Saugus schools in line for $4.1M in state aid

SAUGUS – The town of Saugus will receive a much-welcomed boost to its bottom line after Gov. Deval Patrick signed the $32.5 million state budget last weekend.Saugus will see $4.14 million for education aid (Chapter 70 funding), which is about $250,000 more than last year. The town will also get $3.1 million in unrestricted government aid, about $224,000 more than last year.?Everything looks positive especially with the economy we have right now,” said State Rep. Donald Wong, R-Saugus. “Saugus is getting their share and a little more.”Chapter 70 funding is the commonwealth?s total aid for kindergarten-through-grade 12 schools in Massachusetts. Schools are supposed to receive 17.5 percent of their foundation budget in Chapter 70 funds. A school?s foundation budget is the minimum cost to educate kids in a community.The new budget will bump Saugus up to about 16.5 percent of its $25.1 million foundation budget after receiving 15 percent last year.Despite the increase, Wong said there?s still more work to be done.?It will help with the town?s budget?” said Wong. “We?re not at the place I want to be, but we?re taking steps toward it. I would love to work more closely with the town to get things done. I need eyes and ears in the community so that I know what to prioritize.”Superintendent Richard Langlois said he?s hopeful the town will revisit the school?s budget after Town Meeting voted to cut an addition $100,000 from the department.?We did our part to help mitigate costs,” Langlois said. “This is an opportunity to put the money toward kids.”Langlois said one of the biggest needs right now in the schools is updated textbooks.Selectman Stephen Horlick said any additional revenue for the town is more than welcomed.?That helps us fill in the gaps and offsets whatever future deficits we might have with the current budget,” Horlick said. “With the additional revenue, Saugus is not treading as much water as we were. Maybe we?re coming around the corner now.”Calls to Town Manager Scott Crabtree were not returned.According to Rachel Neff, spokesperson for the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, local aid is distributed in quarterly installments to towns, with the first installment at the end of September.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].