The Everett School Committee voted Monday evening to schedule its public hearing on the Preliminary Fiscal Year 2015 School Budget, for Tuesday, April 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the Everett High School library.
The Finance Subcommittee has recommended a preliminary budget figure of roughly $85.32 million for next fiscal year and increase of about $5.3 million over the current year’s budget. According to Subcommittee Chairman David Ela, the committee met to draft the budget on March 24, 25 and 31 and has also met with Mayor Carlo DeMaria and his budget committee to discuss the preliminary budget.
The School Committee did not discuss the preliminary budget during Monday’s School Committee, it simply accepted the preliminary budget and will reserve all discussion of the budget until the public hearing.
Of the $80 million budget the school district has in the current school year, the city of Everett contributed just $25,001,383 from the general fund, with the bulk of the school budget coming from the state’s Chapter 70 aid for school districts (about $55 million) and other state and federal sources.
The complete preliminary budget will be available to the public through the school department prior to the April 22 public hearing.
School Committee to hold public hearing on School Choice
The School Committee will also hold its annual hearing on the School Choice Program at the Tuesday, April 22 School Committee meeting.
As Superintendent Foresteire explained, the state’s School Choice law requires all school districts to hold a public hearing annually to discuss and decide if they wish to join the School Choice Program, or decline it.
Any school district that fails to hold a hearing and vote on the issue, is automatically enrolled in the program.