School Committee to Vote on Superintendent's Recommended Budget of $116.5 Million Tonight

The Framingham School Committee is expected to vote on a 2015-16 school budget tonight, April 8.

Framingham Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott is recommending a budget of $116.5 million.

The proposed budget by Scott is $1.6 million more than what Framingham’s Chief Financial Officer is recommending to Framingham Town Meeting. Town Meeting will have the final say on the budget amount in May (Town Meeting starts April 28.)

CFO Mary Ellen Kelley is recommending a Framingham Public School budget of $114.9 million, which is $5.5 million more than the current 2014-15 school budget is $109.4 million.

Scott said about $800,000 more is needed for “essential” positions in the district, including $112,000 for a principal and $200,000 for four teachers at King Elementary School. The school will add first grade classes in 2015-16.

The school opened as the town’s ninth elementary school this year, with four kindergarten classrooms and a principal whose time was split between King and Hemenway. The school has a STEAM focus and students are offered instruction in Mandarin Chinese. The language option is not available at the other eight elementary schools.

Scott recently named Dunning Elementary School’s Principal Kim Taylor as King’s full-time principal for the 2015-16 school year. She will oversee K-1 classes, and eventually the building will be a full K-5 elementary school.

The School Committee voted unanimously on March 30 to recommend a $116.5 million budget to Framingham Town Meeting in April, in a preliminary vote.

The final vote is expected tonight. Newly-elected School Committee member Jim Kelly, said he will abstain from tonight’s vote.