School committee approves $72,510.34 transfer to cover special-education expenses

The Norton School Committee on April 30 approved a budget transfer of $72,510.34 within the special-education (SPED) budget to cover over-expenditures in expense lines.

A staff presenter explained that the transfer moves funds from SPED salary lines to SPED expense lines to offset unanticipated services and contracted tutoring needs: “Those were unanticipated services that we needed collectively district wide, on the tutor contract service that we had to outsource,” the presenter said. Committee members asked whether the overspend resulted from specific contracts or staffing changes; the presenter said the district used position moves and lower-rate hires in some schools and that paraprofessional and other offsets were included in the transfer.

A motion to approve the transfer passed by voice vote. The presentation included a line‑by‑line backup in the meeting packet showing the source lines and the offsets used to cover the $72,510.34 shortfall.

The committee recorded the transfer as the first transfer request of the fiscal year and approved it at the meeting.