Milton is not alone in running somewhat afoul of the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The Boston Globe reports today that both Hingham and Milton received letters from the SBA cautioning them on closing a school.

The school committee here was reviewing closing a school in an attempt to deal with harsh economic realities and the drastic reductions in state aid. While sympathetic, the SBA is clear that closing a school is not without consequences. You can read the letter from Ms. Craven, director of the SBA, to the school committee here.

The Globe quotes Ms. Craven as saying, “When you have to close an older school to have the money to open a new one, it’s a situation SBA doesn’t want to create,” Craven said. “You see it more in towns that lack a broad tax base, like Milton, where there’s not much of a commercial base. That’s a structural problem and they need a long-term solution.”

You can read the full Globe story here.

NOTES:

1. The version of this story that appears in print is somewhat expanded. In that version Tom Hurley, chairman of the Warrant Committee, notes that he’s not sure the override has voter support. Pay increases account for the lion’s share of the school budget increases for the upcoming year. Hurley is quoted as saying, “The feeback I’ve heard, although it is not a poll by any means, is that the people don’t want to have an override for pay increases.”
2. There will be school committee meeting tomorrow night at the Milton High School Library @ 7:00 pm to discuss theFY10 budget.