School Committee Trims Budget

The Grafton School Committee unanimously agreed tonight to reduce its proposed Fiscal Year 2012 budget by $475,017 to reach the figure suggested by the town administrator.

This brings the budget to $23,275,817. The committee had previously approved a tentative budget of $23,750,834. 

The budget approved last night represents a 1.6 per cent increase over the current budget. The previous budget contained a 3.7 percent increase.

Connors said Town Administrator Timothy McInerney made his budget recommendations based on projections that the state will fund the schools at similar levels to last year, a prediction Connor called "reasonable.''

Before making the final vote, some committee members debated the specifics of the cuts recommended by Superintendent of Schools Joseph Connors.

Connors suggested the committee reduce new positions in the budget from the full-time equivalent of 6.6 positions originally discussed to 4.4 positions.

He stressed that these are reductions to proposed new positions and that no current staff members are slated to be cut.

Connors suggested cutting a proposed chemistry teacher position at School, a part-time elementary school art teacher  and a remedial math teacher at

He recommended keeping new positions of a full-time data specialist, a .4-position foreign language teacher at the high school, a full-time math teacher at and a half-time remedial math teacher at

Two of the 4.4 positions, a part-time remedial math teacher at and a full-time behavior analyst for special education, will be funded by federal stimulus-related money.

Committee members debated whether they could approve the new figure without making a definite decision on specific cuts.

Connors said it would be "awkward'' to go before the Finance Committee without a specific plan in place. He is scheduled to meet with the committee, which makes recommendations on budgets, on March 12.

He also said that agreeing to the specific staffing changes would help administrators with planning.

"Nothing is irreversible,'' he said. Approving the budget, he said, "doesn't preclude you from making changes'' as more information becomes available.

Committee member Daryl Rynning questioned why Grafton High School principal James Pignataro had changed his preference from a chemistry teacher to a part-time foreign language teacher.

"I want to be sure that I am funding a position that is absolutely essential,'' she said. 

Committee member Donna Stock also questioned certain course offerings at the high school. "To say we can't offer math to seniors, that's quite alarming to me,'' she said.

Committee members agreed to ask Pignataro to attend the March 14 meeting to address these issues.

Committee chairman Teri Turgeon said the proposed budget is fair for these economic times. "When I look at our neighboring communities, they would be lucky to add 4.4 positions.''

Next year, things could be different, she said. "The bigger question is what we will do in Fiscal Year 2013 with no federal grant money.''