Conversation continues on Pembroke schools budget
By MELISSA PROULX
Union Leader Correspondent
January 12. 2018 12:15AM
PEMBROKE — The town’s budget committee is continuing to explore the proposed budget from the school district.
The group met with the district administration on Thursday to continue the conversation.
This was the second meeting on the budget. It was first presented to the committee at its Dec. 21 meeting.
District officials are working to decrease the budget after a projected shortfall was discovered.
About $977,000 will need to be raised through this upcoming tax bill to cover a deficit in the school district’s budget. The first estimate had put that number closer to $1.7 million.
This is due to an overestimation about how much revenue the district is expected to bring in at the end of the fiscal year.
The main reason for this comes from tuition costs. That number is about a $737,000 loss from what was estimated.
So far, the proposed budget is down nearly 6 percent, which amounts to about $1.4 million in cuts. One of the biggest losses in this budget is staff — six certified teachers and 10 paraprofessional positions, which some officials are worried could have negative effects on the school.
Budget Committee members are asking officials to look at their revenue estimates — though the group doesn’t provide recommendations on those numbers — to ensure they are conservative enough to ensure that the same issue doesn’t repeat itself next year.
A public hearing on the budget will be held on Feb. 8 at Pembroke Academy starting at 7 p.m.
