FinCom and Schools Grapple with Budget Gap

March 3, 2014

By Meredith McCulloch and Julie Turner

FinanceCommitteeThe Finance Committee joined with members of the School Committee in an effort to bridge the gap between the school budget and the guideline for FY15 as set by the Finance Committee. Stephen Steele, Finance Committee Liaison, reported that the school committee had voted at their last meeting to reduce their request by $60,000, bringing it to $35,526,473. When the meeting ended there remained a difference of $198,552 between the School Committee request and the Finance Committee number.

A major impact on the school budget is an additional 16.5 full time equivalent (FTE) new staff including teachers and para-professionals. An added cost to the Town, not reflected in the School budget, is an estimated $190,000 for health insurance for those new positions.

The School Committee offered to withdraw two items from their capital request-Lane school custodial equipment and Lane acoustical upgrades- totaling $26,855 so those funds could be transferred to the operating budget.

Get The Bedford Citizen in your inbox!



“That’s outrageous,” Finance Committee member Tom Russo said. “Don’t ask Finance Committee to reach into another budget for more school funds.” Finance Committee members said if the School Committee does not need those items, they should follow the regular procedure and go through Capital Expenditures and the Selectmen. [The Capital Expenditures Committee gathers capital requests from all departments and ranks them within the capital guideline, after which the recommended list is reviewed and approved by the Selectmen.]

Other Finance Committee members agreed.  Elizabeth McClung added, “It would be a recurring expense if it is in the operating budget.” Barbara Perry commented, “In the many years I’ve been on Finance Committee, no one has ever proposed using funds from someone else’s budget. Capital Expenditures might want to fund other items in their capital list.”

Tom Busa asked if the committee had reviewed the special funds that the schools control. School Committee member Abbie Seibert replied that they do review them each year and some are designated for specific uses.  Since it is a difficult year, “Was there a really careful review of all those accounts?” asked Steve Carluccio. Not satisfied, Busa said, “You should take the money you’ve got first.”

“The real issue is do you agree with the budget,” Selectman Bill Moonan asked the Finance Committee,  “And if you do, the problem is how to fund it.”

Two additional amounts were agreed to. The estimate of the transportation cost for children at the Plaza Hotel was reduced by $60,000 based on the lower number of students. Another $11,000 was taken from the Benefits line because part of that cost won’t be billed for all of FY2015. The total of $71,000 could be available for the school budget. The budget is on the Finance Committee’s agenda this Thursday.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Subscribe
Notify of

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

All Stories

What’s Bedford Thinking about the Red Sox?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Junior Landscaping
Go toTop