By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — Facing a projected deficit of $4.1 million in the current fiscal year’s budget, the School Committee on Tuesday night approved an action seeking waivers from the Commissioner of Education to cover special education and transportation costs.

Thomas J. Conlon, the School Department’s business administrator, told the School Committee that, even with being on target with projections about retirements, terminations and other unspecified cuts totaling $1.5 million, the fiscal year 2009 budget is “still $4.1 million in the hole.”
As such, he requested permission for a waiver from the Rhode Island Department of Education seeking relief from the cost of providing bus transportation to all students except those with special needs for the second semester of the school year--a savings of about $468,000--and to waive a requirement to have one librarian per 1,000 students in any one school, for a savings of $200,000.
In addition, another request is that the second semester special education and charter school tuitions up to approximately $3.5 million be paid out of the Rhode Island Department of Education 2008-2009 funding and that the cost become part of the department’s supplemental funding request to the governor and legislature.
These actions would help close the $4.1 million deficit, Conlon reasoned.
The School Committee approved the request, with little discussion, by a 6 to 0 vote.
Conlon said later that he knows it is unlikely that the state Education Commissioner will grant these requests. However, he categorized the action as “dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s” in advance of school officials having to seek supplemental budgetary relief in the coming months.
“By state law, we have to present a balanced budget," said Conlon.  “We’re doing our part. There are no new programs and no new staff, except those that are paid for by federal funding,” he stated, referring to the teachers who were needed for the all-day kindergarten program.
School Committee Chairman Gordon Gould, who is not seeking re-election to the School Committee, also said that he knows the waivers are, essentially, just a formality, in light of the state’s budget crisis. However, he, too noted that the School Committee has been advised that the School Department cannot adequately operate the school district with the approved budget and be in compliance with existing law.
In other matters, the School Committee voted unanimously to support an effort by the Tolman School Improvement Team to install an electronic message board outside of the school on Exchange Street. According to Karen Donovan, a member of the improvement team, the message board will post academic and sports announcements and other school accomplishments. It will be financed with a donation from Edna Coogan Snow, a member of the Tolman class of 1939.
Also on Tuesday, the School Committee voted unanimously to dedicate a classroom portion of the School Administration Building as the Busald-Gould Educational Center.
In making the motion, School Committeewoman Nicole Nordquist noted that both outgoing School Committee Chairman Gordon Gould and the late former chairman J. William Busald had worked hard to get the Alternative Learning Program and other educational programs moved to better conditions at the new administration building. She said that a plaque will be installed at an upcoming dedication ceremony.
Nordquist noted that while there had been some controversy over the naming of the School Administration Building to honor Busald along with former business manager Edward J. Creamer, she said she felt it was a better compromise to recognize “the area that Busald fought for.”
School Committeeman John Baxter agreed, calling it “a fitting tribute” to the two committeemen and “one of the happier votes I take tonight.”
Gould, who appeared surprised and humbled by the honor, abstained from the vote and said afterwards, “Thank you very much for that.”