One that caught my eye in the Warrant for the meeting, however, harkened back to one of the crazy ideas that B2 floated in 2008, namely: a PILOT agreement with the Belmont Hill School.
Category: budget
Fed $ means no Prop 2 1/2 override this year
An estimated $1.3m in stimulus money will help stave off cuts to staffing and materials on the school side and, coupled with some savings from attrition, let the town squeak by for one more year without needing to raise property taxes.
Federal aid could direct $1.36m to schools
It’s intended to provide an economic stimulus, but the end result of emergency federal funding in Belmont may be to get the town’s schools back to level funding, according to a story in today’s Belmont Citizen Herald.
Warrant Committee notes: pensions, public safety, sports all on the chopping block
Town leaders stared into the abyss on Wednesday, contemplating “what ifs” should the town not pass a Prop 2 1/2 override. Teacher and town layoffs, fee supported sports and reduced emergency services are all possibilities.
Get involved: important meetings happening this week
There’s a full schedule of important meetings this week covering everything from school funding to the town’s budget and an opportunity to have your thoughts on education heard by leaders at the state level. Check it out.
A poll and a survey…
A poll from the BCH and a survey from the town give you two opportunities to have your voice heard. Check them out!
Upcoming events: critical school funding meeting and BSEAC documentary
A couple of notices for the next week that you in the B2 community should put on your calendars: joint School Committee, Warrant Committee and Board of Selectmen meeting on Feb 4 to discuss school funding cuts. And, on Feb 11, the Belmont Special Education Parents Advisory Committee will host a free screening of Including Samuel, a documentary that weaves together stories of five families’ efforts to include their children with disabilities in every facet of their lives.
State aid cuts to town could top $800k
Rep. Will Brownsberger says that pre-release figures from Gov. Deval Patrick’s office suggest that Belmont could be looking at a 10% cut in state aid, totalling more than $800,000. But will the Obama Administration ride to the rescue?
Alternatives for towns facing cuts to libraries?
Next door in Arlington individual donors had stepped in with funding to preserve abbreviated Sunday library hours, at least through May. Will Belmont residents do the same?
School Budget cuts would mean layoffs and fewer, larger classes
There were no smiling faces and no easy fixes as the School Committee walked through potential cuts, including the elimination of AP courses at the High School level, science instruction at the elementary level JV sports and community service programs.