Saugus School Committee approves FY14 $27M budget

SAUGUS – Saugus Superintendent Richard Langlois proposed a $27.7 million FY14 school budget Thursday night, which is about $2 million more than last year.According to Langlois, who presented his budget to the school committee, fixed costs will increase by $1.3 million while “critical education needs” total $828,000.The school department currently has a $25.6 million budget, which Langlois said is less than last year.Langlois called his budget “fiscally prudent” while trying “desperately” to rebuild on past cuts.?We cut $1.8 million from our budget last year,” said Langlois. “We did not have any critical education needs allowed to us. We?re hovering at about $2.8 million in cuts over the last two years to meet our needs ? We?ve been doing a Band-Aid approach all year.”Critical education needs include $110,000 for a first- and fourth-grade teacher at the Veterans Memorial Elementary School, $110,000 for two humanities teachers at the high school and $65,000 each for an evaluation team leader and a coordinator of special education programs.Other needs include an elementary school nurse, an elementary school adjustment counselor, a library media specialist at the Veterans School and a moderate special education teacher at the Lynnhurst Elementary school, all of which are listed at $55,000 each.Langlois also requested $35,000 for Chromebook laptop computers for grades 3 through 5 for $35,000.?We?re looking at that as an investment for the future,” said Langlois.Some of the biggest fixed-cost increases include $719,000 for personnel expenses, $195,000 for out of district tuition and $100,000 for extended school year special education.A level service budget for 2014, which would be made up of only fixed-cost increases, would be $26.9 million.?That is the figure we need as we move to July 1 to begin the process of next year and keep what we have,” said Langlois.If the budget requirements are not met, Langlois said the district would not be compliant with state mandates, there would be insufficient textbooks and teaching materials, a lack of support services for students, and an inability to maintain the existing workforce and class size.Langlois also laid out safety issues with the schools, including handicap ramps at the Ballard Early Childhood Center and high school, and working camera systems at all schools.School committee member Arthur Grabowski said he doesn?t think the town will be able to fund the proposed budget.?My concern is this budget is $2 million more than we had last year,” he said. “Knowing the town?s projected growth is only 2? percent of a $70 million budget? that?s only $1.7 million. That literally wipes out every single dollar for the rest of the town.”However, school committee member Frederick Doucette pointed to Gov. Deval Patrick?s proposed budget, which has a $2 million increase in Ch. 70 education money for Saugus, and said the schools have a “good shot” at getting the “budget we want.”The committee voted unanimously to accept the budget.In other business, Vice Chairman Corinne Riley said the $15,000 child safety grant to rebuild the Belmonte Middle School tennis courts was transferred to the town on Jan. 14.?We?re looking forward to getting that started and state Rep. Donald Wong has talked to the vocational school about getting discounted labor,” said Riley.Chairman Wendy Reed said the Belmonte Middle School Building Committee will meet Monday at the middle school at 4 p.m.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].