School Committee Votes To Pare $316,000 From Budget

This story was amended at 9 a.m., May 16.

The School Committee approved a list of cuts proposed by Supt. Phil Auger totaling $316,000 at its meeting Tuesday night in response to the .

School librarians were not on that list.

In addition, the School Committee voted to take $228,000 in an unanticipated payroll account adjustment that normally would go into the department’s fund balance (i.e. surplus) and move it into the operating fund. 

The two moves balance the budget ... for the moment.

At the meeting, Auger also argued for the addition to the budget of $212,000 for various special education hires. These hires were not part of the original budget. According to Auger, however, they are required to meet state special education guidelines. Staff on the high school level would be added to help some students on alternate learning programs (ALPs) pass the NECAP exam. In the other schools, the hires would fill population needs. 

That aspect of Auger's request was not acted on Tuesday. 

An initial list of possible cuts Auger circulated to School Committee members did call for the elimination of 1.8 librarians and a half-time high school elective teacher, but the superintendent said Tuesday he’d been persuaded not to make those particular cuts.

“As you know, these are areas that in the past few years have gotten banged up pretty significantly,” Auger said. “It’s not that I don’t feel these areas are important. When it comes to reducing staff, sometimes these are the only two areas that become available. But they are not so available anymore and I’m hoping to save them.”

Auger told the panel he would come back at their next meeting, on May 28, with a plan for how to fund the additional special education positions. The School Committee has three more meetings to iron out the budget before it goes into affect July 1.

Here is the list of cuts/adjustments made Tuesday night:

1. $50,000 was moved from the building use fund to the general use fund. 

2. $8,000 claims and settlements.

3. $7,600 reduction in professional organization fees dues for administrators.

4. $6,000 saved by eliminating live video streaming of meetings. Video of School Committee meetings will be posted after the fact.

5. $4,500 cut in district travel expenses.

6. $15,000 reduction in maintenance vehicles parts and supplies.

7. $15,000 reduction in general maintenance supplies.

8. $20,000 reduction in equipment purchases.

9. $13,000 elimination of building improvements

10. $10,000 cut from technology-related supplies

11. $25,000 cut from the NEASC account. This is money put aside in anticipation of improvements that could be required after the upcoming accreditation visit to NKHS by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

12. $20,000 districtwide stipend, which could lead to the approval of fewer student clubs.

13. $13,000 in athletic supplies

14. $10,000 in audit fees – for audit requirements above and beyond the basic annual audit.

15. $33,200 in electricity – "We just have to watch out of our usage," said School Committee Chair Kim Page.

16. $66,900 reductions in general supplies – this would be throughout the budget. "Our budget administrator is going to have to monitor those things very closely," Page said.