The Valley Breeze

9/7/2010

Council approves Smithfield schools to dip into capital funds for daily operations

Valley Breeze & Observer Correspondent

gerry76@cox.net

SMITHFIELD - The Town Council last week authorized the School Committee to use up to $250,000 from the committee's capital improvements budget for operating expenses.

The committee, which was denied an extra $900,000 in its new operating budget by the Financial Town Meeting last month, has been looking for ways to ease its budget problems.

Normally, capital improvement money - which is controlled for all municipal departments by the Town Council - is reserved for long-term physical plant improvements.

In a letter to the council, Superintendent Robert O'Brien said the request was made because of unanticipated out-of-district tuitions, mostly for students with special needs, of $220,000, and the need to fill a special education position. Neither expense was budgeted.

School board Chairman Richard Iannitelli told the council also that a recent accreditation report cited a need for more technology equipment at the high school.

Also, Iannitelli said, 45 additional students have already registered throughout the system for the coming year and the committee may need to hire an additional elementary teacher.

Use of the transferred money will not affect the tax rate, since the expenditure is already accounted for in the capital budget appropriation.

Iannitelli said most of the department's big-ticket capital items are in good repair and that the transfer of money will still leave a sufficient total in the capital account.

In another school-related matter, the council authorized Town Manager Dennis Finlay to seek bids on a new emergency generator for the high school that will cost an estimated $175,000.

The School Committee has asked the council to foot the expense, since the school is used as a community emergency shelter, and hurricane season has started.

The school's existing, 48-year-old generator is not working and cannot be fixed, O'Brien said.

The council's action authorizes preparation of specifications and solicitation of bids, but not the actual purchase.

Council members said that would come later, after town officials get a more specific cost figure and look for outside sources of funding, possibly from emergency management agencies or the federal Homeland Security program.

In another matter at its July 13 meeting, the council reappointed Sandra Mayer and Donald Burns to three-year terms on the Conservation Commission, and Jack Andrade and Daniel DeSantis to three-year terms on the Economic Development Commission.