The $28.9 million budget that the committee planned to seek included money for more than 40 new teachers and academic personnel.
They committee will start deciding what to cut from its fiscal 2008 request when it meets at 8 a.m. tomorrow in the superintendent’s office. An override proposal still appears likely.
‘‘The town and the schools are working collaboratively and cooperatively to reach agreement on a (budget) number that benefits the entire Scituate community, and we’re not there yet,’’ school committee Chairwoman Elizabeth Michaud said.
The committee’s budget request was on the agenda for review by selectmen on Tuesday night. But after a closed-door meeting between several members of the school committee, the board of selectmen and the advisory board, the school committee agreed to postpone the hearing and rework the numbers.
‘‘It appeared to all of us, particularly me, that to go forward and present a budget that is $3.7 million in funds the town does not have would be considered arrogant and a bit ludicrous,’’ School Superintendent Mark Mason said.
Explaining why Tuesday night’s budget discussion was not open to the public, Selectmen Chairman Paul Reidy said his intention was to go over the newest financial forecast so that each of the representatives could go back to their boards and explain the town’s money situation. The meeting was attended by two members of each of the three boards, Mason and Town Administrator Richard Agnew.
‘‘They’re not like formal meetings, it was just having a couple of people from a few committees to understand the broad, macro view of where the financial picture is going in the next five years,’’ Reidy said.
A financial forecasting meeting - open to the public - will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at town hall, and a joint meeting of the selectmen, the school committee and the advisory board - also open - will be held at 7 that night.
