Community Corner
SCHOOL BUDGET FORMAL HEARING
Chapter 71, Section 38N of the Massachusetts General Law requires the school committee of each city, town or regional school district to hold a public hearing on its proposed annual budget. The Committee must also publish the notice not less than seven days before the formal public hearing, in a newspaper having general circulation in town.
Traditionally, Stoughton School Committee voted for the school budget in December, and held the public hearing in March, some three months after the committee vote.
Some Stoughton residents have been asking the School Committee to change this senseless tradition and to schedule the formal public hearing before the final vote of the school committee. This is because, practically, the proposed school budget does not change after December.
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While the law is silent on the timing of the formal hearing, Massachusetts Policy Reference Manual published by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) states: “In reaching its decision on the budget amount that it will submit to the Selectmen, the School Committee will also observe the statutory requirement of holding a public hearing on the proposed budget not less than seven days after the notice for this hearing has been published in a local newspaper."
This does not appear to be rocket science, but unfortunately, superintendent Rizzi and the majority of the school committee are unwilling to implement this change. Instead, they have agreed to solicit comments privately, and to create a limited duration agenda item during a regular school committee meeting. They would like to hold the formal hearing in March, as usual.