Schools Continue to do More with Less
Supt. Belson: Budget Workable Despite Fiscal Constraints
Story Updated 5:31PM Wednesday, July 1, 2009
– Allison Goldsberry
It’s the eighth consecutive year that Medford has received less local aid from the state than it did in 2002, and again the Mayor, School Superintendent, school staff, and School Committee members have struggled to put together a budget that stretches each dollar more than the year before.
“My greatest concern is that the cumulative effect of multiple years of reduced funding cannot be sustained over the long term. A new consensus commitment must be reached regarding the funding of government services. Massachusetts is now 44th in the nation in terms of state tax burden as a percentage of income. Appropriate, predictable, sufficient, and flexible revenue must be generated to ensure that the quality of life level to which we aspire can be achieved realistically and sustained,” wrote Supt. Belson in his budget statement.
According to School Superintendent Roy Belson, Medford is receiving more than $5 million less in local aid than it did last year, a cut he calls “devastating” and “tragic” since greater demands are being placed on school systems and cities.
Medford’s school budget has very little wiggle room, so to speak. Eighty percent of the budget is personnel, which means lay-offs during tough times are all but unavoidable. About twenty percent of the budget is spent on non-salary items such as textbooks and office supplies, and there is only so much cutting that can be done there, and even extreme cuts in this area don’t produce the serious cash the schools need to balance the budget in tough times. Additionally, special education spending, the budget’s single largest expenditure at 25%, is pretty much non-expendable, as communities are legally bound to provide an education for all students.
The proposed budget for fiscal year 2010, $43,007,000, is $1,793,000 less than the fiscal year 2009 budget, a 4% drop. The budget was put together after the schools were forced to cut $500,000 in the middle of the year, on top of last year’s cuts.
Supt. Belson said though certainly not ideal, the budget is “workable” given the financial constraints Medford and many other communities face. At the start of the budgeting process for fiscal year 2010, the school system need to find over $4 million to plug an impending gap.
“You cannot cut a budget by this amount of money and do everything you want to do,” said Supt. Belson.
Here is a highlight of some of the cuts and consolidations that have been made for next year’s budget:
– Net number of layoffs (exclusive of retirements, leaves of absence, and resignations) is eleven
– Less funding for student activities
– One elementary school librarian to rotate among the four different schools
– Less funding for professional development for staff
– Substantial cuts in non-salary items such as textbooks and instructional materials
– One less school bus (from 19 to 18) will result in some re-routing
According to Supt. Belson, nearly $6.5 million in grants, program tuition, and donations is being used to bolster the budget.
“This year we must be willing to fully explore alternative systems to deliver and finance our educational system. We must prioritize the goals of our fundraising to target essential services as we make our case for new sources of permanent revenue to fund our schools. Let us turn the adversity of these difficult financial times into the creativity and resourcefulness necessary for long-term sustainable success,” said Supt. Belson.
More…
Watch Part 1 of the June 24 Budget Meeting on Channel 15 at 7AM, 1PM, 4PM, and 10PM. It includes the opening remarks of Mayor Michael McGlynn, School Superintendent Roy Belson’s budget statement, and a question and answer session with members of the School Committee.