Saugus school board OKs budget reduction plan

SAUGUS – The Saugus School Committee voted 4-0 to accept Superintendent Richard Langlois? tiered reduction plan, which makes cuts to the school budget after Town Meeting approved $26.3 million for the schools on Monday.The School Committee approved a $27.7 million budget earlier this year, and Langlois said the cuts will make up the $1.4 million difference. Langlois noted it “will be challenging to maintain status quo.”?I?m appreciative that we got something, but we really didn?t gain anything,” said Langlois, of the $700,000 increase from last year?s budget.Langlois also said he?s anticipating an extra $400,000 in Ch. 70 money from the state to be transferred to the school by Town Manager Scott Crabtree.?I?m hoping he stands to his word for the next superintendent,” said Langlois. “We?re banking on the town manager to stand up and give that additional allocation to the schools.”Some of the reductions include cuts to the extended year program for special education, two elementary school teachers, an elementary school nurse, four paraprofessionals, textbooks, technology and transportation.School Committee Chairman Wendy Reed said she was confident Crabtree would allocate the money to the schools.In a replay of a debate over cuts from years past, School Committee member Arthur Grabowski said he wouldn?t support any cuts to transportation, however, Langlois noted that the schools would be meeting the state standard for busing and he would “hate” to take textbooks out of kids? hands.The state minimum for busing is for grades kindergarten through six living more than a mile-and-a-half from the school.?That may be the law, but with the traffic and everything, it?s pretty dangerous roads for the kids to be walking to school,” said Grabowski.Reed noted that “no one is happy with the cuts,” but said budget discussions will continue.The School Committee also officially welcomed new Superintendent Michael Tempesta, who will take over for Richard Langlois on July 1.?I?m really excited about the opportunity, particularly meeting with a lot of staff members and town members,” said Tempesta. “(Langlois) has been tremendous in showing me the ropes and documents, and I really appreciate that.”Tempesta said he?s had several meetings with Langlois and also attended Monday?s Town Meeting to “get the lay of the land.”In other business, Vice Chairman Corinne Riley took issue with a fellow member accusing her of breaking the open meeting law for staying after a meeting with two other members to talk.Riley read responses from both the Attorney General?s office and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees that stated they were not in violation if a quorum stays behind to discuss non-school issues like sports.?I do not wish to ever be spoken to like that again,” she said. “I don?t need to be accused of something when the person is not knowing what happened.”Michael Tempesta is no relation to Daily Item reporter Matt Tempesta. Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].