Region 15 Superintendent of Schools Regina Botsford (black jacket) presents her proposed 2016-2017 budget to the Board of Education Feb. 29. To her right is BoE member Sharon Guck. (Marjorie Needham photo)
By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
Region 15 Superintendent of Schools Regina Botsford on Monday night presented to the Board of Education (BoE) a proposed 2016-2017 budget of $67.1 million, a 2.86-percent increase over the current $65.3 million budget. Region 15 budgets, after remaining flat for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 fiscal years, have increased between 2.48 and 2.86 percent each year for the past four years.
Botsford told the BoE, “I bring you a very responsible budget increase of 2.86 percent.” She said it reflects the district’s mission, which says in part that it is committed to excellence and its decision-making is based on the best interest of all students.
For the second year in a row, Middlebury taxpayers will see an increase in the percentage of the budget they pay. This is because Southbury’s enrollment dropped by 66 students, to 2,589 from 2,655, while Middlebury’s enrollment dropped by three students, to 1,233 from 1,226 for a total of 69 fewer students in the district for the upcoming budget year. Enrollment numbers for a fiscal year are the numbers as of Oct. 1 of the preceding year, so these numbers are as of Oct. 1, 2015.
The enrollment changes shift a larger burden of the budget onto Middlebury taxpayers. For 2016-2017, they will pay 32.08 percent compared to their current 31.59 percent. Southbury’s burden drops to 67.92 percent from 68.41 percent.
Botsford said the budget reflects unexpected increases in the cost of special education, which ran more than $900,00 over budget this year, and also reflects four cost-saving measures. One is the $1 million saved annually by self-insuring. Because medical claims are low this year, the self-insurance cost did not increase in the proposed budget. The conversion from oil to natural gas at Pomperaug High School (PHS) and Rochambeau Middle School saves $50,000 a year, a wireless network grant saves $84,250 in the proposed budget, and 19 teachers have agreed to take early retirement at a savings of $390,000 in the proposed budget.
Staffing decreases in the proposed budget are 3.2 fewer full time equivalent staff while increases of one special education teacher and .4 PHS school psychologist (this restores a prior cut) yield a net reduction of 1.8 positions.
Highlighted budget items in Botsford’s budget presentation were technology, math textbooks for grades four and five and six through eight, a new social studies course at PHS, new textbooks for advanced placement (AP) biology, new lab interfaces for chemistry and physics and replacement of wrestling practice mats.
Noting that prior years didn’t always keep up with technology, Botsford said the district needs $73,000 for technology for the 2016-2017 budget year. The overall technology improvement program calls for 718 unreliable desktops and laptops to be replaced by refurbished ones that will be leased for a total of $173,620. Replacement of switches and other components will cost $66,000, and server replacement will run $7,000. Technology costs will benefit from a $84,250 grant for upgrading the district’s wireless network.
While these costs total more than $73,000, Botsford said the leased items (desktops and laptops) will have no dollar impact for the 2016-2017 budget. Neither will the grant for the wireless network. She said $73,000 is the budgetary impact from the switches and servers.
Math textbooks for grades four and five will cost $62,835. Math textbooks for grades six through eight will cost $80,000 if they are recommended for all three grades. Botsford said a final recommendation on the grades six through eight math textbooks had not yet been made, but is expected to be announced at the third budget workshop on Tuesday, March 22.
The new social studies course at PHS does not require textbook purchase. The course will cost $1,477.
New textbooks are needed, however, for AP Biology, and they will cost $8,018. Botsford said the current text is more than 10 years old and does not meet current standards for AP biology.
New lab equipment for chemistry and physics at a cost of $5,588 will allow more accurate probe readings, data collection and display and will allow lab data to be transferred to computers and cell phones.
Botsford said the wrestling practice mats are more than 10 years old and need to be replaced so they can be properly cleaned for health reasons. The cost for new mats is $12,000.
The Board of Education will meet for budget workshops Wednesday, March 9; Wednesday, March 16; and Tuesday, March 22. All meetings will be at 7 p.m. in the PHS media Center. The public is welcome to attend the budget workshops, and the BoE said Monday night time for public comments will be included at each of the workshops.
On Monday, March 28, the BoE will present the budget at 7:30 p.m. in the PHS AP Room, and the public hearing and adoption of the budget will be Monday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the PHS AP Room. The referendum will be Wednesday, May 4.
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