March 22, 2022 By Carol Britton Meyer
Director of Business and Support Services John Ferris presented a budget update to the School Committee Monday night during an in-person meeting, with about eight people in the audience. The meeting was also livestreamed on the Hingham Public Schools Facebook page.
Following the meeting, Ferris provided to the Hingham Anchor an update of his presentation, which provided information about where the Fiscal 2023 budget now stands relative to the amount voted by the Select Board and Advisory Committee.
"The Advisory Committee voted to recommend a budget to Town Meeting in the amount of $61,826,503 -- or a .06 percent increase from the prior year," Ferris said. The Select Board subsequently voted to approve the AdCom's proposed budget.
The School Department started the budget process on January 6, 2022, with a preliminary number of $62,677,112, representing a 1.43 percent increase over the prior year's budget.
"Typically, during the School Department's budget process and up until the end of the Fiscal 22 school year, the Department learns more about new retirements, resignations, leaves of absence, and other changes in future plans that may have a future budget impact," Ferris said. "The Department tracks these changes and, often, the changes work favorably to reduce the needed budget requirements."
During this week's budget update, Ferris reported that changes tracked to date will reduce the School Department's budget need for FY23 by $325,956, which leaves a current gap of $524,653.
"The School Department expects that gap to further reduce over the coming months," Ferris said. "Beyond the naturally-occurring changes that reduce the budget need, there are several funding options available to the School Department, which is confident that adequate funding will be available for the FY23 budget priorities."
More details will be available as the budget process continues.