Pelham School Board Approves $65.5M Budget; Appoints Middle School Principal

The Pelham school board approved a $65,560,607 budget during Monday’s school board meeting.

The spending plan represents a 3.75 percent increase from this year’s budget and an increase of about 2.6 percent from this year’s tax levy. The district was allowed to increase the tax levy by  no more than 3.05 percent under this year’s tax cap.

Initially, the proposal called for the district to use $500,000 in reserve funds designated for employee retirement system payments to help lower the tax levy to 2.88 percent.

During Monday's meeting, the board decided to use an additional $200,000 from the employee retirement to lower the tax levy increase to its current number.

The proposal will also cut 8.1 full-time equivalent  positions, including four elementary school teachers and the full-time athletic director's position.

Residents will get a chance to vote on the budget on May 15.

Middle school principal appointed

The school board appointed Robert Roelle Jr., the current principal at Prospect Hill Elementary School, to replace Joseph Longobardi as principal of Pelham Middle School. In February,.

Roelle last month after a series of interviews with various groups of district stakeholders.

The board also appointed Tanya Wilson as principal of Colonial Elementary School for a one year probationary period beginning on July 1.  Wilson has been serving as Colonial Elementary School's interim principal since Aug. 30 2010.

The board also appointed Lynn Sabia, assistant principal at Pelham Middle School, to take on most of the district’s athletic director for an additional stipend of $20,000.