The budget already has a $673,000 shortfall in anticipation of reduced state and federal money, and contains no money for teacher raises.
LUDLOW - School Superintendent Kenneth J. Grew on Tuesday presented the School Committee with a preliminary fiscal 2013 School Department budget.
Grew presented a preliminary budget of $20,562,108 which he said is needed to provide a level services budget. The budget represents a 4 percent increase over this year’s budget, Grew said.
Grew said the budget has a $673,000 shortfall because that is how much state and federal grants to supplement the budget are expected to decline for fiscal 2013.
“State and federal money is down,” Grew said.
He said the budget contains no money for raises for teachers. A teachers contract for next year has not yet been negotiated, he said. Every one percent in negotiated raises would require an additional $200,000 in raises, Grew said.
Grew said there is some supplementary state money that has been appropriated for this fiscal year’s school budget by the Legislature, although he said he is unsure of the amount.
The additional funds will not be needed this year, Grew said. He said he will recommend that they be applied to next year’s school budget.
Grew also said he will recommend that 10 additional School Choice students be accepted and the additional state revenues go to an account to improve technology in the schools.
The school district should not be concerned about educating additional out-of-town students, Grew said.
He said if parents are willing to “get up earlier” to drive them to Ludlow schools, the students are likely to put in the effort to meet Ludlow school standards.
School Committee Chairman Michael J. Kelliher said a school subcommittee will begin meeting to begin evaluating Grew’s proposed budget.