CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The School Committee on Thursday approved a school budget of $2,448, 000 for fiscal 2018, down 4 percent over this year. 

 

The budget, which as been essentially level funded the last couple years, was cut by some $103,000 as the behest of town officials. Clarksburg is again grappling with difficult budget season and voters will see a total budget trimmed by some $120,000 at next week's town meeting. 

 

"We will be using more [school] choice money than we have used in the past," said Superintendent Jonathan Lev. "It's not an easy budget for next year, it will be a struggle. We will have less in our choice account than we've had the last couple years."

 

He anticipated that the school would have to lay off some paraprofessionals and possibly cut programs. At the same time, the school will have to add a kindergarten teacher to accommodate a growing number of incoming kindergartners. 

 

The budget will go before town meeting next Wednesday, May 24, at 6:30, at the school. Prior to that meeting, the School Building Committee will hold an informational session on plans for a renovated elementary school at 5 p.m.

 

The Massachusetts School Building Authority recently accepted the committee's preferred project, a renovation and addition.

 

"Now we are moving into the schematic design that will just further get our thoughts and look at everything a little more closely," Lev said. 

 

He encouraged residents to attend the informational meeting, which will include a PowerPoint presentation and will have both the architect and the project owner's manager there for questions. 

 

"This is not just for the school, it's for the whole community," Lev said. "We would love to have people come ... we will try to answer as many questions as we can."

 

Principal Tara Barnes said the kindergarten teacher had not been hired yet but room would be found in the budget somehow. A grant will fund some transitional, informal classes for the incoming kindergarteners a few days a week leading up the beginning of the school year. How many and how long will depend on the amount of interest.

 

Parents had expressed concern over the size of the incoming kindergarten class at previous meetings. They did not want to get into a situation as had happened several years ago when the class became outsized and a teacher was added during the school year, finding it too disruptive. 

 

Barnes said 22 children had been confirmed to attend kindergarten and three more families were expected to complete registration. With 25 children, it was decided to split the class and add five school choice spots. That would create two equal classes of 15 each and offer room if any new children moved into town over the summer. 

 

The board voted to approve five choice slots. 

 

In other business, Barnes said testing for the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System had been completed that day. She also updated the board on some school activities including after-school sessions in reading, cooking and knitting being funded by the Parent-Teacher Group. 

 

Boys in the Grade 6 Advisory Group also made a presentation about their Mother's Day project. They used their recess time to grow some 180 seedlings for the other children to take home to their mothers. 

 

The board continued discussion on a deliquent paid-lunch policy and were provided a new policy on residency to review. Lev said the school does not have a standard on determining residency for children attending the school. 

 

"We just realized that everybody else had a policy and we just needed to get one on the books," he said.