Revere officials seek to retain budget-cut target areas

REVERE – Hours after Gov. Deval Patrick took the budget ax to state spending, School Superintendent Paul Dakin and top aides scrambled Thursday in search of savings they can make to stave off the impact of the cuts.The across-the-board budget reductions included a $150,000 state child safety grant currently funding salaries for security workers in the middle schools and high schools.The employees monitor school entrances and guide visitors to destinations inside the schools. They are also trained to assist parents and other school visitors who do not speak English.Dakin said he will look for ways to continue paying the workers’ salaries without the grant money and offer suggestions when he meets next Tuesday with School Committee members.Trying to rescue a budget that’s $1.4 billion out of balance and at risk of developing more red ink, Patrick said Wednesday he planned to raid the state’s pension and reserve funds, and would slice $901 million from fiscal 2009 spending, including deep incisions to human service accounts that shelter the state’s most vulnerable citizens.Many of the cuts strike at the core of state services deemed essential by care providers, including reductions in teenage pregnancy services, substance abuse treatment, autism programs and salaries at North Shore Community College.Dakin and other local budget makers are monitoring the cuts to see if Patrick and state legislators will be able to stay away from reducing local aid spending, including state money spent on public schools.Months before Patrick announced the round of state cuts, Dakin warned local schools need at least a $6.5 million increase in state aid to avoid cuts, including potential school closings, next year.”We know we need a huge increase next year but all signs are that this year is going to be very tight,” Dakin said Thursday.He said the list of prospective savings the committee will consider include leaving jobs vacated by teachers retiring half way through the current school year unfilled. Dakin said the schools also need to incorporate “green” savings, such as shutting off computers overnight to save electricity.