Reading School Committee Passes $51.7M Budget

READING, MA — The Reading School Committee on Jan. 27 approved the administration's recommended $51.7 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

The vote came after about three weeks of discussion, which wrapped up with questions about full-day kindergarten tuition. The budget includes using $1.1 million from the revolving fund to support a reduction in kindergarten tuition from $4,450 to $3,600.

School Committee Chair Thomas Wise fielded questions from Finance Committee member Jeanne Borawski about the sustainability of the plan, namely whether it would require other funding sources in future budgets.

Wise said the goal is for tuition to either stay at $3,600 or be reduced further. The school committee is expected to meet with the finance committee March 2 and at that point will likely have more information about other avenues of funding, Wise said.

The school committee unanimously approved the school budget in a 6-0 vote.