By Susan Gonsalves, Contributing Writer
Westborough – At its Dec. 16 meeting, the Westborough School Committee will take a final vote on the proposed school budget for Fiscal Year 2022. On Dec. 3, the board heard a presentation by Superintendent Amber Bock detailing the $57,121,155 recommendation.
The $57.1 million request represents an increase of $2,687,410 or 4.94 percent over last year.
The superintendent discussed how the financial team whittled down a previous request by $400,000 in order to address fiscal concerns while still maintaining services that directly impact students.
Among the accounts most recently reduced were trash and phones, electricity, furniture, facilities, revolving accounts and summer programming.
She explained that the revolving accounts contained school choice funds where the district no longer participates.
In response to a concern by member Lisa Edinberg, the superintendent noted that the summer programming could still be a “full, robust,” offering for special needs and other current students and leave room for additional participants.
A large portion of the reduction ($126,442) occurred by spreading out full-time Kindergarten teacher salaries between revolving and salary accounts.
In her initial summary, Bock pointed out that the change to full-time, tuition-free Kindergarten for all had to factored into the budget. Also, $50,000 was put toward technology to “rebuild the baseline,” of that area and all negotiated contracts were honored.
Also, the proposed budget reflects no new positions.
Bock emphasized that the school department sustained more than a million in cuts last year and approximately $700,000 in COVID cuts. She said that she has confidence that these reductions can be recovered over time, keeping in mind the rest of the town’s needs.
At the forefront of her mind, she said, is “how to live in a pandemic and maintain excellence.”
“There’s nothing left to give,” Bock said. “Recovery of base funding will be necessary. I’ve never experienced budgeting in this way…anticipating losses that could be untenable.”
If it is financially responsible to do so at the Fall Town Meeting, the superintendent said she may propose a restoration of funds.
School Committee Chair Kristen Vincent said the proposed budget reflected “creative solutions to bring the numbers down,” and it should be made clear that next year, the community could anticipate a budget with a four to five percent increase.
“This (budget) represents a lot of smart thinking about how we can serve the entire community,” she said.
The public hearing concluded with no comments or questions from residents. The next step is for the committee to take a final vote at its Dec. 16 meeting. The budget will then be submitted to the Advisory Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen by Dec. 23.
