WESTFIELD – The proposed 2014 fiscal year budget for the School Department will be the focus of discussion tonight at a meeting of the Finance Subcommittee which will refine the budget presented by the district administration on April 22, 2013.
The budget as presented by School Superintendent Suzanne Scallion and her financial team is still $500,000 over the level of funding allowed by Mayor Daniel M. Knapik as he prepares to submit the 2014 budget to the City Council in May.
Scallion said at the budget public hearing that she submitted a “needs” budget of $56,045,432 to Knapik who cut the school budget to $55,509,859, leaving a funding gap of $535,573. The proposed budget is based on conservative estimates of Chapter 70 and other school funding contained in the state budget now under consideration by the Legislature. Scallion warned that the “shortfall” could rise to more than $800,000 depending on the numbers that come out of the legislative process and the final budget package approved by the House and Senate and signed by Gov. Deval Patrick.
The current 2013 fiscal year school budget is $54,430,442 and 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. Other major cost centers include $457,000 for special education tuition and services, and $513,000 in additional transportation costs.
Scallion said the School Committee will be asked to vote to commit reserve revenue to offset some of the spending increases. The off-sets, which total $2,568,514, include both the use of special revenue and some cost-avoidance savings.
The district will request the committee to vote to commit $800,000 in School Choice revenue to the 2014 FY budget, $1,141,718 in Circuit Breaker funding, with $691,718 coming from the 2013 FY budget and $450,000 coming from the projected state Circuit Breaker revenue during the 2014 fiscal year.
Several School Committee members have expressed concern about committing that level of reserve funding, typically kept for physical plant emergencies, to the department’s operating accounts.
The Finance Subcommittee Chairwoman, Cindy Sullivan slated the session for 7 p.m. in room 315 of City Hall tonight.
Sullivan said the Finance Subcommittee “hopes to get more clarity from the superintendent” at the discussion tonight.
“Some of these numbers are fluid,” Sullivan said. “The thing is that they change all of the time. We still don’t have firm numbers from the state.”
“I’d like to hear how (Scallion) plans to make up that $500,000 shortfall, if it will result in layoffs, how it will be effected by retirements,” Sullivan said. “The $800,000 from school choice doesn’t make any of us happy, but it is better than last year when we used $1.2 million (of school choice reserves) for the budget.”
Sullivan said the budget presented last week by Scallion “is really a basic budget, it doesn’t include any of the $4.5 million requested by the principals.”
Sullivan said the district needs to continue to invest in professional development, technology and educational programs to lift the district from its current status as a level 3 district to a level 1 district.
