March 30, 2016 Update: Final Budget Approved
At its meeting on March 30th, the School Committee reviewed a Final Budget that reflects the culmination of the past 6 weeks of discussions since the Tentative Budget was approved mid February. At the conclusion the committee adopted a budget that includes an increase in Operating Expenditures of $647,924, or a 1.71% increase over the current fiscal year. This results in a net assessment to the towns of 2.25% after offsetting the costs with changes in revenue.
The final budget does assume a slight increase in both Chapter 70 and Regional Transportation reimbursement from the state. These are not final figures, but reflect the latest actions of the Legislature, as well as general intelligence on where the process will take the figures by June 30th.
As was outlined below in the Tentative Budget, the state funding formula, combined with disproportionate rates of decreasing student population, has again this year provided a very unbalanced assessment to member towns. While providing an increase of only 2.25% in the total assessment, that resulted in a final assessment to Rowley and Salisbury of 5.57% and 4.08% respectively, while Newbury’s assessment will decrease by 3.03% from this current FY16 year.
The Final Budget contains the following reductions from this current year:
- A REDUCTION in the total cost of health insurance of approximately $238,000, or 3.98%, over current year spending. This is a result of plan design changes and competitive quotes from other providers.
- A REDUCTION of Elementary Math Specialists from a full time at each school, to a half time at each school for the 2016/2017 School Year.
- A REDUCTION of Elementary Instructional Technology Specialists at each Elementary School. Starting in 2016/2017, there will be a single Library Media Specialist at each school, incorporating the use of the Library and Computer Labs at each school.
- A REDUCTION of four (4) elementary teachers, including 3 classroom and 1 Special Educator.
- A REDUCTION of one (1) Middle School Foreign Language Teacher. Due to lower enrollments, Foreign Language will remain a core subject for all students, taught by the remaining three (3) teachers.
- A REDUCTION of one (1) Middle School Special Education Teacher due to reconfiguration of case loads and programming for students.
To download a copy of the FY17 Final Budget in PDF format, click HERE or use the links for this and other supporting documents at the right.
February 11, 2016 Update: Tentative Budget Approved
At its meeting yesterday evening the School Committee reviewed a proposed Tentative Budget that reflects the culmination of the past 5 weeks of discussions. At the conclusion the committee adopted a budget that includes an increase in Operating Expenditures of $846,678, or a 2.24% increase over the current fiscal year. This results in a net assessment to the towns of 3.18% after offsetting the costs with changes in revenue.
The state funding formula, combined with disproportionate rates of decreasing student population, has again this year provided a very unbalanced assessment to member towns. That same 3.18% aggregate increase to towns mentioned above calculates out to a 2.16% reduction to Newbury, along with a 6.54% and 5.02% increase to Rowley and Salisbury respectively. We again find ourselves needing to make cuts to level services in order to provide an assessment that can be supported by member towns.
The table below shows the reductions in services/staff that are assumed in this Tentative Budget.
The next step in the budget process will be a public hearing, scheduled for Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the High School Library. All are welcome and encouraged to attend to provide feedback on the budget as proposed.
To download a copy of the FY17 Tentative Budget in PDF format, click HERE or use the links for this and other supporting documents at the right.
| Change |
Type |
$ Change |
Notes: |
| Elementary Math Specialists |
Cut |
(143,880) |
Reduce current staffing of 1.0 FTE at each Elementary to 1.0 FTE district wide, shared amongst all 3 elementary schools. Reduction of 2.0 FTE from 3.0 to 1.0. |
| Addition of PD Funding |
Add |
20,000 |
Addition of $20,000 in Professional Development Funding for Math in Focus (MiF) training not able to be provided in house b/c of Math Specialist Reduction |
| Elementary Library/Technology |
Cut |
(145,459) |
Reduce current staffing of 1.0 Librarian and 1.0 Instructional Technology Specialist at each elementary school to 1.0 shared position per school. Resulting role would utilize both the Library and Computer labs for instructional programming. |
| Elementary Classroom Teachers |
Cut |
(212,696) |
Reduce 4 elementary classroom teachers. Assumes reductions of 2 teachers from NES and 2 teachers from PGS. Resulting class sizes would be in the mid to upper 20’s, Exact grade locations are TBD based on enrollment. |
| Middle School Foreign Language |
Cut |
(149,544) |
Reduce from current staffing level of 4.0 FTE, providing World Languages to all as a core subject, down to 2.0 FTE. Would require that World Languages become an elective class, not required of all students. |
| Total Reductions: |
(631,579) |
|
English
Albanian
Arabic
Bengali
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Dutch
French
German
Greek
Gujarati
Haitian Creole
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Turkish
Vietnamese