Meanwhile, at least two Cambridge elementary schools have many empty desks. Citywide enrollment is dropping as parents are choosing private schools and young families are moving to Boston's burgeoning suburbs.

Last week, the Cambridge School Committee unanimously approved a $102 million dollar budget for the next fiscal year.

It is heavy on administrative development, and allocates less money for teachers. Nearly $200,000 is budgeted to enlarge what the city calls its "Office of Student Achievement," a program aimed at raising test scores, among other missions.

With this money and the fiscal power it has, it seems the School Committee has the answer key.

State's Orders

But despite the fiscal power granted to the School Committee by the state, members say they are facing difficult choices in balancing state regulations with district priorities, particularly with test scores.

"I think right now, there are issues around state educational reform and all this testing and how Cambridge is going to react to all these state mandates," says Alice L. Turkel, a member of the School Committee.

The tougher state mandates began in 1993, after an intense battle with teachers' unions and education lobbyists, when state legislators passed a comprehensive educational reform bill. The bill essentially made school committees more accountable for the performance of schools in their districts, giving them added autonomy--and responsibility--in this area.