Finance Committee divided on Dresden school budget
The proposed Dresden school district’s budget is up 6%; factoring in net non-property tax revenue yields +7%. Based on the split of students from each town, the assessed increases are 5.5% to Norwich and 7.5% to Hanover. How to consider?
For those able to attend, a presentation and discussion of the Dresden warrant articles and budget will be held at Hanover High School on Saturday, Feb. 28th at 12:30 pm (11:30 am start for Hanover budget discussion).
The Hanover Finance Committee (we still seek Norwich participation to reconstitute a Dresden Finance Committee) voted 4-2 to support the Dresden School District budget proposal in Article 4. The split vote — a departure from prior years — reflected concern about unsustainable increases tracking well above inflation and local income growth. The committee noted in its formal statement that a 25%+ increase in healthcare insurance costs drove the budget increase, and that responsible cuts by the board trimmed the assessment hikes from close to 10% otherwise. Notwithstanding, pressures at the local, state and federal levels, combined with flat to down enrollment projections, suggest a structural look at district costs is needed to bend the cost curve to an affordable trajectory for Hanover and Norwich. The Dresden district has been a fruitful partnership between our towns for decades, to the benefit of our children and taxpayers alike, and we must work to preserve it.
The Dresden district does not tax directly; rather, its assessments are folded into the Hanover and Norwich school district tax rates. From a Hanover taxpayer’s perspective, the combined Hanover and Dresden school district tax rate of $9.06 will be up $0.60 or 7.1%. Over half (58%) of the increase is attributable to Dresden alone. Additionally, the service staff union contract — unanimously supported by the Committee — adds 3-cents combined, for an all-in 7.4% increase in school-attributable Hanover taxes.
Please vote March 3rd, 7 am – 7 pm: Hanover voters at RMS; Norwich voters at Tracy
Hall. Details of the warrant articles and budget can be found at: www.sau70.org.