School Committee pares $363,000 from proposed budget
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Northborough - The K-8 School Committee approved and forwarded to the town a proposed fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget in the amount of $17.5 million, an increase of almost $1 million over this year's budget.

While the proposed budget is still an increase of 5.79 percent over the FY 2008 budget, it is $363,000 less than the preliminary budget unveiled last month.

School Superintendent Charles Gobron said the reductions in the proposed budget included $138,000 in salary adjustments for current staff , $50,000 by combining a proposed assistant superintendent position with that of a proposed curriculum director position, $24,000 for an additional part-time Special Education teacher, $10,000 for a Special Education coordinator, and another $141,000 in a variety of other areas.

Despite the trimming, the proposed FY 2009 budget is still coming in much higher dollar- and percentagewise than what Northborough Town Administrator Barry Brenner said it could to stay within the limitations of Proposition 2-1/2.

Brenner said last month at a Board of Selectmen's meeting that the Northborough K-8 school budget could only increase 2.5 percent, or $413,000.

The proposed budget is 3.29 percent, $544,000, higher than Brenner's mandated ceiling of 2.5 percent.

Gobron defended the proposed budget, saying in a better financial climate the increase would have even been higher.

"The percentage needed to maintain a quality education is far more than a 5.79 increase," Gobron said, "but we realize this is a difficult financial time for everyone."

Gobron said the School Committee, principals, administrators and town officials will all investigate and discuss ways that even more can be removed from the budget, as well as any possible avenues to increase revenue.

Ways to lower the budget include reducing spending on technology, charging for after-school sports programs at Melican Middle School and the possibility of making some full-time employees part-time employees to save on benefits.

Also needing to be investigated, Gobron said, is the potential of a Proposition 2-1/2 override.

"We'll definitely discuss the feasibility of a K-8 override," Gobron said.

School Committee member Susan Sartori warned that the district will need to be careful what they include in the proposed budget in case an override is proposed and brought to Town Meeting.

"If we are going to go forward with an override," Sartori said, "we need to make sure we keep teaching positions within the base budget."

School Committee Chair Cecil Adderley said that no matter what budget cuts are made, the number-one priority - the best interest and educational quality of the students in the district - must be maintained.

"The public should understand we are looking at how we can maintain the quality of the schools," Adderley said.