Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,

Now that we are beginning the month of May, we are entering a critical time in the development and ratification of our proposed budget for 2008 - 2009. As you know, on Wednesday, April 16, 2008, the Board of Finance cut $236,000 from the Board of Education’s original proposal of an increase of $1,604,851 over the 2007- 2008 budget. Moreover, in order meet the ever-increasing cost of heating oil in 2008- 2009, we added another $40,000 to this line, and had to make other cuts in the proposed budget to make up for this amount. Thus, overall, we cut $276,000 from the proposed 2008 - 2009 budget. The increase over the 2007 - 2008 budget is $1,368,851 or 5.92%.

In order to make $276,000 in cuts from the proposed budget, many deep cuts were made; including a library media specialist position at Stafford Elementary School, a large portion of contracted days for a new literacy consultant to be utilized at the secondary level, a reduced secretarial position (new) at Stafford Elementary School, money from supplies, textbooks and library books, fewer software programs and a new website design program, and, finally, a shortened playing schedule of all middle school sports’ teams and the loss of middle school cross country. A full list of these cuts is to be found in the budget link on our website.

The adjourned Town Meeting will be held at Town Hall on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 7p.m. At this meeting, you will have an opportunity to speak on the budget. A referendum is planned for Wednesday, May 14, 2008. Usually, voting is from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Stafford Public Library.

If you have any further questions on the budget, please don’t hesitate to contact me, and, most of all, don’t forget to vote.

Sincerely,

Superintendent of Schools