Budget Committee Meeting, January 4, 2024

The Budget Committee reviewed the school budget with the School Board. No major changes to the budget were made, but there were several moments of drama.

1:04 Argument breaks out between Budget Committee member Tom Butkiewicz and the Superintendent about the appropriateness and the offensiveness of Butkiewicz’s questions and suggestions about lowering the costs of running the school with suggestions that override professional judgment and/or disregard federal laws.

1:40 Argument breaks out between Budget Committee Chairman Michael Kelley and the Superintendent over cuts he proposed to the school library and social-emotional learning budgets. Vice Chairman Owen Friend-Gray has to intervene due to the Superintendent’s personal attacks against the Chairman. During the discussion Budget Committee member Sandra Jones proposed closing the school library. Four members voted to reduce the book acquisition budget to zero, which did not pass.

2:17 Tom Butkiewicz proposes reducing the salaries of the School Board and the Moderator. Committee Member Brent Tweed asks if it would be a conflict of interest for him to propose reducing the Moderator’s salary since the Moderator proposed arresting him during last year’s deliberative session. Butkiewicz said he was “not doing it for revenge.” 

There’s a public hearing about the school budget Thursday, January 11 at 7 pm. 

Watch the full video: