Stanley: How the school budget was restored

By Rep. Thomas Stanley
Guest Columnist

Two weeks ago I used this space to try to clear up some of the confusion over how money for the school department could be restored to the budget. I had no idea that it would spark such activism that resulted in my opportunity to move on Monday night for unanimous restoration of the School Department’s budget. I think congratulations are in order for the parents, teachers and School Committee members who mobilized to bring about the successful results. I was happy to make the motion to restore the funds because I believe that these difficult times will pass, but unraveling the problems created by deep cuts in the schools might take years to recover.

One way that we were able to restore funding to the schools was through making over $2.6 million dollars in cuts to the $31 million dollar health insurance line item. Finance Committee Chairman David Marcou Jr. identified this account as a means to fund much of the school funding restoration. This area of the budget was increasing by more than 21%. After researching other communities across the state I learned that no other city or town is increasing their health care expenses by more than 10 – 11%. In the past, Waltham has placed aside $3.5 million from this account to pay for unanticipated costs which continually are carried over to the next fiscal year.

Other cuts were moved by several councilors and supported by the body. In addition, Councilors Edmund Tarallo and Robert Logan explained how a new ordinance change about to be adopted would raise several hundred thousand dollars annually to cover the remaining restoration.

It was important to make a statement about the importance of education and the value we place on continuously improving opportunities for our kids and their future. Investments in our schools cannot stop because of premature cuts to public education. As a parent of a child in the school system I believe we could not allow good teachers to leave the system, programs to be cut and class sizes to become larger when they didn’t have to.

Rep. Thomas Stanley, D-Waltham, is also a city councilor.