WESTFIELD – The School Committee voted last night to adopt a 2014 fiscal year budget of $56,045,432 which will be presented to the City Council as part of Mayor Daniel M. Knapik’s municipal budget.
Vice Chairman Kevin Sullivan also conditioned that vote, stating the the actions of the state Legislature or the City Council, could require the School Committee to amend that budget.
The proposed budget was presented at a public hearing held on April 22, 2013 at which School Superintendent Suzanne Scallion presented a “needs based” budget of $56,045,432. Knapik has allocated a FY2014 school budget of $55,509,859, leaving a funding gap of $535,573. The current 2013 fiscal year school budget is $54,430,442.
Scallion said the district identified a $1.6 million fixed increase, with about $1.34 million of that increase in contractual obligations for staff salary, longevity and step increases.
Knapik, who serves as School Committee Chairman vote with the other six members to approve Scallion’s budget of needs number, but will require Scallion to find “offsets” within the school district to bring the budget into balance.
Vice chairman Kevin Sullivan said the committee is still waiting to see what numbers will come out of the state budget process where the governor, House and Senate all develop, independently, a state budget, then reconcile the differences.
“We’ll probably have to trip the budget but we still don’t know that the final state numbers will be,” Sullivan said.
Knapik said that he anticipates the Senate number will be released on May 14 or May 15. Gov. Deval Patrick has already released his budget and the House has released its numbers as well.
Knapik is anticipating the releasae of the Senate budget as he prepares to present his budget to the City Council on May 16.
