BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE
SAUGUS — The School Department is faced with working around a substantial budget shortfall.
At Wednesday’s School Committee meeting, Acting Superintendent Michael Hashem updated the budget’s status after Town Meeting approved $28.1 million earlier this week.
The school’s fiscal year 2017 operating budget is about $503,000 short of the school committee’s request, but more than last year’s allocation.
“We did try to put a freeze on the budget to do some cost containments,” said Hashem. “The fact is that we’re still about $500,000 below level service. That’s still a factor. It will still involve additional efficiencies or cuts.”
Jeannie Meredith, chairwoman of the committee, said she was grateful for the additional money the town manager and finance committee recommended.
“The budget passed unanimously Monday night,” said Meredith. “It was unanimous for first time in long time. We always want more, and we always need more. It’s human nature. As a tax paying citizen, I do understand the importance of balancing a budget.”
Arthur Grabowski, committee member, said the panel is aware that there will be at least two deficits going into the next school year: athletics and food service.
Hashem presented a survey offered to parents of outgoing eighth graders. Of the 31 respondents, 58 percent said they would not attend Saugus High School in the fall, and nearly 10 percent said they were undecided. About 75 percent who will attend the school said their decision was based on the strong curriculum.
The majority of those who said they would not attend listed lack of course offerings and athletic fees as reasons. Nearly 80 percent said they were seeking a safer environment, and about 75 percent said Saugus High School would not prepare them for college.
Committee member Peter Manoogian said he was surprised by the information after recently hearing graduates talk about acceptance to schools including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University.
Hashem added that more than 91 percent of this year’s graduates are attending a two or four year college next year.
“I was talking to a couple of the graduates on the night of the graduation,” said Liz Marchese, a committee member. “The person that was 65th in that class still has a 3.5 GPA. A third of the class was 3.5 or above. These kids are taking names.”
The group will continue discussing the budget on Monday.
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @Bridget Turcotte.
