Swampscott school budget would slam health, library

SWAMPSCOTT-Health education at the elementary level, vocational classes in the high school and library services would be hardest hit by budget cuts.Superintendent Matthew Malone told the School Committee at its meeting Tuesday night he believes the district is operating efficiently given its resources and deciding what to cut from his recommended budget was a “gut wrenching decision” but he was forced to cut almost $900,000 from his recommended budget to create a balanced budget.The School Committee submitted a $23,035, 556 budget to the Board of Selectman. Town Administrator Andrew Maylor recommended allocating $21,980,000 for the schools, which is approximately $500,000 more than it received last year. On Tuesday, Maylor informed school officials the district would receive $220,000 in additional funds from the town because health insurance premiums did not increase as expected.But school officials said it is still not enough to meet the needs of the district and there is a deficit of $893,519 between the budget approved by the School Committee and the money earmarked for schools.Malone’s zero deficit budget includes a district-wide, all-day kindergarten program, which will be paid in part by state grants and an increase in Chap. 70 funds. Malone said he expects the new all-day program would cost the district $45,393 next year above what it would receive in grants.In additional to the money required to maintain the current level of services, Malone said his recommended budget includes more than $120,071 in new programs, which includes the all-day kindergarten, $15,000 in stipends for new athletic directors, $6,800 for an additional part-time secretary at the middle school and a new teaching position at the elementary school level.The zero deficit budget assumes all fifth grade students would move to the middle school, which Malone said would cost an additional $7,850 in transportation costs.Malone’s budget would not allow him to hire two new teachers he wanted at the elementary school level to reduce class size and it would eliminate a physical education teacher in the elementary schools, two elementary school librarians, one elementary school health teacher, a part-time elementary band position and a part-time music teacher in the elementary schools.At the middle school, Malone’s budget would eliminate a health teacher, a librarian, and a part-time physical education position. In the high school, the zero deficit budget calls for the elimination of two technical education teachers, a library secretary, an English teacher, a part-time math position and a part-time world language position.The layoffs would save the district approximately $1 million but Malone said some of those savings would be eaten up by costs associated with unemployment, which he expects would cost $153,302.The zero deficit budget also reduced the amount of money in the budget to pay substitute teachers by $118,000, which Malone said is a concern.Malone said if the district received additional funds his first priority would be to hire two new additional teachers at the elementary school level to reduce class size, which would cost $105,756. His said his next priority would be to retain one elementary school physical education teacher, which would cost almost $52,000.