Budget Solutions

Nicholas Papadopolous

Pembroke is going to need a lot of ovens.
Pembroke Schools Superintendent Frank Hackett said that “Bake Sales” would be the solution to the ever expanding Pembroke Schools budget. The budget is hardly an issue to joke about. With taxpayers having to dish out more and more to keep the schools running, changes will need to be made.
The school budget increased this year to $25.12 million, but the school has already overspent and they have used $26.67 million of taxpayer’s dollars. Some of the new expenses include $35,000 for a pre-kindergarten teacher, $55,000 toward the REACH program for autistic children, and $55,000 for a piano.
According to one town resident dubbed “going broke in P-Broke” on wikedlocal.com, “tax rate is paying back 55 million in schoo construction bond debt with about 9 million being payed down this year, when this is all paid off they are going to try to get a new town hall and police station”
Other commenters on wikedlocal.com have complained that there tax dollars are not improving the town, saying that the town is becoming more of a “ghetto”. Some of their complaints spawn from the recent break-ins around Pembroke, and others complain about people leaving the town because of the high tax rates.
Superintendent Hackett had some serious answers about how he would battle the expanding budget. Hackett said that Pembroke will apply for grants and raise the price of vocational tuition. However, Hackett said that he would not raise the price of athletic fees, bus fees or kindergarden tuition.
The school committee met to discuss the budget again on Tuesday, March 25, and Hackett and administrators hoped to be able to meet the town’s budget figure. But, nothing was decided in that meeting.