At the last regular meeting, the School Committee (SC) voted (6-1, Benson) to submit a $41,010,533 Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget to the Town Council (TC) for approval. This represents an increase of $2,068,028 or 5.31% in expenditures over last year and, if approved, would result in an approximate mil rate increase of 79 cents per $1000 assessed valuation. This equates to an increase of approximately $198 on a home valued at $250,000.
An increase in the state subsidy and no increase in health insurance premiums resulted in more funds being available, but increased enrollments in the elementary schools drove the need for more teachers and support staff.
Initially the budget included $1.2 million in the Capital Improvement Budget (CIPS) for Phase I of the modular project at Narragansett Elementary School, but when the Town Council denied a request for a referendum on that expenditure (See article on Page 1), that funding request was removed and some projects that had been postponed were restored so the CIPS budget is now $690,000.
The SC will hold a joint meeting with the Town Council (TC) on May 14 and the TC budget vote is scheduled for June 8. The budget as approved by the TC will come before the voters on June 11.
Following the vote, SC members spoke about the budget process and shared the reasoning behind their votes. All expressed appreciation for the work of the district teachers and leadership team in submitting their requests and in participating in discussions. Everyone agreed that increasing enrollment is impacting the decision process.
Kate Livingston said that not cutting programs and staff meant that expenditures such as updating computers had to be postponed, but that was best for students. Both Jennifer Whitehead and Anne Schools emphasized the importance of retaining “great teachers and support staff,” as well as maintaining near optimal class sizes.
Kyle Currier said that “everything can’t be a priority,” but agreed that class size is important because teachers need to be able to have a relationship with each student.
Bill Benson, who did not vote for the budget, said that it was not “frivolous,” but that he believed a student increase of 1.5% does not justify a 5% budget increase.
Chairman Darryl Wright said he supported the process and work that went into the budget, but he wrestled with his decision to support it. “These are legitimate needs,” he said, “but a 6.6% increase in the mil rate is a lot.” Concerned about the overall amount of the budget, he said, “It is never going to get easier.”
At the start of the meeting, in the time for public comment, James Fowler spoke to the SC about a number of issues, including questioning the need for an additional school resource officer, the need to expand elementary schools, and concerns about the new GHS grading system.
Bill Benson encouraged everyone with concerns to attend committee workshops where many of these issues are discussed. As chair of the Vocational Education subcommittee, he also spoke about the importance of the programs offered in Westbrook. There is a shortage of qualified teachers which discourages students from taking advantage of these opportunities.
Superintendent Heather Perry gave an update on legislation under discussion in Augusta, including the bill to deny vaccination exclusions for religious and philosophical reasons.