School Committee Approves FY13 Budget, Addresses Class Size

As Westwood Town Meeting inches closer and closer, one of the items to be voted on will be the . 

The budget, which calls for a 3.32 percent increase, was approved by the Westwood School Committee last month, a move Superintendent John Antonucci is more than pleased with.

"I'm very happy with it, and I think the School Committee was happy as well," Antonucci said. "The reality is that we had some good fortune, in that we stand to get an additional $400,000 in state aid. We're really happy to be able to bring it home."

The proposed budget is estimated at $34,837,805, an increase of $1,120,217, with no cuts to programs or services. 

"I think it's a modest increase, but necessary given all the demands on the school system," said Westwood School Committee Chair Brian T. Kelly. "We are grateful that we're going to be able to maintain our programs. And we're not looking at any significant cuts."

One of the key factors in the budget was the increase in enrollment at  and . 

"We tried to accommodate those concerns as best we could," Kelly said. "I think we've done that. 

By 2016, there will be an estimated 1,040 students enrolled at Westwood High School, according to Antonucci's report. Likewise, Thurston Middle School is expected to peak next year at about 800 students.

"The top priority in this budget was to address increased enrollment at the middle school and high school," Antonucci said. "The budget addresses the projected enrollment for this year and next year."

Student enrollment increased by about 100 students at Thurston Middle School during the last three years, he added. But the budget allows for three additional staff positions at the school, as well as the addition of a science teacher at the high school.

"Those are things we didn't know we were going to be able to do at the beginning of the process," Antonucci said. "At the end of the day, we were able to fund everything."

To read more from Antonucci's recommended budget and executive summary, visit the Westwood Public Schools website. The budget will now go to Town Meeting, which will be held on Monday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m.