Ballyhooed Chapter 70 boost may have minimal impact in Saugus

SAUGUS – While the state delegation is promoting a boost in Chapter 70 school aid for the town, its impact on the actual budget will be minimal.Superintendent Keith Manville is quick to add that the increase will make an impression, just not a huge one.Reps. Mark Falzone (D-Saugus) and Kathi-Anne Reinstein (D-Revere) along with and Senators Thomas McGee (D-Lynn) and Anthony Galluccio (D-Cambridge) recently announced that House and Senate leadership had reached an agreement on early aid resolution for fiscal 2009. The agreement includes a nearly $200,000 increase in Chapter 70 funding for Saugus.Falzone called the increase significant and Manville didn’t disagree, but the boost is largely the result of a formula change. Falzone said a change in how the school aid is figured is being phased in over a five-year period and has been quite beneficial to the town.The increase is especially nice considering it’s tied to enrollment figures. Falzone noted that it’s the second year in a row the town received an increase despite “a substantial decrease each year in school enrollment.”The $4,191,423 in aid represents a 4.8 percent increase over last year but is still on the low end compared to other area communities.Manville said aid in Melrose increased by 32 percent while North Reading crept up 16 percent and Reading 15 percent. Malden only went up 9 percent, but still beat out Saugus.”It’s an increase sure but because our folks are taking their kids elsewhere to educate them our enrollments have gone down and that lowers our percentage,” he said.Manville also said he is not positive, but he suspects the budget Town Manager Andrew Bisignani put forth already contains that increase.Bisignani is proposing a $22.5 million budget for the School Department. School Committee member Christine Wilson said the schools need a minimum of $23.6 million simply to maintain the services they have.The committee approved what it deemed an adequate budget, which at $27,650,461 is $6 million over last years budget, which will not likely pass muster at Town Meeting.”This is good,” Manville said regarding the Chapter 70 aid. “It will make an impact but Andy is proposing to give us $22 million and I think this is all wrapped up in that.”