Budget technicality leaves lower school athletic fees in flux

SAUGUS – The Athletic Subcommittee was forced to change its recommendation to the School Committee about how to lower athletic user fees due to a budget technicality.After two meetings in which the committee deliberated about how to best use the $30,000 to lower the cost for all athletes, it reached a decision Wednesday to recommend to the School Committee to lower the upcoming spring athletic user fees from $375 to $340, leaving about $20,000 to be put into a “revolving account” to be applied to user fees for the 2014-2015 school year.But the plan was thwarted Thursday when committee member Arthur Grabowski learned from district Business Manager Pola Andrews that because the money was appropriated during the 2013-2014 fiscal year, it had to be spent before the year ended in June.At a meeting of the School Committee Thursday, Grabowski shared the recommendation, amended so the remaining $20,000 would be spent on athletic expenses this year in hopes it would affect the budget to lower fees next year. Grabowski said it seemed to be the only option besides lowering only the user fees for spring sports or cutting credit checks for about 700 fees already paid over the last year.Vincent Serino, a member of the School Committee and Athletic Subcommittee like Grabowski, said issuing 700 credits for $40 each would probably use up the $30,000 in paper and labor alone. “If only we knew that yesterday,” he said of Andrews? information.?I don?t know what we would have changed,” said Grabowski.Vice Chairman Jeannie Meredith said by not applying the $20,000 directly to user fees, she feared the user fees would not end up reduced at all. “That?s not what Town Meeting asked us to do,” she said. “I don?t like any of it, to be honest.”Chairman Wendy Reed said she was also not in favor of the recommendation, but offered no other suggestions. “It?s a sticky situation,” she said, shaking her head.The committee decided to table its decision to find out more from the town?s accountant and Andrews to find out how else they can apply the $30,000. The committee scheduled a last-minute meeting for Thursday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. to discuss its findings, since registration for spring sports begins the first week of March.At committee member Corrine Riley?s suggestion, the committee will also discuss the possibility of incorporating fine arts user fees into the benefit. Grabowski protested that idea, pointing out that fine arts user fees “have not risen at all in four to five years.”