04/16/2015

Savings on health insurance lowers 2015-16 school spending proposal

The School Board on April 14, 2015 approved a $23.6 million school budget for 2015-16.

The proposal, subject to approval by the Town Council and a townwide vote, poses a 7-cent increase in the overall tax rate of $16.80. The owner of a home valued at $314,000 would see taxes rise $22 for school services rise next year if the school budget is approved.

The $23,647,188 budget approved by the School Board for 2015-16 represents a 1.8 percent increase in spending over this year, but is $193,000 less than first proposed by Superintendent Meredith Nadeau in late February.

A reduction in anticipated health-insurance premiums accounts for much of the difference. Officials had budgeted for an 8-percent increase in health insurance, but learned in March that costs would increase only 5 percent. This week officials learned that rates will actually decrease nearly 2 percent - a savings of $143,000 from the anticipated 5-percent increase. Responding to the decrease, School Board members on April 14 voted to reduce 2015-16 spending by $93,000, and to move $50,000 earmarked for insurance to the school's contingency fund.

The contingency, standing at $230,000 with the added $50,000, could be used for but not limited to funding for extra teachers if enrollment for next year grows beyond predictions.

Before the board's meeting April 14, five residents, including one student, told board members they were concerned about class sizes exceeding School Board guidelines, especially for next year's fourth and fifth grades.

Michael Moore, board vice-chair and chair of the board's finance committee, suggested the entire $143,000 saving from insurance be applied to hire teachers to lower class sizes, but board members said they believed contingency funds could address enrollment needs should they arise.

School Board member David Hillman was particularly opposed to spending more for teachers, saying it was his job to support only necessary expenditures. "It is not my job to pass on to our voters to our taxpayers fees that are not necessary to achieve a first class school district," Hillman said. "In fact if we were to do that, we would be violating our duty and frankly, I think we would lose a lot of credibility with the Town Council and with our voters," he said.

Other board members said they trusted administrators to come to them with class size needs.

Guidelines for class sizes, last reviewed in 2013, recommend 22 students for classes in grades 3-12; 20 for grades 1-2; and 18 for kindergarten.

During budget deliberations in March the School Board decided to reduce the amount of undesignated funds carried over to next year from $250,000 to $150,000; to add $10,000 to cover anticipated shortfall in food services; and, to change the position of instructional-support director, slated for reduction to a half-time position, to a full-time director of special education. The revised position would focus on special education, while responsibilities for gifted-and-talented, English language learning and response to intervention duties would be taken on by the director of instruction.

Missing from the adopted budget are proposed expenditures for preschool programming and for innovation in schools, both part of the February draft budget. The state is not ready to move forward with preschool at this time; and, officials intend to pursue grant opportunities to fund innovation initiatives.

The School Board is scheduled to present the 2015-16 school budget proposal to the Town Council's finance committee at 7 p.m. Monday, April 27, at Town Hall. Budget adoption by the Town Council is slated for May 11, with the citizen school budget validation on June 9.