Proposed School Budget Would Cut Middle School Foreign Language, Reduce Staff

The proposed 2013 budget for Medford Public Schools calls for middle school foreign language departments to be cut, along with funding for other teaching positions and classroom aides, Superintendent Roy Belson said Monday.

At $47.4 million, the proposal is a $2.5 million increase from the 2012 budget, but falls about $1.6 million short of offering level services, Belson said in a phone interview Monday morning. The school department limited its budget to a $2.5 million increase at the direction of the city, Belson said.

The lion's share of the increase goes to paying previously negotiated raises for union positions that were back-end funded, Belson said. The raises total about $2.1 million, he said.

Another $300,000 goes to fund positions previously funded by a federal grant, he said. Medford schools also faces needed increases in maintenance, transportation, special education and other services, Belson said.

"By the time you're through with it all, you've got some heavy increases," Belson said. "In order to do that, we've had to make some cuts."

Those cuts include eliminating foreign language departments in the 7th and 8th grade, cutting five elementary school teaching positions and reducing kindergarten aides, Belson said. The proposed budget also calls for $50,000 in funding cuts to athletics, he said.

Things could change, depending on state and federal funding, Belson said.

"A lot of things are undecided, both at the state level and in Washington," Belson said.

The Medford School Committee, which is chaired by Mayor Michael McGlynn, begins its review of the proposed budget in a public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday at Medford High School. A second hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

New Headmaster Choice Expected to be Announced

The school committee held public interviews for the position of Medford High School Headmaster last week, and Belson said he is expected to announce the new headmaster Monday night. Current Headmaster Paul Krueger is set to retire this summer.