Greetings,

The School budget season has begun. Superintendent Dan Gutekanst presented his needs-based budget to the School Committee on Tuesday, December 5. The budget is for fiscal year (FY) 2008, which covers the 2007-2008 school year. Dr. Gutekanst said that he needed to be "judicious. . .prudent, and fiscally responsible" in creating this budget and therefore had "to say no to some good ideas." However, he said the budget "details what resources we need to continue to provide a high-quality education to an outstanding student body." The FY08 budget represents a 7.9% increase over the current (FY07) budget. It accounts for increases in enrollment, salaries, and mandated costs. It also restores funding for some of the programs and positions cut this year, including funding for a simplified Science Center. However, it cuts the supply budget by 15%. You can find the presentation on the district website (see link below), and you can watch it on The Needham Channel.

Given that the 7.9% increase in the Superintendent's budget proposal exceeds the average annual school budget increase of 3.8% approved by Town Meeting over the past five years (including a $2 million override approved by voters in FY04), it is likely that cuts will be required to meet the Town's balanced budget requirement. In the next few weeks, the School Committee and Finance Committee will discuss this budget, and parents may want to tune into those discussions:

* School Committee: December 19 and January 2. These meetings will be televised.

* Finance Committee: January 8. This meeting will not be televised.

January 16 has been set for a School Committee public hearing on the budget, and more Finance Committee discussions will follow. We will send another newsletter in January when those dates are more firmly set.