A draft budget for fiscal 2025 is up $2,430,054, a 12 percent increase over this year. This is largely being driven by three factors: contracted obligations, higher costs related to out-of-district placements and the loss of nearly $1 million in ESSER funds.
The decrease in instrumental instruction in the elementary schools had raised concerns at the Finance and Facilities subcommittee. Member Tara Jacobs, in particular, had pointed out that the School Committee's position had been that music instruction would be restored once the pandemic had receded.
The School Committee's Finance & Facilities subcommittee reviewed the draft budget on Monday; up in the air is the use of school choice funds to offset the increase, the final figure for a busing contract and whether more music instruction in the elementary schools can be added in.