With no tax hike, schools prepare cuts

Officials had sought a $2 million Proposition 2 1/2 override that would have allowed the town to restore police and fire positions, and avoid some significant cuts in the schools. But voters turned down their request, 3,431 to 3,043, in a special election Monday.

“It’s a message that we have to be more careful about how we spend money,’’ said Selectman Angelo Firenze, who voted against the override. “Taxes are just getting too high.’’

Of the $2 million, $1 million would have gone to the school system, $400,000 to the town’s operating budget, and $600,000 for capital expenses for the year starting July 1. The town had hoped to use the funds to restore two policemen, two firefighters, and three public works employees, all positions that were cut in previous years. The funding also would have added some Sunday hours to the town library. The capital funds would have gone toward roads and sidewalks.

Without the override, administrators will be forced to cut an elementary school psychologist, a middle school guidance counselor, two curriculum coordinators, supplies, and technology, as well as freshmen sports and the elementary libraries, School Committee chairwoman Ann Rittenburg said. She said programs to identify at-risk students and to provide MCAS remediation will also be on the chopping block.

If the override had been approved, taxes for the average homeowner would have gone up by about $290 a year.

“The idea was to target available resources to the classroom, so that’s why freshmen sports and library services are some of the things that are not going to be funded,’’ Rittenburg said.

She said the schools raised participation fees dramatically last year — the cost for a student to play one sport is $450; a second sport costs $300; and a third $150 — so they couldn’t go up anymore.

“We’re now to the point of eliminating freshmen sports,’’ she said.

About 150 to 175 freshmen participate in a sport during the year, choosing from football, boys’ and girls’ soccer, field hockey, boys’ and girls’ basketball, baseball and softball.

Despite the cuts, Rittenburg said, Belmont’s students will continue to receive a top education. She said she has confidence in the new administration, though she was hoping to provide additional resources. Superintendent George Entwistle just finished his first year and will have his new team in place for the fall.

“We’ll continue to do the best job we can to provide an excellent and equitable education for the kids,’’ she said. “We’ll just be that much more challenged.’’

Selectman Ralph Jones, the board’s chairman this year, said he had hoped for a different outcome on the override. He said the additional funds would have allowed the town to restore some positions that have been vacant and extend hours at the library.

He said the timing was difficult because property taxes are already going up the allowable 2.5 percent, and voters last year approved a Proposition 2 1/2 debt-exclusion override for a new school.

With the annual tax increase, the school debt-exclusion and the proposed override, Jones said, taxes would have gone up by $820 in one year on the average home in town.

“That’s a large increase,’’ Jones said. “We felt we needed it, but I knew we were up against a very difficult economy.’’

Firenze, who had lobbied against the override’s approval, said the town needs to do a better job spending the money it already has.

Voters were turned off by the School Committee’s decision to grant small raises to teachers who have already received the maximum increases under their contract, Firenze said. “They did give raises and the voters are objecting to that sort of thing.

“They want us to be careful in how we spend money. We continue to spend money doing nice things when we need to be a little more careful.’’

Jones said he’s heard the message and officials will continue to search for ways to cut costs.

“Voters have spoken and we’ve accepted the decision.’’

Jennifer Fenn Lefferts can be reached at jflefferts@yahoo.com.