1/29/1997 SCHOOL COMMITTEE Minutes

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rt .t Joint Meeting - school Committee, Board of selectmen, Finance Committee January 29, 199 - Page 2 Dr. DeMoura presented documentation outlining these , expenses which included payroll costs, renting ofteats placed outside the middle school for the displaced students to eat lunch, -cleaning expenses, bus transportation for sports-shuttles, and general school equipment expenses. Dr. DeMoura explained that currently, there is a $57,000 fef felt, however, an additional $8,000 is anticipated to be spent due to the delayed opening. Finance Committee Chairman Golub questioned since the contractor has paid several months of electrical costs, what happened to the $85,000 that was' originally budgeted for utilities at the high school? Dr. DeMoura said electricity costs have becn higher than anticipated and are approximately $16,000 per month. He noted that as of January 13, 1997, the school Department is responsible to pay the electric bills and with six months remaining in the school year, that total amount will exceed the $84,000 already budgeted. Mr. Golub said that the real problem was not the reimbursement of the $65,000 but rather a budgeting problem from the beginning. Dr. DeMoura countered saying the school Committee could not have foreseen the -costs associated with the delayed opening when the FY97 budget was prepared. After more discussion between Dir: DeMoura and Mr. Golub, Mrs. Mills said whether the issue was a budgeting problem or not the $65,000 has to cone from somewhere. Dr. DeMoura stressed that it would become necessary for the school Department to make drastic changes/cuts to the school budget if the $65,000 is not approved by the townspeople-in May. Mr. Dinizio said the $65,000' deficit is not caused by the school Department but by the contractor. He also :said the contractor has been declared in default, the issues have been documented and the $65,000 should be recouped y the Town. Mr. Golub disagreed -with Mr. Dinizio's analysis and, once again, said it was a budgeting issue. 1I . Dinizio vent on to say things did not get done that had to,get done, i.e., three extra days for teachers and cleaning. Mrs. Caffrn asked to have town counsel review the verbiage of the article as presented.