Tough School Budget Choices Ahead

The Nashua Board of Education will continue to shape the proposed budget for next year when it meets Monday night at Nashua High School North.

Its budget committee has a recommendation to reduce the "deferred maintenance budget to $100,000 for a reduction of $200,000 toward the Mayor's recommended reduction of $560,000," according to the board agenda.

The Nashua Board of Education's budget committee is also scheduled to convene Thursday, May 14, to discuss other possible budget reductions.

The board last month adopted a $100,748,172 operating budget, which reduced the budget plan that Superintendent Mark Conrad put forth back in January by approximately $1.8 million. 

Based on that budget, and anticipating potential calls for additional reductions by Mayor Donnalee Lozeau and the Board of Aldermen, Conrad said he expected that some teacher "non-renewal notices" would be issued in May.

These lay-off notices are due to a state law that any teacher who does not receive a letter of non-renewal by May 17 must be employed in the coming school year.

Conrad has issued 16 lay-off notices for full- or part-time employees. Six and a half high school positions were reduced, including three positions already eliminated in the Fiscal Year 2015 budget. The reductions are partly a result of declining enrollments.