Preliminary high school budget an increase of 7 percent
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Northborough/Southborough - Four new positions and the modification of another are the highlights of the $17.4 million budget for fiscal year (FY) 2009 for the Algonquin Regional School District.

The preliminary budget was unveiled when presented to the Northborough- Southborough Regional School Committee at its Dec. 19 meeting. The $17.4 million total represents an increase of 7 percent over the FY 2008 budget.

Charles Gobron, acting superintendent of schools for Northborough, Southborough and the Regional School District, said the budget includes only a portion of the programs school officials have determined need to be implemented.

"We intentionally did not include some of the initiatives we want to add and opted to phase in over several years other initiatives," Gobron said.

The new positions submitted in the budget are for two one-on-one aides who will work with Special Needs students (a combined salary cost of $42,602) and a data compliance specialist for the district, which would be shared by Algonquin Regional High School (ARHS) as well as the K-8 schools in both towns as well. Also included in the budget is the ARHS portion ($36,000) of an assistant superintendent, a position not approved by the school district's Leadership Study Committee.

Gobron felt strongly about adding the two aides.

"When we have an aide dedicated to one child, it's done so we can keep the student in the high school," Gobron said. "It's a much better situation to have the student in school with his or her peers."

The data compliance specialist is necessary, Gobron said, because of new requirements by the state about the periodic submission of data on students and employees. Data submission duties presently are the responsibility of the district's technology coordinator and ARHS Assistant Principal John Harrington.

"The state requires regular submissions that include 52 data elements for each student," Harrington said, "and our current enrollment at the high school is 1,410 students. It would be a helpful position to have."

ARHS Principal Ned Gallagher also requested an existing aide position be reclassified as an intervention tutor, a reclassification that would allow the aide to assist both regular education and Special Needs students. The reclassification would increase the salary for the position by $4,936.

Gallagher has also requested the length of the transitional learning center's school day be increased by 15 minutes. The transitional learning center assists students who need to make up time and work after missing days at school for illness or other reasons.

Gobron said the submitted budget and its 7 percent increase was a reduction from the first draft of the budget, which had an 11 percent increase.

"The budget we've submitted is a combination of what we feel it takes to continue to run what we believe is an excellent educational program at Algonquin," Gobron said, "while being cognizant of the financial constraints of our member towns."