Committee Wants More Light Shed on Budget for Next School Year

Haverhill School Committee President Gail M. Sullivan is one of the panelists. (WHAV News photograph.)

School Committee President Gail M. Sullivan

A little more than a month before they are expected to vote on a budget for Fiscal Year 2018, School Committee members have yet to see the district’s spending proposal.

Committee members voted Thursday to schedule two public meetings in May and encouraged members of the public to attend. Meeting dates will be announced.

School Committee President Gail M. Sullivan said she is concerned by the lack of information given to the board at this point in the budget process. The Fiscal Year 2018 budget begins July 1 and funds the 2017-2018 school year.

“It’s already May and we don’t have the budget yet,” Sullivan said. “I would like more details.”

“We said we wanted a budget that supported our goals.” Specifically, Sullivan said she wants to see a school-by-school breakdown.

“We said we want to support Tilton in its efforts to improve,” Sullivan said, noting the budget requests for the school should reflect that effort.

Administrators revealed aggressive plans for major changes in teaching methods at Haverhill High School in the last several weeks, and Sullivan said she wants to see whether the high school’s budget plan includes increased spending for professional development and corresponding materials that would be needed to support the new programs.

Sullivan said she wants school officials to provide a list of actual expenditures for this year and last, as well as an explanation of proposed increases in special education tuition costs for the 2017-2018 school year.

 

4 thoughts on “Committee Wants More Light Shed on Budget for Next School Year

  1. “Sullivan said she wants school officials to provide a list of actual expenditures for this year and last, as well as an explanation of proposed increases in special education tuition costs for the 2017-2018 school year.” Everyone knows the answer regarding special education. Scully has mismanaged the special education department from day one. The SPED director prior to Riley was a complete disaster. That’s why the district is spending money on a compliance officer instead of another teacher. Good for Gail Sullivan to remind Scully he works for the School Committee, not the other way around.

  2. Here goes Gail Sullivan again – her wish list and not what is right for our children. Go back to your little village in Maine your shallowness is so evident!

  3. Here comes team Paul ready to start their crying games. A month before the budget is expected and now they want to bring it forward publicly.
    Let’s not forget they have been on the SC for a period of time and yet it is still the same infighting.
    Instead of getting the job done they decide to hold their agenda in an open meeting.
    Let’s call it what it is, A circus and the ones suffering are thes one’s they supposedly care about.