The School Committee approved a $30,703,073 budget for fiscal year 2022, which will begin on July 1, 2021. 

That’s a 4.14 percent increase over the current year’s budget — and $1.2 million more than the schools expect to receive in funding.

Officials have already cut down their request significantly, pulling in various funding sources and making drastic cuts to supplies and materials. 

The initially proposed budget was $33,566,973 — $2,863,900 more than the current ask.

The substitute teacher budget has also been cut, and no new staff will be hired.

Among the limited good news is that the schools still have $200,000 left from covid-relief funding. 

“The town has stepped up and has allowed us to make some purchases through the covid money at the town,” Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Shaver-Hood said, although she noted that the school has had to dip into some reserved funds.

“We’ve cut as much as we possibly can out of the budget,” School Committee Chair Joyce Bacchiocchi said. 

“We anticipate that next year is going to be very difficult,” Shaver-Hood said.