School officials said they were grateful for the support of the selectmen and the Finance Committee.
LUDLOW — School officials at Monday’s annual Town Meeting will present a proposed fiscal 2013 school budget of $25,708,208.
School Committee members said they are very pleased that both the Finance Committee and the Board of Selectmen have voted to support the budget request.
Michael KelliherAfter hearing presentations from the School Committee, both groups decided to add an additional $300,000 to the original recommended budget that School Committee member Michael Kelliher said “will help stave off some critical cuts.”
“It was great to see the willingness of the selectmen and the Finance Committee to help us,” Kelliher said.
School officials had said that with the original recommended school budget they would have had to cut 15 staff positions next year, including 10 teachers, a guidance counselor, two teacher aides and two tutors.
After Monday’s annual Town Meeting at which precinct members will be asked to approve the budget, school officials will meet again to decide what positions can be added back.
Selectman Manuel Silva has stated that he does not want to see a Portuguese language program at the high school reduced because of necessary spending cuts.
The School Department currently is negotiating with teachers for a new teachers’ contract, but so far has requested no additional funds for a contract settlement.
“I feel that our meeting with the Finance Committee and the selectmen was very beneficial,” School Committee member Jacob Oliveira said at Tuesday’s School Committee meeting.
Kelliher said he wished to thank Interim School Superintendent Donna Hogan for all the work she did in preparing next year’s school budget.
School Committee member James Harrington said the additional $300,000 that the Finance Committee and the selectmen are recommending “will not impact next year’s tax rate.”
He said the total town budget being recommended is “well below the levy limit.”