METHUEN — School Committee members said last night that teachers are spending hundreds of their own dollars on classroom supplies such as markers and paper while the School Department has money sitting in a supplies account.
"We have to make sure that students and teachers get what they need in the classroom," School Committee Vice Chairman Gary Marcoux said at last night's meeting.
Marcoux said he has been hearing from teachers who have spent $200 to $300 on supplies, yet the School Department has a balance of $414,000 for supplies and materials.
School Business Administrator Glenn Fratto said after the meeting that the $414,000 Marcoux referred to is not only for teaching supplies, but for several other things, such as technology and maintenance.
The available balance for teaching supplies is $86,000, but the School Department has already spent $61,000 on supplies since the start of the school year, so the supply budget is dwindling quickly, according to Fratto.
Also last night, Superintendent Jeanne Whitten said school officials have a "soft freeze" in place because of the School Department's $241,000 budget deficit.
"Do not hire unless you must have that particular staff person," Whitten said.
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