With no budget currently in place for the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District, School Superintendent Jeff Szymaniak discussed a temporary budget with the Hanson Selectmen.
Szymaniak says until the towns agree to a budget for FY 21, it would be set by state Commissioner of Education, Jeffrey Riley.
“In the interim, the Commissioner steps in on July 1st and issues what we call a 1/12 budget,” said Szymaniak. “A 1/12 budget will be using FY 20 numbers, which is the last approved budget by both communities.”
That budget would be in effect until voters in both Whitman and Hanson agree to a new budget.
The Whitman Town Meeting is currently planned for July 27. The Hanson Selectmen voted to postpone their Annual Town Meeting to July 29. Both meetings are planned to take place at the High School.
Szymaniak says they requested a budget of $55 million for the new fiscal year. With the 1/12 budget, that number is reduced to $52.475 million.
“If we’re in an FY 20 budget when school starts, there will be a reduction, I say 40 employees, but it’s really 26 employees. I have to judge for unemployment costs,” said Szymaniak. “We pay 40 cents on the dollar in unemployment, which would tune up to about 40 employees that I would have to reduce to make sure that we’re covered in a deficit of $2.6 million.”
He says reduction in force letters were already issued to 117 people.
In the event that towns cannot reach an agreement on a new budget, he’s hoping that summer vacation would be extended past Labor Day.
“We would have another shot potentially to have a conversation or a [Special] Town Meeting in August,” said Szymaniak.
He said the Department of Education would take full financial control of the budget if it is not approved by December 1.
