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By: Melissa MacDonald
In an effort to cover both sides of this ever-continuing debate of the school budget, I decided next to visit Mrs. LaBelle to interview her about this issue, and the more pressing matter of what happens if the budget does not pass.
Firstly, the board can do three things:
1. Repost the same budget for revote
2. Draw up a second reduced budget for a vote
3. The board, by law, has to adopt a contingency budget
What is a contingency budget? This third budget is drastically lower than the other two; by law it has to cut down on certain equipment and supplies, but programs can be kept the same ALTHOUGH the Board has the ability to remove programs if it is felt that the budget needs to be reduced further.
Overall, certain items must be taken out by law of the contingency budget. The financial difference overall will be a drop from $7, 241,857 to $7, 197,000, a difference of a mandatory $44,765. In tax increase, it will be a drop from a 4.6% levy to a 4.0% levy in the contingency budget.
The contingency budget in terms of student impact is flexible; although equipment and supplies are a mandatory cutback, programs are spared UNLESS the board thinks that more needs to be removed. It’s the Board’s decision from there; if they feel that more needs to be cut, then programs will be let go. However there is a CHANCE that the existing cuts won’t get deeper. I will reiterate that, there is a CHANCE that the Board might not cut more programs, but that’s ultimately up to them. We might be bringing in more boxes of tissues and classroom supplies next year, but we may still have the same programs allocated in the budget and not a bare-bones minimum.
On a lighter note, if things get better, Mrs. LaBelle informed me that there might be hope for you favorite teacher to come back. Anyone who has been let go is on a recall list and if a position that they are qualified for opens up, they will get preference over a new teacher. Good news to hear, but it depends on if said teacher has already found a higher paying position or not. The recall list only gives them hiring preference over newer applicants.
Mrs. LaBelle wanted to also assuage fears about common misconceptions about the budget in the community, namely the K-12 bus run. It’s a huge change to our normal routine, but Mrs. LaBelle has faith:
“I’ve worked in other districts that have had one bus run and I’m not going to pretend that there won’t be discipline issues…[but] I’m very impressed with Galway kids, and I really think the solid majority of kids will look out for the younger kids, acting as mentors and looking out for them… I don’t believe [discipline issues] will be greater than they are now.”
Mrs. Labelle also urges community members to call board members and herself to ask questions and be better informed on the issues, as well as visit www.galwaycsd.org to for more information before voting on the budget. “If you’re not sure about something, call and ask!”
The budget vote is this Tuesday, May 17th, so visit galwaycsd.org to get more information on the issue before you go out and vote.
You should also look at the information recently posted on EMC3 about budget misconceptions https://eaglesmediacenter.com/?p=1796
This information can also be found on the Galway web page http://www.galwaycsd.org/news.cfm?story=75679&school=0