Mayor Hedlund Speaks Out Against School Committee Plan Regarding Full-Day Kindergarten.
Weymouth Mayor Robert Hedlund is speaking against a School Committee plan to include free full-day kindergarten in the FY 21 budget. While he supports the concept, he says now is not the time.
“If you are introducing a new program, a costly new program, at a time when I want to provide a level services budget, it does not work,” said Hedlund during a Budget/Management Committee meeting. “That is what the root, in my opinion…that’s the honest difference that we have right now that is creating this disparity in how we’re budgeting for the schools this year.”
The School Committee says they are facing a $2.2. million shortfall after the budget was cut due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March, the School Committee voted for a $76,119,856 budget for FY21. The Mayor’s budget on April 27th included $74,392,872 for the schools.
School Superintendent Jennifer Curtis-Whipple says it would be a pilot program that would be funded using $880,000 from a revolving fund. They sought legal opinions to determine if the money could be used elsewhere.
“We have been told that we can only use them for kindergarten. We will move forward with offering full-day free kindergarten as a pilot next year,” said Curtis-Whipple. “If we do not see a rebound in the economy and in the ability for the town to fund this moving forward, we will move back to a tuition-based lottery system for full-day kindergarten.”
Last week, residents were concerned the School Committee was considering the closure of the Nash School to reduce the gap. Curtis-Whipple says that was not a final decision, and that is now off the table.
“I cannot say that it is fiscally responsible to have a building that is costing a bit over $2 million to remain open when we have other buildings that we did have space in that students could have gone into those classrooms and they would have been at the same enrollment average as the other primary schools across the district,” said Curtis-Whipple.
Weymouth Chief of Staff Ted Langill says the FY21 budget is drafted around unprecedented circumstances such as a 20% unemployment rate, $5 billion decline in state revenue, and uncertainty in state aid. He was opposed to the launch of a new program when other departments are being cut. Plans to open Fire Station 2 are on hold, and the new Tufts Library will not be fully-staffed when it opens.
“There’s a lot of pain going around but I think these are responsible decisions,” said Langill. “With the priority of keeping what we have and when it gets worse, using our reserves to fill those holes.”
The Budget and School committees in Weymouth will continue discussion towards a final budget.
