Carver seeking its first override in 25 years

Saying the town's schools are on a budget path to disaster, Carver school officials are asking residents to do what they haven't done in 25 years: approve a tax override.

Carver schools laid off 13 teachers this year and face the prospect of eliminating 16 positions next year.

"I need the town to tell me, is this the school system you want?" School Superintendent Elizabeth Sorrell said. A year ago, Sorrell assured anxious parents that lower enrollment meant the system could cut teachers without affecting quality. Now, she said, "there is no way this cut can be made that is not detrimental to education."

In order to maintain the current level of educational services in the fiscal year starting July 1, officials said, the schools' budget would have to rise to about $21.75 million from this year's $21 million. Because of cuts in state aid next year, town officials have asked the schools to cut 1.6 percent from this year's levels, meaning that the schools will have to find about $1.08 million to maintain current services.

Given the squeeze on state funding for education, officials said, the only way to get the additional money is by overriding Proposition 2 1/2, the state law that limits annual increases in a community's property tax revenue to 2.5 percent.

But the road to a successful override will be a long one. First, the School Committee has to persuade the Board of Selectmen later this month to place an override question on the ballot. Then voters would have to approve it at the annual town election on April 25.

According to Town Clerk Jean McGillicuddy, Carver voters last approved an override in 1984, to build a high school. Two years ago, voters rejected a request for $1 million to fund engineering plans for a police and fire building.

Read more of Robert Knox's story on the override here.