School Committee Delays Final Budget Figure After Discovering Salary Projections Error-September 11, 1973

A special school committee meeting failed to produce a final substitute budget figure to recommend to Monday’s special town meeting to cover a $167,000 budget cut enacted during the previous May’s annual town meeting.

Budget Computation Errors and Contingency Request

After more than two hours of reviewing figures presented by business manager Thomas McDonald, Committee Chairman Rudith M. Berkowitz met with the Finance Commission to report computational errors and schedule another emergency school board session. Chairman Berkowitz explained to the FinCom that salary figures for approximately seven teachers were not properly prorated in the final budget sheet, resulting in miscalculations of up to $1,000 per salary and an overall budget discrepancy total of $99,828.

“We will be asking for, at most, $110,000,” Berkowitz informed the FinCom, noting that her committee had already pared 15 percent from the substitute teacher budget. Additionally, the school board requested a $20,000 contingency fund to absorb unforeseen expenses, such as teacher replacements during a flu epidemic, sudden influxes of students from new housing developments, or rising special education needs.

FinCom members expressed mixed reactions. While E. Peter Bamber favored adding the requested contingency, George T. Mahoney reminded the school board that the town’s reserve fund serves as a collective contingency for all 75 municipal budgets. FinCom Chairman Joseph R. Adakonis noted the reserve fund currently held $172,500.

Internal Board Friction

The meeting featured sharp internal debate. Committee member Patricia O. Prindle criticized the administrative preparation of the budget and called for an executive session to discuss personnel matters, while Francis X. Sheehan Jr. opposed closed sessions, arguing the subject belonged in open debate. Sheehan successfully moved that Chairman Berkowitz proceed to the FinCom without a finalized figure and called for the follow-up session.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger