Principal sets down priorities in Saugus

SAUGUS – Saugus High School Principal Joseph Diorio laid out several critical needs for the high school in fiscal year 2013 Tuesday, as the School Committee, school administration officials and school principals met to discuss next year?s budget needs.Among the needs requested by Diorio are up to two new special education teachers, a new social studies teacher, a new English teacher, the re-institution of a full-time custodian and funds for updated physics, math and social studies books.?I?ve been with this district for 10 years and each year we come before you to lay out our requests,” said Diorio. “Rarely do we get everything that we ask for due to fiscal restraints. In the past three years we?ve moved the district further than in the previous seven that I?ve been here. I ask you to afford us the respect for us to do our jobs without micromanaging our requisitions and advocate for a budget that the schools truly need. We all need your support to do right by our students and advocate for our schools, its program and its staff.”Diorio also requested full funding for all activities, including sports and clubs.?I still believe that athletics are a co-curricular, not an extracurricular, and that students should all be afforded the opportunity to participate in athletics or activities without a cost associated,” said Diorio.Athletic Director Mike Nelson also spoke Tuesday, and requested additional funds for an assistant lacrosse coach, a girls golf coach and a strength and conditioning coach.?In the past four or five years the Saugus athletic program has grown significantly,” said Nelson. “We have more kids playing more sports and have more programs than Saugus has ever seen before. With that obviously comes the need for more coaches and more equipment.”According to Nelson, Saugus schools offer 22 different sports with 42 teams, more than 60 coaches and more than 300 students per season in grades six through 12.?It?s a big department,” said Nelson. “I know it?s a big piece of the pie and I know everybody is going to be fighting for a dollar.”School Committee member Arthur Grabowski said there are no numbers associated with next year?s budget yet, but expects them to come out by the School Committee?s next meeting on Jan. 26.?I want to see a budget line item by line item and I want to see what we actually spent in 2011, what we budgeted in 2012 and what the projected budget in 2013 is going to look like,” said Grabowski.The total school budget for 2012 is $26 million.The budget hearing will continue tonight at 5 p.m. at the Roby Building as the four elementary school principals will make their budget requests.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].