Marblehead School Budget Is Unsustainable: Business Manager

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Marblehead Public School administrators need to come up with more sustainable funding and stop relying on questionable budget techniques, the school system's interim business budget manager warned the school committee last week. Otherwise, Evan Katz said, the district will not be able to continue to support its current level of educational services.

Katz's report said the school system is spending more than it should, and is balancing its budget with one-time fixes and using special revenue funds. The school district is also too reliant on state funding to educate special needs students. The district was only to finish the fiscal year that ended in June with a surplus by relying on additional money from the town.

"There are too many unpredictable things going on," Katz said. He recommended that the school committee build its budget using lower revenue projections for items that can vary from year to year, such as food services and income from facility rentals. That, Katz said, will give the school system "wiggle room" for unexpected expenses.