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Date: 1/30/2024
AMHERST — Ahead of the Feb. 13 public hearing on the budget, the Amherst School Committee conducted a review of the proposals for fiscal year 2025, noting potential reductions that may be implemented, including a possible half-million dollar cut to funding for the elementary schools.
Interim Finance Director Shannon Bernacchia went over initial budget projections at the Jan. 18 meeting,
“We’re looking at a $27,215,000 budget for FY25,” she said. “This is 4.9% increase from FY24.”
The figures include money received from the town of Amherst as well as other ancillary funding and notes approximately 5.8% in salary increases and the impacts of inflation across the board.
Calling it “a difficult budget,” Bernacchia also outlined a current deficit of $503,000 going into FY25 but expressed optimism citing special education funds and more secure health and liability insurance numbers.
Interim Superintendent Douglas Slaughter, who is the district’s finance director when not serving his interim role, said monies from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund could provide as much as $400,000 in FY25 to alleviate the potential gap facing Wildwood, Fort River and Crocker Farm elementary schools.
Committee Member Irv Rhodes expressed concern over where any potential cuts might be made and what impact they could have in the classroom.
“Given that we have regular education and special education being over 57% of the budget, that’s always a target that is usually looked at for cuts,” he said. “I would like for us, this school committee, to at least give you guidance, Doug, that the cuts do not take place there.”
Slaughter said he had already met with elementary school staff to begin the conversation about potential cuts and the impact on students.
“There’s going to be some tough choices, I think,” he said. “And if we can think of ways to structure ourselves differently, that’s part and parcel of what we’re going to try and do.”
A potential School Committee vote on the budget is slotted for March 19.