Proposed School Budget for FY2018 Tops $79 Million

Haverhill Schools Superintendent James F. Scully

Superintendent James F. Scully proposes a $79 million budget for the next school year, an increase of 7.1 percent over this year’s spending.

To provide the same level of service as this year, the district budget would have to increase by $4.7 million, or 6.3 percent.

Business Manager Brian A. O’Connell said the proposed budget anticipates additional spending of $569,000 on nine new positions and continuing one job that was previously paid with a grant.

Scully is calling for the addition of three special education teachers, another assistant principal at Hunking School, a kindergarten teacher, a fourth-grade teacher and ELL teacher at Golden Hill School, a fourth-grade teacher and a math teacher at Tilton School, and a previously grant-funded position at Moody School.

The budget also includes $1.5 million for the continued use of Greenleaf School, even though the current student body of kindergartners through second-graders will attend the new Hunking School next year.

Scully explained that he plans to use the building as an alternative middle school for students who need specialized services. He said there is a chance that out-of-district students will pay tuition to the city for the program.

The committee will meet at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16, in the school department offices to continue the budget discussion.

7 thoughts on “Proposed School Budget for FY2018 Tops $79 Million

  1. Stunning to say the least. The Mayor “steals” over $300k out of the Hunking project by charging his own project building “permitting fees “. Now we find out that they lied to us again as they told us this school would be closed as one of the caveats of the new school. When will people wake up and realize that these people will lie cheat and steal their way to their cushy pensions. When will people realize we are constantly being lied to ? When will people realize we are being bled to death by these politicians who only care about their own agendas ?

    Many think some others on these comment pages are over the top in what they say. After reading this bunch of bull, no, they are not over the top but right on in their assessments. Soon, we will not have enough money in our pockets to provide for out families, yet others who pay nothing and contribute nothing into the system, will reap the rewards of our labor, as many do already.

  2. Scully needs to define the “special services” that render it necessary for the Greenleaf School to remain open. Alternative Middle School suggests that these students are problem students, rebellious, and are needing special services so cannot be housed in a regular classroom.

  3. $1.5 million to keep the Greenleaf School open? That’s a lot of money for a vague reference to an “alternative middle school” for students that need “specialized services.”

  4. Out of district students SHOULD paytuition if they are using city services – it shouldn’t be “a chance” they will – they HAVE to.

    • Absolutely out-of-district school districts should be required to pay to have their students housed at Greenleaf! Why should the taxpayers of Haverhill bear the cost of students who are out-of-district? Will we only find out that other school districts are not paying when we need more money, and then the administration will “come clean” and divulge that no one is paying their share of the problems?