Board, committee seek consensus

Thursday, February 2, 2012

WILTON – The Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative School District Board and Budget Committee have not reached a middle ground in their discussions of a proposed budget for school year 2012-13. The two panels met Jan. 18 to continue discussions. About 20 people attended the meeting at the high school.

The public budget hearing will be held Wednesday, Feb. 8, 7 p.m., at the high school.

The Budget Committee has asked Superintendent Trevor Ebel what he would do if the proposed budget were cut by $550,000, or 5 percent of the board’s proposed budget of about $11.4 million. Ebel responded at a Jan. 11 meeting with possible cuts of $409,000. Recently, Ebel made another presentation to the Budget Committee, addressing their questions.

The Budget Committee has asked the School Board to consider staff reductions, raising class sizes, and to look at the proposed “Middle School Model” as compared to a “Junior High model,” with the costs of each of program. Other proposals include one principal for both elementary schools, combining classes and/or grades, and eliminating some courses high school with few students.

Ebel said it would be “difficult to cut staff unless you change the programs. We have the staff level needed for our programs.”

In addressing the one principal format, Ebel said Florence Rideout is classed by the state as “a school in need of improvement,” and right now needs a principal on site to get the school up to state requirement levels.“In two or three years, yes, that would be a different story,” he said.

To blend elementary school classes would require curriculum changes and at the high school levels it would make scheduling “very complex.”

The School Board has decided to look at the reduction of one English teacher and one social studies teacher at the high school.

“My recommendation is to not cut staff. I understand times are tough, people can’t pay their taxes, but these towns have always supported education,” Ebel said.

Right now, Ebel said, the middle/high school has 340 students. Enrollment has declined, he said, but in the past 11 years, one staff member has been added. When the sixth grade is added next year, “we will be back up to about 400.”

Asked about employee numbers, Business Administrator Lisa Ambrosio said there were 64 teachers (39 at the middle/high school, 18 at FRES, and 7 at Lyndeborough) 39 other employees of various kinds and 11 specialists such as the speech pathologists. Numbers do not include food service or athletic coaches.

Ebel said, “Benefits, mostly, plus contracted raises,” are driving a $550,000 increase in the proposed budget over this year’s.

It was noted that changes in state retirement benefits has added $77,000 to the budget.

Budget Committee Chairman Don Davidson said increases in the contract averaged 14 percent and asked if the teachers’ association could be asked to reconsider the contract. Those increases in various areas add $290,000. This is the second year in a three-year contract. It was agreed they could be asked to reopen negotiations.