MANCHESTER, N.H.– The Board of School Committee has voted to close a $12.9 million budget gap after City Alderman recently voted override the city’s tax cap and approve a budget of $238.4 million.
Monday evening the Committee approved the reduction of 41 vacancies that won’t be filled, spends close to $900 less on supplies in the next fiscal year and uses $1.5 million against the deficit from the district’s Teaching and Learning Trust.
District officials note that the plan leaves sports programing in place and maintains the current 1.4-mile radius wherein students who live within that radius, provide their own transportation, leaving those students that live outside the district eligible for free transportation.
The approval however was not unanimous, as board members Lesile Want and Nichoals St. John voted in opposition of the plan proposed by Superintendent Jennifer Chmiel, while Julie Turner, Chris Potter and Julie Smith were absent from Monday’s public hearing.
