Marblehead schools deficit not as bad as expected

MARBLEHEAD-School Business Manager David Keniston is breathing a sigh of relief this week.Keniston, who predicted a $75,000 year-end salary deficit in October, told the School Committee Thursday the projected deficit is now $60,000."I expect this to be made up by savings from vacancies and the natural savings from hourly employees not (working) 100 percent of their budgeted hours," he said.In October he pointed out that the $75,000 deficit represented three-tenths of 1 percent of this year’s $22.3 million salary budget, which absorbed additional full-time teachers and the Marblehead Village School, Marblehead Veterans Middle School and Marblehead High.The school budget also got a break in its special education tuition account, where the estimated year-end deficit has dropped by one-third.In November Keniston estimated the deficit at $184,900. This month he is predicting $112,102."Tuition expenses that we expected did not materialize and one student has returned to the district, reducing our contracted service tuition expenses," Keniston said, noting that the increase in tuitions resulted from "unanticipated move-ins" and enrollment growth.