Superintendent: Preliminary state numbers show tight budget season as net school spending rises 1.97%
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Summary
Dracut Public Schools superintendent told the school committee the state's preliminary net school spending and foundation numbers point to a constrained, "level-service" budget for next year and urged continued work with town finance leaders and the committee.
The superintendent of Dracut Public Schools said the state released preliminary net school spending figures showing an estimated 1.97% increase and warned the school committee on Jan. 27 that the district faces a tight budget season.
The superintendent said the committee will receive a needs-based, level-service budget to submit to the town manager according to the town charter calendar and that the preliminary state numbers leave the district with limited flexibility. "Net school spending is expected to go up 1.97%, which is below what our expectation was," the superintendent said.
Why it matters: the committee must submit a budget to the town manager by the calendar deadline and will then discuss it through the spring. The superintendent cautioned that foundation aid and other state funding streams remain preliminary while the district awaits finalized cherry sheet figures and chargeback estimates.
Committee members briefly discussed inviting the district's state representative and senator to the budget presentation so they can hear the committee's concerns. A committee member said it would be useful to have them attend the budget presentation so "they hear the full conversation" about funding shortfalls.
The superintendent also placed Dracut's outlook in regional context, saying many suburban and rural districts in the Merrimack Valley face the same shortfall under the Student Opportunity Act. "The Student Opportunity Act is not playing out the way it was promised to play out," the superintendent said, adding that early-year increases in some districts were not sustained.
The committee will review a formal budget at an upcoming meeting and the superintendent said staff will meet with the town manager to try to clarify municipal numbers; the town manager is early in her tenure and the superintendent does not expect a full town position on the budget before the committee must deliver its proposal.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the budget at the Jan. 27 meeting; the superintendent described the numbers as "preliminary" and said more detail will be provided in the coming weeks.