Fewer students, higher budget

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

To the Editor:

There are two more important events for the Mont Vernon Village School (MVVS) fiscal year 2013 budget, SB2 and taxes. They are the Deliberative Session to be held at MVVS on Wednesday, Feb. 8, and the ballot vote at MVVS on Tuesday, March 13.

The Deliberative Session is for the School Board and administration to present warrant article information to the town voters, answer their questions and to finalize the proposed six warrant articles, including dollar amounts for this year’s three financial articles.

Because the MVVS district is now SB2, each article will be on the March 13 ballot. And as a result, we can vote either in person at the MVVS or by absentee ballot from our town clerk.

Even in this economy, the board and administration are proposing an overall 5.6 percent budget increase over last year’s default budget. This increase is a total of $264,965 over FY12. And this increase occurs even though our number of students is projected to decrease by 33 to 195.

If all three financial MVVS warrant articles described below are approved on March 13, the tax impact on a $600K/$400K/$200K house, not including the Souhegan High School or town tax increases, could increase our real estate taxes by $1,122/$748/$374 respectively.

Warrant Article 1:

This article provides for the election of MVVS officials on March 13.

Warrant Article 2:

The increase this article requests is 4.6 percent or $217K of the overall increase. About $100K of the increase is due to the Amherst Middle School. Their cost per student is increasing by over $800 to almost $15K per student and the number of Mont Vernon students increases from 78 to 81 (a total of three students). And note the MVVS cost per student will now exceed $18K.

The default budget this year is almost $98K less than the $217K requested budget. So the default increase is lower at $119K or a 2.5 percent increase vs 4.6 percent.

Warrant Article 3:

This $32,777 request has been negotiated by the board for FY13 teacher longevity salary increases.

Warrant Article 4:

A request to hold a special meeting to reverse Article 3, if article 3 fails.

Warrant Article 5:

Just as SB2 is beginning to help taxpayers, the School Board has introduced article 5 to rescind SB2. SB2 was passed overwhelmingly in 2009 by more than the required 60 percent majority vote. Let’s not let our right and responsibility to a ballot vote be lost, so on March 13, vote against this article.

Warrant Article 6:

A $15K request to be added to the MVVS property maintenance fund. All but $12.5K of the $61K set aside two years ago, has been spent on a new gym floor and other needs.

If you can, please participate in the MVVS Deliberative Session, Feb. 8, to help the board and administration find ways to provide our students an excellent education without increasing taxes. And absolutely vote on March 13 and if you can’t, obtain an absentee ballot.

TOM McKINNEY

Mont Vernon