Town Meeting To Discuss $115.7 Framingham School Budget Tonight

Framingham Town Meeting members will start off night 9 of the Town’s annual Town Meeting with the Framingham Public Schools $115.7 million budget for the 2015-16 school year.

The budget was tabled last night after it was noted by a couple of Town Meeting member that neither Framingham Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott nor any members of the 7-member elected Framingham School Committee were in the audience to make a presentation or answer questions.

“Apparently, the Framingham Superintendent didn’t think his $115 million dollar budget was worth showing up for tonight,” said Framingham Town Meeting member Bill McCarthy of Precinct 10. ”That is a disgrace.”

Town Meeting members did discuss and approve an $8.9 million Keefe Technical budget, after hearing a presentation from Superintendent John Evans, who was in the audience all night.

The total Keefe Technical budget is $17.6 million, Framingham’s assessment was $8.9 million for the 2015-16 school year. Five communities - Framingham, Ashland, Natick, Holliston and Hopkinton send students to the school located in Framingham.

Evans said the school has just over 700 students, but more than 500 of the students reside in Framingham, and 44 percent of the students have an individualized education plan (IEP) or are considered special needs students.

Last week, after several multi-hour closed door meetings, Framingham’s Town Manager, Chief Financial Officer, School Superintendent, School Committee and Selectmen reached a compromise budget number for the 2015-16 school year to present to Framingham Town Meeting to vote on.

Everyone agreed to a $115,731,953 budget for the public school district.

Framingham’s Chief Financial Officer Mary Ellen Kelley originally was recommending Framingham Town Meeting approve a public school budget of $114.9 million for the 2015-16 school year.

The $114.9 million figure was for a level services budget for the school district.

Framingham Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott was recommending a $116 million budget for the 2015-16 school year, a $6.6 million increase over the current budget of $109.4 million.

Town Meeting is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. in Nevins Hall in the Memorial Building or when a quorum is present. Framingham Patch plans to live blog the Town Meeting session.