Newport
About 20 people attended the hearing, but only a few spoke to the proposal, which now will go to the annual deliberative session on Feb. 2.
Lisa Ferrigno and Melissa Mitchler, co-presidents of the Newport Teachers Association, said it is critical that voters pass the teachers’ contract to stop the exodus of staff each year from the district.
Mitchler said recent failures to pass a raise for teachers has put 34 teachers one or two years behind their step increase, and another 39 are three or more years behind, with one teacher eight years behind.
“When that happens, we lose teachers,” Mitchler said. “We lost 27 last year and five already this year. This contract, we hope, stops the turnover.”
Ferrigno characterized the situation as a loss to students who miss the connection to a familiar face when teachers leave.
“It is not about the teachers, but it is about what our children are losing in those relationships,” she said.
The first-year cost of the contract, including salary and benefits and other items. is $347,000 and would add 80 cents to the tax rate. The second year is $301,000 and the last year is $140,000. If approved by voters in March, at the end of three years all teachers would be current with their steps, the administration said. A step increase is payment for another year of service.
The proposed budget represents a 5 percent increase, or about $913,000 from this year. Among the factors driving the increase are special education, technology, facilities, bus services, administration and special education transportation. Those items total about $950,000 more for the coming year than this year. There also are a number of reductions in the budget including career technical education, transportation and guidance.
The spending increase would add $2.10 per $1,000 of assessed valuation to the tax rate; however the SAU 43 administration is projecting roughly $982,000 in lower non-tax revenue, which equals another $1.74 on the tax rate for a total impact from the budget of $3.84 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
About half of the revenue loss is the result of about $518,000 less in the district’s fund balance going to offset the tax rate increase. Another $195,000 is from a reduction in state aid.
There are several other articles that request appropriations, and if everything were to pass as presented at the annual school district vote on March 12, the projected tax rate impact would be an increase of $5.55 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
“Five dollars and 55 cents — that is the number that has to be driven home to the listening public,” resident Bert Spaulding said. “That is significant. I have a hard time believing this community will shell out that kind of money.”
Adding 46 cents to the tax rate is a $200,000 appropriation for a second Partners in Classroom at Richards Elementary School. The classroom and curriculum is aimed at addressing students with special needs.
“This is an investment to save out-of-district costs as we see with kids whose needs are not met as they age up,” School Board member Rhonda Callum-King said.
The district also is asking for $45,000 for the design phase of planned renovations to the Sugar River Valley Technical Center. The actual renovations would receive 75 percent funding from the state, and the district wants to be sure it is ready when the money becomes available in 2022, the board said.
That article adds 18 cents to the tax rate and the transfer from fund balance to three separate funds of $25,000 each adds another 12 cents to the tax rate.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
