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Date: 4/24/2015
AGAWAM – Superintendent William Sapelli presented his proposed school budget for fiscal year 2016 (FY16) at the School Committee meeting April 14, which includes a $1.1 million increase.
There will be a public hearing in regards to the budget before School Committee’s April 28 meeting.
Sapelli’s requested level-service budget totals $41 million, up from the FY15 budget of $40 million.
The increases in the budget are necessary due to a collective bargaining agreement resulting in a 1.5 percent salary increase, which includes additional full-time teachers, special education teachers and math coach. With Gov. Charlie Baker’s proposed cut to kindergarten funding, the additional money in the budget would cover three kindergarten teachers.
“I didn’t know at the time we were making this budget that they ended up cutting that for next year, so it was wise that we did roll these teachers into the budget,” Sapelli said. “So these three kindergarten teachers that were under that grant will be enrolled in the budget.”
Though the proposed budget shows an increase, the areas of building-based budgets, district-wide expenses and special education supplies saw a collective decrease of $132,519. District-wide expenses will see the biggest cut, with $106,400.
Sapelli said the proposed budget would maintain the level of quality to the school system.
“The FY16 proposed budget allows the schools to provide a level of service to students equal to that provide during the 2014-15 school year,” Sapelli said. “This proposed budget has no staff reductions, no elimination of programs, no increase in existing fees and no new additional fees.”
Despite this, Sapelli said the cuts in the funding from the state made preparing the budget challenging.
“However, the most significant concern in preparing the FY16 proposed budget was how to maintain a high level of service, especially with the elimination or reduction of several state grants. This reduction or elimination of grant funding was a result of the budget deficit inherited by Gov. Charlie Baker,” he added.
The public hearing regarding the proposed FY16 school budget will take place April 28 at 6:30 p.m., just before the scheduled School Committee meeting.