Government

Watertown School Budget, High School Renovation on Tap Monday

By |

The Watertown school budget will be on tap Monday night for the School Committee, and y0u can have your voice heard. The public hearing on the Fiscal 2015 school budget will be held Monday night at 7:15 p.m. in Town Hall. The School Committee must decide how much to request from the Town Council and Town Manager Michael Driscoll. Last week, Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald said she believes the district needs to add $6 million to this year’s budget to “move the district forward the way we would like it to go.” That would be an increase of more than 16 percent.

Schools

Schools Superintendent: This is the True Cost of Running a District

By |

The School Committee got the final recommended budget from school staff, and Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald said it is the amount required to run the district and educate students the way she believes is right. The total amount recommended is $46.48 million for the 2014-15 school year (Fiscal 2015). With about 3.5 million offset by grants and other funds, the town’s share would be about $43 million – or about $6 million more than the previous year. “This is the true cost of running a school district,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re at the tipping point.

Around Town

School Officials Say $6 million Hike Needed to Provide Excellent Education

By |

Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald, second from left, Assistant Superintendent Dari Donovan, second from right and financial specialist Frank Colvario presented the first draft of the Fiscal 2015 Watertown School Budget. Director of Student Services Arlene Shainker also participated. Photo by Charlie Breitrose

By Charlie Breitrose

School officials discussed a very preliminary school budget for the 2014-15 school year, but one number stuck out – an increase of $6 million or 16 percent officials said they need to provide the education that Watertown’s students need. The increase is based on what principals and program directors said they needed to run their school or program right, said Assistant Superintendent Dari Donovan said during Thursday’s School Committee Budget and Finance Subcommittee meeting. “This is what people really feel like that need to proved an excellent education to students next year,” Donovan said.

Schools

Watertown Middle School Gym Roof Needs Replacing

By |

{Originally Posted on the Watertown News Facebook page on Feb. 12, 2014}

By Charlie Breitrose

The roof over Watertown Middle School’s gym has been leaking, and school officials will be applying to the state to get money to replace it. The project will cost about $605,000, the School Committee learned last week. Watertown will apply for money from the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s Accelerated Repair Program. The leaks have caused events at the gym to be canceled, said Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald, and there are fears that the floor will be damaged by water sitting on it for extended periods of time.