$55.3 Million School Budget an "Investment in Our Future"

The School Committee unanymously approved a $1.9 million increase for next year's school budget that will fund 14 new positions.

“This is part of the direction in our future and an investment in our future,” said School Committee Member Katherine Hennessy of the addition of engineering and Mandarin Chinese positions in the district.

The two positions were among 14 that would be added to next year's school budget if the proposal makes it through the City Council where the budget will next be discussed.

“It will make them very competitive in the global economy," said School Committee Member Margaret Dwyer of Mandarin which employers in the area have told the committee will be increasingly important moving forward.

Cuts in the school budget had been discussed at a previous meeting and applied to this version of the budget, said Interim Superintendent Steven Dlott.

The budget includes the following positions:

• Whitcomb 1.0 Student Services Support
• Whitcomb 1.0 Language Based Resource Room Teacher
• Whitcomb .5 Psychologist
• MHS .5 Psychologist
• Whitcomb 1.0 ELL Teacher
• MHS 1.0 ELL
• MHS 1.0 ELL Paraprofessional
• Elementary 3.0 ELL Teachers
• Jaworek .5 Psychologist
• Kane .5 Psychologist
• Whitcomb 1.0 Chinese Mandarin Teacher
• Whitcomb 1.0 Engineering Teacher
• Kane 1.0 First Grade Teacher
• Richer 1.0 SpED Teacher
• School Committee Secretary

This final budget voted through by the committee represented a decrease of $483,999 from Dlott's proposed budget. The cuts included reducing a MHS math teacher, cutting copier lease costs, reductions in the cost of benefits and reducing telecommunications expenses.

Dwyer pointed out that of the 14 new positions, 10 are for subgroups within the school district. It is these students that need the most assistance and help in increasing their scores, she said.

“It’s not going to happen unless we provide additional support to our teachers and principals,” said Dwyer.

Dwyer also noted that $1,488,000 of the increase in next year's budget is to meet contractual obligations with employees.

The budget will pass through the mayor's office and then be discussed by the City Council, said Mayor Arthur Vigeant who chairs the school committee and did not vote on the budget.