Nahant school board defends override attempt

NAHANT – In response to a request Tuesday night that they minimize budget cuts by looking within the school budget, officials said the failed $260,000 override was their only option and warned that the budget problems that prompted it will continue.”People want to do things creatively and I want to see what these things are because we’ve been trying to figure it out for months,” School Committee Chair Christine Kendall said at the committee’s meeting. “Special-ed costs aren’t going to stop ? we will be going through this all over again in January.”School officials proposed the $260,000 override to fill a 2012 budget shortfall due to a $113,000 reduction in state and federal funds coupled with a increase in special-education costs. Saturday’s Special Election was the third time – and second election – where voters considered the proposal, which had passed the April 30 Town Meeting, but failed at that day’s election. Voters rejected the measure by a vote of 979 to 590 on Saturday, according to Town Clerk Peggy Barile.Selectman Michael Manning prompted Kendall’s comments.”This was about raising taxes more than anything else,” Manning said, summarizing his conversations with other citizens over the weekend. “I encourage you to revisit the budget and how it’s formulated in order to minimize impact ? I think there are members of the community who are ready to volunteer to help straighten this out. Let’s move forward.”But Kendall replied that all options had been considered – noting that the selectmen, Town Administrator Mark Cullinan and the advisory and finance committee had all supported the override.”We’ve been asking for creative solutions for months,” she said. “I’ve been looking at an empty audience until now.”None of the 15 other audience members rose to speak after Kendall’s response.Manning had no comment after the meeting.But the implications of the override’s failure continued to dominate discussion. Superintendent Philip Devaux said that the state has required them to keep a one-day-a-week special-ed director position and an approximately half-time physical education teacher and program. To fund this, Devaux said a full-time teaching position will be reduced to approximately half-time, and an additional para-professional position will be cut. A kindergarten teacher who had lost her position to a senior teacher will also be able to return, he said.But he warned that additional staff changes were likely. He also said that special-ed costs have already increased for next year – a student has requested an out-of-district placement that the school cannot provide with its cut budget.”The (special-education costs) that got us into the problem will accelerate the problem,” Devaux said. Nearly equally important was the quantity of supplies and other services eliminated for next year in the school’s approved 2012 budget. There will be no new workbooks or supplies for classroom teachers and aides, Devaux said. The custodian will have no new cleaning supplies, and he or she may have to oversee study hall when a teacher is absent, Devaux said.