Letter: School Committee Seeking Community Input on Budget

We are writing to solicit community feedback on the current School Budget discussions for the 2013-2014 school year.

The School Committee is considering the following 3 budgets presented by Dr. Stein in December. Detail can be found at http://wayland.sharpschool.net/UserFiles/Servers/Server_1036352/File/Superintendent/FY14%20Budget/Budget_Book_FY14.pdf:

• The Superintendent’s Recommended Budget, which includes approximately $250,000 of targeted reductions from the Maintenance of Effort (MOE) Budget (page 4 and pages 14-24)
• A Budget that meets the Finance Committee Guideline, which includes approximately $260,000 of reductions from the Superintendent’s Recommended Budget (page 5 and pages 14-24)
• A 10% Reduction Budget, as requested by the Finance Committee, which includes approximately $3.346 million of reductions from the Superintendent’s Recommended Budget (page 7 and pages 14-24)

A fourth budget option under consideration is a Maintenance of Effort Budget.   A Maintenance of Effort Budget is one in which the school system offers the same level of services in the 2013-2014 School Year that students benefited from during the current school year. Essentially, this takes into account any enrollment changes, required increases in special education or English language learner (ELL) services, utility costs, and contractual obligations.

The School Committee needs to vote to recommend one of these budgets or a combination thereof at its next public meeting on Thursday, Jan. 17. The Committee will then present its recommended budget to the Finance Committee the following Tuesday.

It’s important to hear your thoughts so that we may take them into account as we make our recommendation. Please send your comments to Barb Fletcher at Barb_Fletcher@wayland.k12.ma.us or attend our meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the School Committee Conference Room. 

Thank you for your support.

The Wayland School Committee
Barb Fletcher, Malcolm Astley, Beth Butler, Ellen Grieco, Shawn Kinney