Claremont
The spending plan represents a $329,000, or a 1 percent decrease, from the current budget of $31.4 million and as of now would reduce the local school tax rate by 47 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
Vice Chairman Chris Irish and board members Frank Sprague, Michelle Pierce and Rebecca Zullo voted for the budget with Chairman Brian Rapp and members Alex Herzog and Michael Petrin opposed.
Under the proposal from Superintendent Middleton McGoodwin, the proposed budget would eliminate two teaching positions, an administrative assistant position and the crisis counselor position all at the high school, the adult education director position, several maintenance projects and four paraprofessionals slots. The school psychologist, also cut, would be partially paid for with $55,000 in contracted services.
Rapp was the staunchest opponent of the proposal and argued for a level funded spending plan from this year so the district can keep up with technology and not cut positions. He wanted to restore the full $1.2 million in cuts that the administration presented as directive from the School Board.
“If we level fund it gives the administration room to put back technology as well as the positions,” Rapp said. “In my mind, the cuts are unbearable.”
Originally, the administration asked for $1 million in technology but will only have $300,000 in this budget.
“If we cut an English teacher, what will that do to AP classes? If we start eliminating positions, it diminishes opportunity for kids,” said Rapp, whose comments were met by applause from the audience at the meeting a few times.
At one point during the discussion, Irish said going through the budget line by line looking for reductions is micromanaging and not the board’s role. He supported the proposal with the belief that savings will be found like they have the last four years with $2.3 million returned to taxpayers, which is an average of nearly $600,000 annually.
“That tells me in a $31 million budget, there is money to be had,” Irish said.
Though the proposal came with a list of cuts, Irish said he only wanted to give the administration a bottom line and let it do its job.
“I have no interest in attaching a list,” he said. “Here is the money. Do what you do best. I don’t want to hold their feet to the fire (on specific cuts).”
Sprague, who made the motion for the budget, explained his support for the proposed plan, which was originally presented two weeks ago as a compromise to a board directive for a $1.2 million reduction from this year’s budget.
“I think it is a manageable number,” Sprague said. “We all said it would be a painful process but I think this is a significant concession by the board from the original number ($1.2 million).”
Petrin said he was leaning toward level funding and was concerned with cutting the crisis counselor after hearing comments from the public.
When the discussion turned to level funding, McGoodwin pointed out that spending has increased very little the last several years but with the annual losses of non-tax revenue, the tax rate continues to climb. He gave examples of last year, when spending went down slightly but the school tax rate increased and before that, a $76,000 spending increase should have translated into just an 11 cent tax increase but with lower state aid, the rate jumped by $1.25.
Before the board began its discussion, several students, district employees and residents pleaded with the board not to make the cuts, particularly the crisis counselor.
“A lot of teens who are struggling won’t have the ability to connect with resources and preventive services,” said Lexi Grenier, a senior and student representative on the board.
Matthew Bean, a special education paraprofessional and a football coach, bluntly told the board the importance of the crisis counselor.
“I can tell you, that job saves lives,” Bean said.
One of the teaching positions at the high school that could be eliminated is world language.
World language teacher Gary Cullison said he has been told he was “designated as expendable” after 18 years at Stevens and asked the board to search out other solutions.
“Find a way forward that does not sacrifice the education in the district,”Cullison said.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
