The operating budget for Weare schools will go forward with minimal changes despite fierce opposition from the town’s finance committee.
The committee spoke about being unanimously opposed to the proposed $15.33 million budget and $15.31 million default budget during the school board’s deliberative session Tuesday night.
Matt Whitlock, the chairman of the finance committee, read a statement saying the committee felt the board had not made enough reductions in the budget to offset mandatory increases. The operating budget is about 3 percent higher than last year’s approved budget of $14.8 million and about $15,219 higher than the default budget.
Whitlock estimated that the tax rate increase will be 8.2 percent, based on information provide by the school board, regardless of how taxpayers vote.
It’s hard to say what could be reduced, according to school board chairwoman Marjorie Burke, who made a successful motion to amend the budget by more than $10,000. She said a large portion of the $586,320 increase in the operating budget came from contracts for teachers and support staff approved last year.
That number encompasses $200,378 worth of salary and benefit increases, but also a projected maximum increase of $114,749 in health insurance costs. Another unmovable increase is a projected spike of $123,282 in retirement contributions.
One resident, Adam Boursin, was concerned about the board’s decision to remove a teaching position in the face of rising enrollment. Burke said an additional 44 students have enrolled this year, for a total of 1,026 students.
School board member Donny Guillemette said the teaching position was specific to the special education program and was reduced based on the changing census of the special education population in the school district.
The finance committee also opposed adding to a special education fund, though not nearly as strongly as the operating budget. Whitlock said an article asking voters to appropriate up to $50,000 of any surplus from the current budget and place it into the Special Education Expendable Trust Fund was “imprudent,” given the projected tax rate increase of the operating budget. He noted that the board has previously supported putting money into this fund since it was established in 2009. This time around, the warrant is opposed, 6-2.
Guillemette noted the fund of about $100,000 is necessary if a student with education needs outside of what the district can provide moves into town. He noted that educating one student with special needs can cost six figures, not including transportation.
Finance committee member Neal Kurk questioned where the surplus money would come from. Burke said the board has to budget for the maximum increase, but said it would follow a practice of returning any leftover money related to health insurance to taxpayers. Any money going into the special education trust, she said, would come from leftover operating budget money.
And while some residents questioned what amount was needed in the fund, Eileen Meaney used personal experience to show her support for the article. Meaney said she has two sons in the district – one with special needs – and can attest to the costs of educating him outside the district.
“I hate for any kiddo to come into our district and not be able to receive a fair and appropriate and adequate education,” she said. “We don’t have control of who shows up. We can only plan ahead.”
If approved, both the default and the proposed budget with the warrant article would have a 79-cent tax impact per $1,000 of assessed property value. For a $250,000 home, that’s an extra $197.50, according to school documents.
(Caitlin Andrews can be reached at 369-3309, candrews@cmonitor.com or on Twitter at @ActualCAndrews.)