Swampscott residents to get look at 2010 school budget Tuesday

SWAMPSCOTT – Tuesday evening, parents will get a sneak preview on how budget cuts in FY ’10 could affect the school district.
Superintendent Matthew Malone is scheduled to present his preliminary budget at Tuesday’s School Committee meeting set for 7 p.m. in the Swampscott High School auditorium.
According to Malone, the difference between Town Administrator Andrew Maylor’s projected school budget of $22.56 million and what Malone thinks is adequate is $1.1 million.
School Committee Chairman David Whelan said he fully expects the budget picture presented by Malone will reveal some drastic cuts.
?This is our opportunity to get his view of what things will look like,” Whelan said. “Everyone knows the Hadley School issue is on the table. The district hasn’t issued any pink slips but most people are aware layoffs will probably be necessary.”
Whelan said based on information the school department has received from Maylor the district would receive an increase of approximately 1.4 percent in its budget, which is not enough to cover salary increases.
?I think the contractual salary increases alone are $700,000,” Whelan said. “That means we have a problem and when you add in other expenses it is obvious we have a real problem.”
Maylor said at this time his budget assumes state aid would be level funded for FY ’10.
?With what we know today I am asking town departments to submit lower budgets than in previous years,” he said. “It’s very likely that with the exception of fixed costs and school spending I will budget less than I did in FY ’09.”
Maylor said he has informed the district school funding would only increase slightly.
?I expect school funding will increase only marginally,” he said. “I don’t believe we’ll be able to provide more than $400,000 more than we did this year and it certainly won’t be enough to meet their contractual increases.”
Whelan said given the fact the district is looking at closing an elementary school and reducing programs it is important parents have an opportunity to participate in the budget process. He said he is aware it is difficult for parents with young children to attend evening meetings so he would like to schedule a morning meeting the week after Thanksgiving.
?We had a lot of new faces show up at the morning School Committee meeting last month,” he said. “We’d like to schedule another morning meeting soon to give parents who can’t attend evening meetings an opportunity to hear the budget presentation.”