Superintendent Dr. Barry Rabinovitch painted a harrowing picture of what a School Department budget funded at the same amount as this year could mean for next year: layoffs of 25 teachers, class sizes around 30 students, reductions in supporting staff members at schools, and potential cuts to administration, facilities, and sports.

Rabinovitch made his presentation at what was supposed to be a joint meeting of the School Committee, Board of Selectmen, and Finance Committee on Thursday, March 8, the sole purpose of which was to discuss the difficult fiscal 2013 budget.

Members of both the School Committee and FinCom said they had hoped to come to a consensus on what amount of money will be allocated to the schools in Town Administrator Mark Andrews' budget. The School Committee has approved the superintendent's proposed $27 million budget, but it is clear to all parties that that kind of money will not be available due to the town's dire financial situation.

"The town administrator and I felt that it was in the best interest of the town to have this conversation between the three boards so that we may be able to recommend to the School Committee to [approve] a different number in the [school] budget," Rabinovitch explained. "That's what I was hoping to accomplish this evening."

The School Committee later agreed to ask Town Meeting voters in April to approve a Proposition 2 1/2 operational override in order to avoid layoffs.

Andrews and Derek Sullivan, the town's financial analyst, were in attendence, but only Selectman Ellen Begley attended the meeting from the Board of Selectmen.

A frustrated Finance Committee immediately adjourned its meeting.

"I just don't feel that we can accomplish what we need to accomplish here tonight due to the fact that we have one Selectperson here," said FinCom member Dominic Cammarano. "I feel really slighted."

Begley noted that Selectmen Chair Walter Cruz said earlier in the week that he could not attend the joint meeting. School Committee Chair Geoff Swett said he had spoken with Selectman Cara Winslow, whose doctor had advised her earlier Thursday that she should not attend "because of her health." Swett did not elaborate further.

Cammarano's fellow committee members echoed his statement.

"We know there's a huge problem and we were hoping that we could ... add some kind of continuity with the [Board of Selectmen and School Committee] ... so the children of Wareham don't pay for this problem," said Finance Committee member Donna Bronk. "I think it's absolutely outrageous that the elected officials of this town are not here."

The FinCom serves as an advisory board to the town. Its volunteer members are appointed by the town's "appointing authority," rather than elected.

Expressing to attendees that the Finance Committee would meet with the Board of Selectmen and School Committee at any time, whether jointly or separately, FinCom Chair Frank Heath backed his committee.

"This is an insult to the community," said Heath. "I encourage all the members of the Finance Committee to review what the [School Department] has to say tonight, but I will entertain a motion to adjourn."

Some FinCom members left after adjourning while others moved to the audience, and, after much debate about whether to go forward with the superintendent's presentation, Rabinovitch briefly presented.

Noting that reducing his budget by approximately $1.8 million to this year's level would greatly hinder the district's goal of reducing the "achievement gap" of Wareham's students as compared to state averages, Rabinovitch read the list of cuts that would likely be required.

In addition to the cut of 25 teaching positions, which would increase class sizes to the high 20s to the low 30s, substitute teacher funding would be reduced, money earmarked for staff development would be chopped, and among other things, the high school would have to offer study halls in lieu of elective classes. This school year was the first time that administrators were able to eliminate study halls and instead offer more classes.

"Some of the things that we've been able to add over the last few years will need to be cut," said Rabinovitch, describing the situation as "devastating."

Some of that $1.8 million, however, would be reduced if the town supports the School Department's request for a Proposition 2 1/2 debt exclusion to fund textbooks and technology purchases. (For more, click the link below this story!)

Debt exclusions raise property taxes above the 2.5% annual limit for a set number of years for specific projects, such as funding textbooks or building renovations. The debt exclusions would need to be approved both by Town Meeting voters in April and at a general election.

School Committee members expressed in previous meetings that though any increase in taxes would be unpopular with voters, perhaps a debt exclusion would be easier to swallow due to its temporary nature.

But Thursday, the School Committee voted to ask Town Meeting voters to accept a Proposition 2 1/2 override to avoid teacher layoffs. An override would indefinitely raise property taxes a yet-to-be-determined amount above the 2.5% annual limit on increases. That, too, would require Town Meeting approval and approval at an election.

School Committee members appeared to not be sold on the idea themselves, but with the March 9 deadline for adding articles to the Town Meeting agenda looming, the committee supported the idea 4-0-0. (Member Rachel Gillette was absent.)

"I was hoping at this meeting tonight that the need for this article wouldn't be there," said School Committee member Rhonda Veugen. "I feel this is necessary to bring to Town Meeting voters if we do not ... get closer to the number that is needed to educate. ... I'm still hopeful that the [School] Committee, the boards, and the town administrator and superintendent come together, that we are able to look for additional ways to get closer to the number that's needed."

Sylvia agreed, lamenting the way the state determines the distribution of local aid for schools.

"This could be solved very easily in terms of [state] educational formula [calculation], but no one in Boston seems to listen or hear it," he said. "We've got whole families living in motels down Route 6. ... If [the state] based their educational aid on average income instead of real estate values, this whole problem would be solved."

Speaking before Rabinovitch's presentation, Town Administrator Andrews said he wanted to remain positive.

"I want to keep hope alive as it relates to the information that we have today," he said, adding that more local aid could be in Wareham's future, though he did not elaborate on that in detail. "Our revenues are down. [Revenues] are not just down here in the Town of Wareham, they're down in many cities and towns because of the economic scenario that we face."

The increasing cost of benefits and other fixed expenses is also taking a toll on towns across the Commonwealth, according to town officials.

"I have to say in working through this process with the town administrator and Derek [Sullivan] and being honest with one another ... there is not [$1.3 million] available [for the school budget]," Rabinovitch explained. "If there were, I'd be here saying, 'We need to keep fighting for it.' ... As the town administrator said in his comments, this is an extremely difficult economic time and the only way that other communities have avoided this is that they have voted the resources necessary to educate the children and I believe we need to ask the voters to do that."

The School Committee also approved the addition of a Town Meeting warrant article that asks voters to allow the Transportation Department to purchase buses using available surplus funding from its "transportation revolving account," which contains the money generated from field trips and other "extra" bus runs.