SANDWICH – Sandwich residents voiced their opinion on the school committee’s proposed Fiscal Year 2018 budget on Wednesday night.
The $32.5 million proposal is a 2.4 percent increase over the current school budget.
Sandwich resident Becky Milburn was disappointed with the budget, specifically why there wasn’t enough money to replace the STEM Academy’s retiring director.
“The proposed budget and much of the discussions that have taken place at the last two school committee meetings represent a severe disconnect with parent expectations for continuity, stability and excellence,” said Milburn.
One of the biggest differences between the FY 2017 and 2018 budgets is the more than $131,000 or 64 percent increase in teaching and learning expenses.
The biggest increases in salaries were for custodial/maintenance which saw a 10 percent increase from the FY 2017 budget and the STEM Academy which saw a 6.7 percent increase.
Overall there is a total salary increase of 2.35 percent and a 2.9 percent increase in expenses.
The budget includes position cuts but also increases academic programming, which is not enough for Sandwich resident Lynn Lugo who has children in the school district.
“Your job as a school committee is to provide a budget to best educate our young people,” said Lugo. “I ask you to please review your numbers, ask the tough questions to the Board of Selectmen and the town. It takes more than 2.5 percent to continue and grow the vision that we bought into. That’s stay the path.”
A spending plan that was devised by Superintendent Pamela Gould was also discussed during the committee meeting.
The funds will be used in case the town ends up being able to spend more money for the schools and would fund two positions.
By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter
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