Newton School Committee Approves FY '14 Budget

Following an initial straw vote last week, the Newton School Committee last night put their official approval on the fiscal 2014 School Department budget. 

The committee voted 8-1 on the $187.7 million budget, with Ward 1 committee member Geoff Epstein the single dissenting vote. 

"I can't say that we're done with this budget until we have some template for solving the digital infrastructure problem. We really have to do something on that," Epstein said. "My no vote carries that message."

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While the fiscal 2014 budget is "well-constructed," Epstein has said that technology continues to be "trade-off" for other items, such as measures for smaller class sizes. 

Technology was also one of the concerns brought up during last week's public hearing on the School Department's budget.

In May 2012, NPS Director of Information Technology Leo Brehm presented a three-year technology plan that aimed to improve both infrastructure and the devices used by students. .

On top of that plan, Brehm said last year that the district would need an additional $1.5 million each following year in order to maintain infrastructure and keep up with new technology.

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In addition to the technology issue, Epstein said budget forecasts for next year (fiscal 2015) show a deficit under the standard 2 1/2 percent tax increase -- another reason he voted "no" on the fiscal 2014 budget.

"I think that the message of the override was, amongst other things, that we were going to deal with the population surge...my expectation was that we would be able to handle that at least for two years," Epstein said. "We still have a problem."

The superintendent's fiscal 2014 budget adds more than 50 new teaching positions for the 2013-2014 school year, the majority of which are being added due to increased student enrollment.

The budget also calls for expanding number of special education programs as well as some restructuring of the special education staff.

Following Monday night's vote, School Committee Chair Claire Sokoloff thanked administrators, voters and her fellow committee members for their work on the budget and the passage of the $11.4 million override.

"We are thrilled the budget looks the way it does and we are thrilled for the children of Newton," Sokoloff said. "I cannot thank the taxpayers enough for passing an override that allows us to put together a budget that includes the additional teachers to bring some of those large class sizes down."

Sokoloff noted that the committee will continue to keep an eye on state funding over the next couple of months and, if additional monies come through, the group will deliberate restorations or budget add-ons.

Now that the budget has the committee's approval, it will move to the Board of Aldermen's Programs and Services and Finance committees. The aldermen are scheduled to take up the budget tomorrow, April 10, at 7:15 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chamber at City Hall.