School Department implements temporary budget freeze

Date: 1/26/2009

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



EAST LONGMEADOW Schools in Massachusetts are potentially in as much danger of losing funding from the state as are towns and cities, and in light of that, Superintendent Edward Costa has placed a temporary freeze on the School Department's current budget.

"This freeze is a result of pending news from the Governor who recently received new powers (9C) from the legislature," Costa stated in a letter sent to the department's 450 staff members. "The current freeze temporarily stops spending from our district so that we can have maximum potential to end the year intact."

The East Longmeadow Public Schools are only halfway through their fiscal year 2009 (FY09) budget, with the fiscal year ending on June 30.

"For the past three months, we've practiced fiscal conservancy, cut back on purchasing ... We've scaled back. It's been a conscious and deliberate slowing of expenditures," Costa told Reminder Publications. "Now, the slowing has come to a complete stop."

He said the freeze will continue at least through the release of Gov. Deval Patrick's preliminary FY10 budget for the Commonwealth on Jan. 28. Once that is released, the School Department and the School Committee may need to restructure the rest of this year's budget.

Looking forward to the FY10 budget, Costa said the School Department has handed the town's Appropriations Committee three different budget options one at a zero percent increase, one at a 1.5 percent increase and one at a 1.8 percent increase. The town has asked every department to try to stay under the 1.5 percent increase cap.

"A mere three-tenths of a percent more -- $400,000 -- keeps every employee," Costa said of the 1.8 percent increase budget scenario. "No matter what happens [fiscally], the kids are still here. People remain the most important commodity [for the schools]."

There are currently 2,933 students enrolled in the East Longmeadow Public Schools.

The introduction to the proposed FY10 budget states "There are no 'wish lists' here, only essential needs." Costa reiterated that the 1.8 percent increase was the smallest the School Department could come up with, without firing anyone or cutting any hours.

"It will be a dance of negotiations [with the Appropriations Committee] up until the Town Meeting in May," Costa said.

To view the full proposed budget, visit www.eastlongmeadow.org/Schools/budgetnext.htm.