School Committee Votes on Surplus Fiscal 2010 Funds

The Lexington School Committee voted unanimously Tuesday night to use $706,196 in surplus fiscal 2010 school budget funds to pay for a variety of needed supplies and materials requested by teachers and administrators across the district.

The money will pay for a range of items , from student desks and chairs at Bridge Elementary School, to text books at Clarke and Diamond middle schools and writing materials and software for K-8 special education students.

Superintendent Paul Ash said the money provides supplies and materials fulfilling "years of unmet need."

"Given the strenuous constraints – significant constraints placed on department heads and coordinators in allocating monies – what became clear is we haven't spent enough on supplies," he said. "Things that go directly into the teachers' hands."

In total, the fiscal 2010 school budget had a surplus of $1.3 million, and Ash said he outlined at Town Meeting returning a portion of that to the town's general fund and using the rest for supplies and materials.

"When it became clear to me that we had one more year of excess funds, I thought the proper thing was to request the committee return some of the funds, and buy textbooks and supplies we really need," he said.

The surplus was due in part to changing to regional transportation for out-of-district special education students, which saved $400,000, and from cutting energy costs and changing bidding procedures, Ash said.

He sent a memo to principals and department heads asking them to submit requests detailing their "compelling needs," including cost and why the money needs to be spent, he said.

After receiving 95 requests, the list was whittled to 62, covering basic school operations, professional development, supplies and materials – from $89,700 for science text books down to a hammer for $17.

Ash said all of the requests demonstrated a need.

"I didn't expect so many to be so powerful," he said. "This is a very responsible list of purchases that will have a direct and immediate impact for students."

One of the items, for $70,000 to replace library furniture at the high school to meet fire code, was not a known need when the fiscal 2011 budget was created, Ash said.

Town Meeting and Lexington Tourism Committee member Dawn McKenna said she opposed the committee moving ahead with that purchase because the furniture is only 10 years old. The committee should have a conversation first with selectmen, she said.

Ash said it's worth continuing a dialog on the item, however he didn't see the furniture purchase as being optional.

"When the fire department says something is out of code and had to be changed, I don't know if we have any choice,"  he said

In other business, the committee also talked about priorities to share with the Board of Selectmen as the board begins discussing goals for fiscal 2011 and 2012. Those include funding for the debt exclusion and sidewalk projects, and supporting town-wide safety efforts, an emergency management project and youth services.

Members of the English Language Arts curriculum review committee also gave an update on the first year of its three-year review process, calling it a work in progress as members move toward a second set of goals in August.

The School Committee meets next on June 8.