See What School Budget Items Has Watertown Officials Worried

As the School Committee begins putting together next year's school budget, several areas has them worried because they are out of their control.

1) It may seem like just yesterday the teacher's union signed their contract, and it is close. They settled negotiations last spring, but the contract ended over the summer. School Committee vice chairman John Portz said personnel costs - one of the largest for the district - are uncertain, but it will increase at least $525,000 due to longevity raises.

2) The cost of sending students with special needs to programs outside Watertown can be high and school officials won't know how many students the district is responsible for until April 1, Portz said.

3) The Minuteman Vocational School has become a more and more popular option for Watertown students. This fall 30 students entered as freshman, and in the spring 12 will graduate, Portz said. With the cost of sending students to the Lexington-based school $19,000 for students in the mainstream program and $24,000 for special education program the dollars add up fast.

4) Federal grants may drop dramatically this year, Portz said. Watertown could lose 15 percent, or $200,000, due to cuts. Most of the lost funds will be Title I program for needy children.

5) The state does provide some relief to the high cost of special education through the Special Education Circuit Breaker. This could be a sign of hope for the Watertown Public Schools because Gov. Deval Patrick's budget includes funding of 70 percent of the cost, which would be higher than previous years. Portz warned his colleagues, however, that it is early in the state budget process and that number could drop.