Mansfield School Committee Roundup: Budget, Kindergarten and Calendars

The Mansfield School Committee agreed that they might go to Town Meeting with an unbalanced budget on Tuesday. They agreed that to make the required cuts they would be unable to keep level services for the 2012-2013 school year. After four retirements Hodges said that about $135,000 would be saved to help in the current budget situation. After the estimated savings, the school budget would be $41,772,232 and was voted 5-0  to be the current budget number, still with a $2.3 million budget gap.

The Committee heard the results of a survey on health, alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use on a national level and the Mansfield level.

Superintendent Brenda Hodges said that she and Lori Letendre will be working together to create an action plan based on the suggestions and results of the recent communications survey.

The school committee heard an update from Robinson Principal Kate Christian on the current plan for the full day kindergarten program, and voted 5-0  to approve the pilot program.

The committee approved 5-0 the current rendition of the 2012-2013 school year calendar.

Hodges said that the new digital sign is now up and running in front of the Mansfield High School. The sign was part of a donation for the school. The Qualters Middle School sign has been funded now through a special school gift fund and will not affect the current budget.