After a crippling economic recession, Fiscal Year 2012 cut programs and teachers from this school, but in FY13 teachers and money will be added back to the payroll. We support the addition of two regular education full time educators (FTEs) and understand why the Newton Public Schools maintains the non-athletic school-sponsored extra-curricular activities fees (clubs).

While the budget did not add back all of the FTEs lost in FY12, it added back half of them. The addition of two FTEs is a step in the right direction. This addition will keep class sizes at their current size. The budget projects 34 additional students, so the added FTEs will offset rising enrollment.

In FY13, a floating custodian will be added to this school. This addition will enhance the sanitation in the school.

The $125 clubs fee will continue to be collected in FY13. Charging a student $125 to participate in a cooking club or a club that does community service dissuades students from participating in what used to be free clubs.

However, clubs fees are necessary because they help minimize the effect budget cuts have on the classroom.

We endorse the NPS’s FY13 budget and think it is a step in the right direction.