Co-op district spending plan discussed

Thursday, February 16, 2012

WILTON – The Cooperative School District Budget Committee’s proposal for a 5.2 percent cut in the proposed school district spending plan drew a mixed reaction at a Feb. 8 discussion attended by about 60 people.

The proposed operating budget is $11,113,133, a reduction of about 1 percent. With separate warrant articles included, the total is $11,658,584. That figure includes the cost of a full-time kindergarten in Lyndeborough and $77,000 for repairs at Florence Rideout Elementary School.

Budget Committee Chairman Don Davidson started the hearing at the high school by explaining the process of building a budget, noting that this is the second year of the cooperative district, and they are still working out the system.

He had praise for SAU Business Administrator Lisa Ambrosio’s work with them.

“A school budget isn’t like any budget I’ve ever worked with. That is the nature of schools,” Davidson said.

The process begins in the fall, getting input from administrators and department heads, and they worked in conjunction with the School Board, he said.

Cutting the various requests was a long process, he said, “beginning with asking the administration what they would do with a 5 percent budget cut. We wanted to discuss that in an educated fashion.”

That 5 percent equals about $550,000.

The School Board and the Budget Committee operate under two different charters, Davidson said.

“Theirs is to provide the best education we can afford, and ours is to see we can afford it. We have differences in opinion,” he said.

The School Board has reduced its original proposals by $100,000, and the Budget Committee cut another $230,000.

Neither plan reduces teaching staff, although that option is still under consideration by the School Board.

The Budget Committee has asked if one principal could oversee both elementary schools, if they could function with one less secretary, and requested a reduction in guidance services.

“The Budget Committee can only suggest areas of reduction,” Davidson said. “Final decisions are made by the School Board.”

School Board Chairman Geoff Brock, speaking for the board, said, this budget is $230,000 less than they wanted.

“We feel the reductions would be detrimental and would come at the children’s expense. I am concerned about the process used (by the Budget Committee.) This (proposal) eliminates all raises for all non-contract personnel,” he said.

He noted that “all town employees are getting a raise” and asked if that was fair.

Davidson said again, “The Budget Committee only arrives at a bottom line, not how the funds are used.” He added that the one principal for two schools is a model used in other schools and appears to work well.

Several residents noted that, in the past, there were teaching principals and multi-grade classrooms, and it wasn’t all that bad.

“When we asked the school board to make the reduction, we wanted to know the educational impact. The final numbers presented (by Superintendent Trevor Ebel) was less than we requested. We got frustrated because we didn’t have the information we asked for. It wasn’t provided,” Budget Committee Member Mark Whitehill said.

Lyndeborough Selectman Kevin Boette said there are “a lot of others areas to look at. With less money you have to look at all the places. (Sometimes) you have to do more with less.”

Board member Harry Dailey said, “It is hard to compare a school district with a business. We are legally required to provide a service. So many things are contractually or legally obligated. Our responsibility is to squeeze out as much as possible.”

Resident Jennifer Hilton asked if the superintendent’s office was included in the cuts and was told that area had been looked at as well.

“There are ways to cut spending besides teaching staff,” she said. “We need to hold the higher-ups responsible.”

Whitehill noted that there are more than 3,000 registered voters in Wilton and Lyndeborough and hoped “more than 150 of them show up for District Meeting.”

The School District Meeting will be held at 7 p.m., Friday, March 9, at the high school.

Moderator Walter Holland asked if the board had ever considered holding the meeting on Saturday as Lyndeborough does.

“We have discussed it,” Brock said.