PLAINFIELD — Voters overwhelmingly approved the $6.9 million school budget and two other appropriations at the annual School Meeting on Saturday at the Plainfield Elementary School.
The budget, approved, 78-17, in a ballot vote, represents a spending decrease of $125,000, or 1.78%, from this year, primarily due to a sharp drop in special education out-of-district tuition and special education transportation, School Board Chairwoman Kate Whybrow said during a slide presentation on the budget.
Budget increases include making the music teaching position full time, sharing an art teaching position with Cornish and buying a new student information system to ease access to student records.
An increase in non-tax revenue means the amount to be raised by taxes for the budget is down $239,000.
Also approved by ballot vote, 86-4, was $35,000 to for an ongoing moisture problem in the flooring of the elementary school by replacing two more sections with an epoxy urethane surface. School officials have said the problem is caused by high groundwater and they want to continue fixing sections of the school until the entire building has new flooring, though they did not say how long that will take.
The school’s facilities manager, Bill Knight, said the new flooring has a life expectancy of about 50 years and there have been no further moisture problems with the areas done thus far.
The last appropriation, $20,000 for a building and grounds study, was approved, 73-18. The study will seek recommendations on how to fix some of the problems on the grounds surrounding the building, primarily poor drainage on the fields. Knight said they are mostly ice four months of the year. The study also would look at the walkway surfaces of the building and some instructional areas.
School officials said the study is a way to prepare and avoid emergency situations.
“We can prepare ourselves for action down the road in a timely, efficient and affordable way to meet the needs of the school and community,” Superintendent Cory LeClair said.
With Saturday’s approvals, the local school tax rate is estimated to decrease by 63 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation and would lower the school taxes by $126 on a home assessed at $200,000.
The last article approved was the creation of a six-person finance committee, (advisory only) appointed by the school district moderator, that would advise the School Board on the annual district budget.
Town Meeting continues Tuesday with election of town and school officers.
In the only contested races, Marc Morgan is challenging Selectboard member Ron Eberhardt for a three-year seat, and Rosemary Mills and Beverly Widger are candidates for one three-year term as Library Trustee.
Polls are open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Plainfield Elementary School.
The business portion of the annual Town Meeting is on Saturday, March 14, beginning at 10 a.m. in the elementary school. The warrant includes an article for construction of a new Meriden library.
Turnout Saturday was 96 voters, or about 5% of the town’s 1,709 registered voters.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
