Dear fellow Hanoverians:
After a month and a half of public meetings concerning the school
budget, the Hanover School Committee voted last night to request an
increase in their budget from the Town of Hanover. The request comes
on the heels of weeks of public and private discourse around town
concerning possible budget cuts and includes the following:
· A $140,000 decrease in overall costs due to the planned outsourcing
of the SPED transportation contract
· Reductions in secretarial hours at the district level, no pay
increases for principals, directors and central office administrators,
and net savings from a known teacher retirement
· The addition of a SPED teacher at Cedar and the Middle School, and
a .4 SPED teacher at the High School
· Two additional classroom teachers at the Center/Sylvester School to
address burgeoning class enrollments in those two buildings
· Legally mandated step increases for Hanover’s teachers, but no
cost of living increases (both of which are subject to continued
contract negotiations).
Some in the audience were calling this budget a “level services”
budget, although others would disagree based on the unknowns in the
forthcoming negotiations with the North River Collaborative (NRC) over
the SPED transportation contract. The School Department maintains that
the proposed NRC-provided SPED transportation is an equivalent service
if not better than what is currently provided. Either way, the
proposed budget exceeds the monies currently projected to be available
from the town by approximately $393,043.
Previously discussed potential budget cuts that were NOT included in
this budget proposed by the School Committee:
· A Spanish teacher, an Engineering teacher, and a .8 Chemistry
teacher at the High School
· A .2 music and a .2 art teacher at Cedar
· A fifth grade teacher at the Middle School
· Reading Specialists at Center/Sylvester and Cedar Schools
· Any other teacher layoffs
Fiscal 2012’s overall school budget is $23,352,796. The town
currently predicts a $437,066 increase to be possible in the school
budget for Fiscal 2013. The School Committee voted last night to
request that money and an additional $393,043, for a total request of
$24,182,905. The School Committee is hoping that current negotiations
with the town’s unions regarding the town’s health insurance and
the potential decision at Town Meeting to add a meals’ tax in
Hanover, along with increased Chapter 70 monies from the state will
make up the difference.
There will be a meeting between the Selectmen and the School Committee
on Monday, January 23 at Town Hall. The School Committee is on the
Selectmen’s agenda for 8:00 p.m.
For “Around Town on the Web”,
Cathy H-B
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