Town of Braintree

Dear Fin Con member please answer some questions about the school contract.
I heard the chairman say that the school contract is not subject to funding, where did he get the info, from the town lawyer or somewhere else. I have been searching the Mass laws and regulations and can not find anything that says a school contract is not subject to funding.
The reason I ask is because my rememberance is that the contract was not valid until TM approved the funding for the first year, when did that change or am I remembering wrong.

By Please Answer

Contract not subject to funding


The overall funding for the schools is subject to Town Meeting approval. Individual items; salaries, supplies, maintenance, etc . . . , are determined by the School Committee and school administration.

The control is that Town Meeting can refuse to fund an increase that the town cannot afford. It does not have to approve the amount that the School Committee requests.

But

no matter what amount the TM approves, the school comm. can decide to spend it any way they want, no matter how they say they plan on spending it. So if TM level funds the school budget the SC can still give the contracted raises, they just have to take the money from elsewhere in the approved budget.

Itemize

Line item everything is the way to go.