Schools

VIDEO: Seekonk Officials Number-Crunch to Solve Budget Crisis

PTO President Jennifer Hess asked what would happen to the teachers in the face of severe fiscal 2012 budget cuts.

The pressure is mounting for school committee members to hash out a 2012 fiscal budget as May 2 looms ahead, the day teachers must be told whether they have a job in a Seekonk classroom next school year. Complicating the situation is the  approximately $810,000 from the projected budget.

To help along the process, Board of Selectmen Seekonk School committee members met in the library Tuesday night to talk out town finances. No motions were made in the meeting. Town Administrator Michael Carroll, Finance Director Bruce Alexander and Superintendent Madeline Meyer also attended. School staff sat in the audience.

According to Board of Selectmen member John Whalen, the school will make some tough decisions, possibly laying off teaching staff, and may ask for additional funds from the town.

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During the meeting, Board of Selectmen member Bob McLintock told school committee members it was both boards' jobs to balance the budget with the funds allotted. The Board of Selectmen manages 35 percent of the town's annual revenue; the school committee allocates 65 percent. Complicating the budget process is a delay in information regarding funding from the state.

Carroll said the formula is valuable in the budget process. In his experience, working with other towns without a funding formula, bickering ensued, he said. According to McLintock, the funding formula never should have been set in stone as a 65-35 split.

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Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) president Jennifer Hess asked committee members what plans they had to rectify the school department's finances as teachers must be given word whether they will be hired for the next school year on May 2. 

"What is going to happen to our teachers?" she asked.

Superintendent Madeline Meyer explained the school department is forced to work with the financial figures provided when making hiring decisions. Pink slips will most likely be given out to chosen teachers next week.

"I have to make salary. I can't keep teachers if we don’t know I’ll be able to pay. We don’t know the numbers from the state," Meyer said. "Teachers are entitled to look elsewhere for a job; it's the only fair thing you can do... On Friday and Monday those pink slips will be served."

The superintendent also noted that those pink slips may be revoked once if more funding sources become available. 

Hess then said a lot of people in the community are "scared."

"What am I supposed to tell people?" she asked.

Committee Chairman Mitchell Vieira responded saying the predicament has been frustrating for school committee members and administrators too.

"It's difficult to say we know the answer. This puts us into a difficult spot, we don’t have the solid answers yet," he said. "Nothing has changed but we're still progressing forward."

Hess then said many residents want to become involved in the budget process, but many were scared to approach school committee members.

"Maybe if you were a little more personable," she said. 

She also asked committee members to draft a letter to the parents of students to explain that the budget is currently being worked on. 

"To show us you're more than just number crunchers," she said, ending her questions by complimenting committee members for working on the issue.


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