Ash-West officials predict $2 million shortfall
By Caitlyn Kelleher Journaelp Rorter

Ashburnham - Westminster Superintendent of Schools Michael Zapantis is recommending a more than $2 million increase in the operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Zapantis also said that there is the possibility of a budget shortfall totaling nearly the same amount if there is no override or additional funds from either the towns or the state.

Zapantis is recommending a $25,759,009 operating budget which includes a $276,904 increase in health insurance costs, a $95,999 hike in special education tuition, and a more than $500,000 projected increase in the salary line items. The district is in negotiations with all four of its unions this year.

The budget also shows an increase in $277,882 for transportation for regular education students and $240,477 for special education students.

Zapantis presented his budget at the Jan. 17 meeting of the regional school c ommi t t e e . E l eme n t a r y school principals David Marble and Candace Wright presented their portions of the budget requests at the Jan. 23 meeting, as did Special Education Director Alan Chates.

Chates called his department's request the "budget buster every year." The district is required to educate special needs students in the "least restrictive environment" from the ages of 3 to 22.

"It's an underfunded mandate," Chates said. "And it's a growth industry."

Chates asked for a variety of additional staffing positions, only two of which Zapantis included in his recommended budget. The proposed budget includes an additional seventh grade special education teacher and a half-time special education teacher for kindergarten at John R. Briggs Elementary School.

The additional kindergarten special education teacher was the only additional staff recommended for Briggs.

Wright said she could also use another fourth grade teacher because of growing class size in that grade. She added that she doesn't have the space for a new class.

Zapantis also didn't recommend the additional personnel at Westminster Elementary and Meetinghouse schools. Marble had also asked for an additional fourth grade teacher as well as a school adjustment counselor.

"More and more kids have issues," he said. Marble said most of his increases are due to gas, oil and electricity costs. "It's a utility-based budget at this point," he said.

Kris DeMoura presented the marching band's budget, which is not increasing.

The Overlook and Oakmont budgets as well as the athletic department budget will be presented in detail at the next school committee meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

The committee is reviewing the recommended budget. They will hold a joint meeting with the sdvisory boards and the selectmen from both towns on Feb. 6, and will hold public hearings on Feb. 13 and Feb. 27

The school committee must certify a budget to recommend to the towns by March 15.

In other business:

+ Nomination papers for any of the four school committee seats open in this spring's annual town elections are available at the superintendent's office until Friday, March 2. Both Ashburnham and Westminster have two three-year terms open.