SAUGUS — Saugus school committee’s proposed 2021 budget is a marginal increase from last year’s budget, which prompted questions from parents and educators in attendance at Thursday’s meeting about how funds will be allocated as the district transitions to its combined middle-high school later this year.
This year’s budget, which was published Jan. 16, totals $31,979,636 — a roughly $2 million increase from last year’s appropriated funds of $29,575,250.
During the meeting’s public comment portion, resident Chris Riley expressed concern that there was a “zero dollar change from last year to this year” in terms of utilities, which he said came to a $877,000 total.
He also noted the number of nurses at the middle and high school remained the same.
“Are there any kinds of efficiencies we might expect?” he asked School Superintendent David DeRuosi.
DeRuosi responded that despite the significant transition, “the number of students don’t change” and the board was still in the process of figuring out staffing for the new school.
“This merge is still a work in progress,” DeRuosi said.
Another area of parent interest was additional funding of $523,000 for an expected increase in student enrollment if the district were to make the switch to free full-day kindergarten.
DeRuosi said the district could plan for a “ballpark” estimated kindergarten enrollment of 178 next school year.
The budget also identified areas of “critical need” that would be receiving additional funding, including an increase in allocated funds for science curriculum and resources, translation services, and additional chromebooks and desktops district-wide.
The committee’s deadline to move the budget over to the town is January 31.
