Sharon
That included the $4.1 million budget for the 2017-18 school year, which prompted no questions, and “yeas” from all but a few voters.
The budget’s bottom line appears to be $246,000 less than the current plan, but that’s essentially because both special education expenses and special education revenues are now reflected at the Supervisory Union level.
While spending in the 2017-2018 budget is flat, due to a lower student population and lower common level of appraisal, per-pupil spending will rise by nearly 4 percent, to $15,502 per equalized pupil.
That translates to an additional 4 cents in taxes per $100 of property valuation, or about $100 more on a $250,000 house.
Voters also approved transferring $15,200 from the 2015-16 school year general fund balance to the Building Reserve Fund. The money will support plumbing, electrical and other upgrades to the preschool building, a mobile classroom which previously had been in Lebanon. The changes are required for future state licensing.
The meeting opened with an update on Act 46, the school consolidation law.
Sharon is among the schools that comprise White River Valley Supervisory Union. Formed last year, the new union represents a merger between Orange-Windsor Supervisory Union and Windsor Northwest Supervisory Union.
After taking part in several studies with towns both inside and outside of the Supervisory Union, the Sharon School Board determined that no merger with another district offers “significant financial and academic benefits” to the town and school, according to the annual School Report.
Like Sharon, Stockbridge offers pre-K to 6, making it a “natural fit,” but because of the geographic distance between the two towns, a merger would not offer educational and financial benefits, Board Chairman Donald Shaw said during the meeting.
The school may decide to act as a stand-alone district within the new Supervisory Union. By law, the state could force Sharon Elementary School to merge with another school, but Shaw said he doesn’t expect that to happen.
Various penalties the State Board of Education could levy do not apply to the school, board members said. But Sharon is still exploring the possibilities, including the prospect of forming a new Supervisory Union with Strafford, Thetford, Tunbridge and, possibly, Chelsea.
“We have to come up with a plan by this summer,” School Board member Steve Gagliardone said. “We want the best plan financially and educationally for our kids.”
The School Board will host community meetings between this spring and Town Meeting Day in 2018, “where the community will be asked to approve any plans moving forward,” according to the annual School Report.
Sharon resident Martha Cain, who has taught at Sharon Elementary School for 27 years, was honored during the meeting.
Cain took the microphone briefly, praising the community’s support for education and praising preschool education.
Brain development is most important between birth and 5 years of age, she said. “Our money is very well spent.”
Voters on Monday night re-elected Shaw, an 18-year veteran of the board who ran unopposed for his three-year seat.
Like Cain and Shaw, the School Board also received a round of applause on Monday evening — the three-person board was lauded for doing “double duty” as they have worked to comply with Act 46.
Aimee Caruso can be reached at acaruso@vnews.com or 603-727-3210.