'No Idea'

That was School Supt. Andrew Ravenelle's reaction to finding out Mayor Dan Mylott budgeted $44 million for the School Department, instead of $45 million.

Oh boy. Where do we start?

First, how does Mylott not let school officials know, even quietly on the side, he's cutting their budget proposal by roughly 2.2 percent? How does he sit through a School Committee budget meeting and not say a peep?

"At that particular time, I just felt it was appropriate for him to put forward his budget," Mylott said to the Sentinel.

If that's the case, when would have been the right time? Doesn't Ravenelle and the School Committee deserve some kind of head's up? The School Department is far and away the biggest part of the city's budget. Shouldn't Mylott be keeping communication tip-top with the educational leaders? Is there some kind of battle between Ravenelle and Mylott, or the School Committee and Mylott? We kind of need to ask the question today.

While we're asking questions, here's one more: Where did the $1 million go? In effect, Mylott needed to decide whether to give the School Department its request, or use some of the money for something else. What's the something else?