School budget plans increase
Published on January 15th, 2003
STONEHAM, MA - Amid rising expenses and falling state aid, the school department's draft one fiscal 2004 budget was presented to the School Committee on Thursday.
This maintenance level budget is the result of hard work on the part of budget holders and strict adherence to budget guidelines that demand level funding and reductions unless absolutely unavoidable.
"We've always operated under the position that if we can't defend what's in this budget, then it shouldn't be in there," said Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly.
He presented the budget draft with accompanying analysis and detail, reminding the committee and the public that this is just the first step in the process.
"We know realistically that this will go through many renditions."
With an increase of $1,142,419, or 5.3 percent, over the current year budget, this first pass of next year's financial picture totals $22,549,000.
Despite best efforts to level fund, Connelly said that some costs are uncontrollable and therefore certain areas of the budget call for significant increases. The largest impacts come from special education, health insurance, and the opening of two new school buildings.
The Robin Hood and Colonial Park School buildings are expected to open to students in September. These openings are accompanied by a slew of additional expenses, beginning with about $10,000 in moving costs. Both schools are currently set up in the old Central School. This cost, according to Connelly, is relatively low, however, since the move will take place over the summer and much of the schools' own manpower will be used.
When the buildings were still being planned, the School Committee made a commitment to fund one full time nurse at each. Robin Hood and Colonial Park have been sharing a nurse as well as building. But once the new buildings are set up, an additional nurse is needed and the $28,000 cost is included in draft one.
Another commitment made was to staff each new building with a Library Media Specialist and a Technology Specialist. To do this, an additional $112,000 is needed. Connelly reported, however, that while full staffing is preferred, an alternative not yet fully presented may involve utilizing just two of each specialist to handle the four elementary buildings.
The new, larger buildings will also require the addition of two custodians. At 63,000 square feet, the Robin Hood School is looking to increase its custodial staff from two to three, and the 48,000 square foot Colonial Park building will need two custodians, rather than one. This additional manpower is estimated at $87,000.
Increases in the Operation and Maintenance budgets of the two buildings involve regular maintenance and contract costs for the new HVAC and telephone systems, elevators and utilities. This budget area shows an increase of $180,000.
Other uncontrollable costs involve health insurance. Draft one shows a substantial increase of $274,967, based on projections out of the Town Administrator's and Town Accountant's offices that these costs will see a 10 percent increase next year.
Skyrocketing Special Education tuition rates, salaries and mandated contract services are even harder to handle for towns like Stoneham, when indicators point to declining availability of state aid traditionally relied on for such.
Curriculum development is expected to increase by about $30,000. This covers textbook adoptions and accompanying materials necessary in aligning curriculum to MCAS standards. For the past three years, these costs have been paid for outside the budget by warrant articles. The School Committee backed up their request for funding through warrant articles with a commitment to take the costs back into the budget for fiscal 2004.
Draft one does not include negotiated salary raises with teachers and staff as those discussions have not yet begun.
Seeking alternative sources of revenue has been a priority for the School Committee and Connelly pointed out that the $22,549,000 draft one budget would be about $1.2 million higher if not for constant and creative efforts in this area. State and federal grants, the after-school program revolving fund, rental revenue from the North and East Schools, athletic user fees, bus user fees, and cafeteria revolving fund are just some of the revenue sources that work to offset the budget.
"In many school systems, these sources of revenue pay for extra costs to enhance school programs and special activities...Here in Stoneham, we use these resources to offset our operational budget...That's a major benefit to the town."
Connelly stated that the next step in the process is salary negotiations and word from the town regarding what it can afford for next year.
The Finance Board is expected to begin its budget meetings this week. Finance Board Chairman Jim Grayson called the draft one school budget "very sophisticated and detailed."
With dismal economic news expected from the state, and with last week's request by Governor Romney to cut more aid from cities and towns, Moynihan made reference to the expectation of a difficult budget year.
"There is a lot we don't know. I think we just have to ride out the next few months and see what happens."
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