PELHAM — The school business administrator has resigned in the wake of a bond schedule mistake that forces the district to add more than $1 million to next year's proposed operating budget.
Superintendent Frank Bass told Budget Committee members last night that the School Board was led to believe the bond for Pelham Elementary School was paid in full.
The district, however, has one more year left on the bond. It must now add $1,058,825 to the proposed 2010-2011 operating budget and default budget, he said.
Bass also told committee members that the School Board accepted the resignation of district Business Administrator Kathleen Sargent, effective immediately.
The board met in nonpublic session before last night's committee meeting.
Bass would not comment after the meeting when asked whether Sargent led the district to believe the bond was paid in full. Sargent had worked two and a half years for the district.
The district will request that the $1,058,825 be added to the $23,544,670 operating budget and to the $23,782,119 default budget.
The district may offset part of the tax impact of the additional $1 million by applying $757,227 in available school impact fees.
That action, however, has yet to be taken.
Budget Committee Chairman Larry Hall said before last night's meeting that the bond schedule mistake was a problem because the committee has been conducting its spending review with inaccurate information.
The committee did not factor that additional bond expense into its decisions about budget cuts or spending.
In addition, the panel expected to review the default budget with Sargent last night.
Instead, Windham's school business administrator, Donna Clairmont, answered the panel's questions the best she could with little advance notice.
Bass said Clairmont will fill the vacant position until a suitable replacement is found.
Budget Committee members expect that Bass will request at Thursday's budget reconsideration meeting that the $1,058,825 be added to the operating and default budgets.
Residents will vote on the budget in March.
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