School officials have started a review of staff and programs in an effort to balance a $51.2 million budget.
Shirley AlviraWESTFIELD - The School Committee is expected to decide next week the best way to absorb an $864,000 budget gap following this week’s City Council approval of a total $116.2 million city budget for fiscal year 2011.
The committee is scheduled to meet July 7 in regular session and school officials have already started a review of staff and programs in an effort to balance its $51.2 million budget allowed by the council Wednesday night.
The School Committee and school administration can decide to take immediate action or delay necessary cuts in hopes the council will restore the $864,345 with an appropriation from city reserve accounts later this year.
“We are looking at alternatives,” Superintendent of Schools Shirley Alvira said Thursday. “The School Committee will receive a budget update at its July 7 meeting,” she said.
School Vice Chairman Kevin J. Sullivan said immediate action may not be required “but we need to have contingency plans in place before September.” Sullivan said he hopes the School Department can improve ongoing contract negotiations with teachers in the meantime and “then go back to the council for an appropriation from the stabilization account.”
That option was left open by the City Council when it approved the city’s new budget Wednesday night. The cut was made by the council’s Finance Subcommittee earlier and adopted by the full council at its budget reconciliation meeting Wednesday.
City Auditor Deborah A. Strycharz also indicated a delay is possible providing the School Department “does not exceed the budget approved Wednesday night.”
The council was unable to reconsider the school cut Wednesday because nine affirmative votes are required and only eight councilors attended the meeting. Also, had all 13 councilors been present, five have a conflict of interest because relatives working within the School Department and cannot vote on school funding.
A future transfer will also require nine affirmative votes. But, officials explained that an emergency situation could be declared, and after explanation of individual conflict, the entire council membership could vote.
The School Committee has already cut its teaching staff by at least 13 and eliminated several other positions through attrition because of funding declines for the 2010-2011 school year. Several programs, including elementary school librarians and middle school foreign language, have been reduced to address a budget shortfall.
Other areas now under consideration for reduction or elimination include athletics, middle and high school library services and possible school closings.