At last night’s meeting the $30,000 “gift” to the Community School was discussed but not voted on.
According to Ms. Marshal and the Superintendent the gift will be funded from the school’s rental fee revolving account.
According to Ms. Marshal this means the moneys don’t actually “come from the operating budget.”
Three points:
First, Town Meeting approved and restricted the use of the rental fee revolving account proceeds and gifts to the Community School are NOT an approved use. The transfer contemplated is simply not permissible.
Second, Ms. Marshal must know that she’s considering moving moneys from different pockets on the same pair of pants! OF COURSE the transfer would impact the operating budget! The maintenance costs the fee account is to pay for haven’t disappeared just because somebody wants to transfer maintenance account moneys to the Community School.
Lastly – for those of you tracking the override discussion: Last night’s school committee meeting revealed $30,000 unspent in the usage fee account, $130,000 planned savings in print costs and $350,000 planned savings in Special Ed costs (minimum). That’s roughly $500,000 in overages or savings for the coming year’s budget.
Override? I don’t think so.
1 comment:
I think you would have to see the school budget, for 2012 regardless of the projected savings, before you could conclude there is not a need for an operational override. Not that one is remotely possible in this political climate, but realistically, the overall budget shortfall for 2012 town wide is 2.2.mil. So at least 70% of that will fall on the school's side.
What I heard was once again the person finding savings is Dr. Johnson. The same person this poor SC has to fire because of, oh that's right we don't really know why.
Your points about the $30,000 effecting the bottom line of the operating budget are right on. When Mrs. Marshall said it wasn't in the operating budget I was surprized. Utilities rental fees in the past through the Community Schools went to the Community School. How smart to have them now under the much needed reorganization of the Communitiy and its finacial relationship to the district, go into a fund that addresses maintaning the facilities. So if the $30,000 moves back to the CS, where does the money come to address facilities upkeep? From the operating fund.
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