Though school officials feared only a few months ago they might end the fiscal year with a $600,000 deficit, they’re now pretty sure they won’t dip into the red after all.
“We believe we will end the year in the black,” said School Superintendent Philip Streifer.
The Board of Education faces higher costs for special education, transportation and utilities.
But it refrained from filling the equivalent of six full-time jobs that were in its budget and also scaled back maintenance to lend a hand with the budget.
“We’re using the money where it needs to be,” Streifer said. He said the cuts were made without harming education.
“It’s not easy,” said William Smyth, the assistant superintendent for business, who’s retiring at the end of June.
Smyth said that is “pretty confident” the school budget won’t wind up with a deficit unless something unexpected comes up.
Ending the fiscal year in the black may help with the argument school officials plan to make for a 7.7 percent spending hike in the next budget, which would push education spending up to $103.3 million from its current $96 million level.
The new budget, which the school board plans to approve next week, would create a number of new positions to help deal with special education and the growing number of students from impoverished families
The struggle to pay for special education is putting the most strain on the school budget because, officials say, planning is so hard.
For instance, since July, 11 more special needs students have entered the school system, seven of them placed in Bristol by the state Department of Families and Children, according to school administrators.
That alone has socked taxpayers for $647,000 more than anticipated during this academic year, officials said.
“The state needs to pay for these excess costs,” Streifer said. “We bear a lot of the costs” for students who aren’t even from Bristol, he said.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
9 comments:
Are these kids crack babies or something? Maybe their "special need" is a kiss in the pants?
What?
Maybe their "special need" is a kick in the pants?
That's it! And all along I thought these issues were much more complex, with no easy answers.
Special needs education is funded thru state and federal grants .
Someone is trying to get sympathy by blowing smoke up your butts .
March 1, 2008 2:10 PM et al:
No, they're trying to get more money.
F___ it, raise my taxes. It's still cheaper than sending my kid to parochial school.
Go O'Brien!
Give them what they want BOF (I changed my mind).
I've seen the light. That new speed boat sounds like a better deal than Immanuel Lutheran. We deserve the best Tom! Ring us up!
not about special needs but whatever happened to kids waiting at bus stops? i was behind a school bus yesterday it was stupid he or she dropped one kid off right in front of their house then drove up 2 houses away to drop another kid off. a big waste of money right there.
I would feel better about their rise in budget needs if I knew what they were cutting back on.
Cutting back ?????
This is the Board of Education ....
That term isn't to be found in their vocabulary .
Post a Comment