SABATTUS – The town administrator and school officials are working together to better monitor Union 44 accounts after the town was unexpectedly presented with a $127,000 bill to pay.
School Union 44 Superintendent Paul Malinski admitted to selectmen this week that there have been problems in accounts because the state subsidy checks don’t arrive in time to pay bills.
In October, about $127,000 in bills came due, and the School Committee sent them to selectmen to be paid. The amount was higher than expected, and the board worried that the town couldn’t pay them because the state check had not arrived. It did a few days later, and the bills were paid, but selectmen remain concerned about the situation.
“We have peaks and we have lulls in spending when preparing for the next session,” Malinski said. “December is high in spending because we are gearing up for the upcoming semester. September and October we are resupplying for the upcoming year so the figure is going to be higher than usual.”
Town Administrator Tracie Fabrizio said she believed the school department counted on having the state subsidy checks early in the month. Through no fault of either party, the checks usually don’t come in until the end of the month, she said.
“Basically the town and the school department need to monitor the accounts better,” Fabrizio said. “I am getting together with the superintendent’s office . . . and we will see what they have overdrafted and foresee what is due in from the state and the town.”
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