At last night's budget session, the Portsmouth School Committee discussed a variety of possible cuts to achieve the Council's requested $1.2M level-funding, before voting, 5-1, to return with the proposed budget intact.

After discussing a page of possible cuts and fielding 32 written questions from committee member Cynthia Perrotti, Supt. Susan Lusi stood by the original budget. "My recommendation is to stick with the budget we proposed. It is a 3.5% increase, it is within the cap. I am not recommending anything on this sheet."

The vote was bipartisan, with elected Republican Mike Buddemeyer joining elected Democrats Dick Carpender, Sylvia Wedge, Marge Levesque, and Angela Volpicelli in supporting Supt. Susan Lusi's recommendation to maintain the budget. The lone 'no' vote was the member of the school commmittee appointed by the Town Council, Cynthia Perrotti. "I'm going to not support this motion, nor did I support the original budget," said Perrotti.

School Committee chair Dick Carpender acknowledged the difficult fiscal reality. "I do understand the dilemma that the Council is is, that we're all in," he said. "But over the next ten years, we're going to lose $2M [due to the new funding formula]. The right thing for the school committee is to not cut this budget any further."

And Carpender took issue with the positions expressed by Council member Jeff Plumb. "I have a real problem with the intent behind that reduction," said Carpender, going on to quote an e-mail sent by Plumb over the weekend. "He said in that letter that, 'If the School Committee commits to fundamental change in the Union contract, I will vote to give them what they need,' and 'Nothing threatens education in Portsmouth more than the union contract.'" Carpender argued that this showed the Council exceeding their authority, which he said is limited to approving or denying the bottom line. "The Council is stepping over the line trying to control a line item in the budget," Carpender said.

Parent Chris Carceller addressed the committee and supported their action, countering the assertions of a PCC member at the last meeting who argued that the committee needed to make 'courageous' cuts. "What 'courageous' is tonight is standing behind our administration and believing in what they say is necessary," said Carceller, "I don't think cutting into this budget is courageous."

The school committee will meet with the Town Council this evening, and the session has been moved to the Portsmouth Middle School auditorium to accomodate the anticipated attendance.

Update: Thanks to Terri Cortvriend who scanned in the one-pager of possible cuts and their consequences. Click image to embiggen.