Fall River School Superintendent Matthew Malone last night presented the school committee with a $179.4 million proposed spending plan for FY 2022
The superintendent’s budget is $8.5 million dollars more than this year’s spending plan. Despite a drop in enrollment, the city is being bolstered by additional funds allocated under the Student Opportunity Act which increases funding for urban school districts. Under the plan, the city will be spending $15,000 for each student served within the school system. Superintendent Malone says the budget is realistic and meets the needs of the district while retaining jobs.
The budget proposal is approximately one-half percent above the required state net school spending for education in Fall River. Superintendent Malone says the plan also calls for the addition of 66 new positions to work directly in providing services to students.
Much of the budget does not rely on COVID-19 funding from the federal government. The school department currently has over 2 million dollars remaining from the CARES Act of last spring and will tap into $2.6 million dollars of over $17 million dollars received from the second round of stimulus passed in December. The school department may be in line for additional federal support if Congress passes President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID stimulus bill.
The school committee will be holding hearings on the budget in the coming weeks before approving a final spending plan to be included in Mayor Paul Coogan’s FY 2022 city budget.
Video courtesy Fall River Educational Television
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