Good new, bad news as Nahant school board discusses budget

NAHANT – Superintendent Philip Devaux said level state education funding and a less-than-anticipated increase in tuition costs to Swampscott helps the proposed 2013 school budget, but the district still faces increased special-education costs.”The good news is that in last few years we’ve started behind in state aid,” Devaux told the School Committee at its Tuesday night meeting. “State aid is the same as last year, and the overall budget goes down $58,000,” due to a decrease in expected tuition to Swampscott.But he said the proposed budget includes a $132,493 increase in out-of-district special-education tuition costs. He noted the 2012 budget underfunded special-education tuition by roughly $100,000, which must be made up.Nahant voters in June rejected a $260,000 override that school officials proposed to meet a budget shortfall they attributed to reduced state aid and increased special-education costs. The proposed 2013 budget without transportation totals $3,073,000 as of Tuesday.This represents a projected increase of $414,501 from the 2012 budget without transportation, according to materials distributed at the meeting. Transportation costs have not been finalized, Devaux said, but he projects an increase of $22,624. School Committee Chair Christine Kendall said roughly half goes to out-of-district tuition and other costs rather than to Johnson School.Major new costs in the proposed 2013 budget include $179,102 in tuition increases, $76,777 for non-salary line items and $129,185 in salary increases, according to budget breakdowns and comparisons handed out at the meeting.Tuition to Swampscott for Nahant students will increase by $46,609, according to those budget materials. Devaux said this is $58,000 less than anticipated. The remaining is for special-education private school tuition.The $76,777 includes restoring 15 line items – covering costs ranging from text books to health supplies – that were reduced to zero after the override failed, according to budget materials.The proposed budget also restores positions in art, music, library and adds a first-grade teacher at the Johnson School at a total cost of $121,758. The $7,427 difference is due to pay raises minus salaries that are now being paid by grants.The School Committee meets with the Advisory and Finance Committee to discuss the proposed budget tonight.Cyrus Moulton can be reached at [email protected].