Claremont
The $1 million increase in operating expenses is mostly due to additional costs for wages, health insurance and retirement, SAU 6 Business Manager Mike O’Neill said.
School Board members got their first look at the budget last week. O’Neill said he has not finalized revenue projections, so he was unable to estimate the tax rate impact of the proposal.
The board is scheduled to review the budget at its Jan. 4 meeting and hold a public hearing on Jan. 11. The proposal must finalized by Feb. 1, which is one week prior to the annual deliberative session, where the board’s final proposal will be presented to voters.
O’Neill said the board has asked school administrators to suggest some spending reductions, but board members were not specific in regard to from where or how much.
Two areas O’Neill plans to scrutinize are supplies and building improvements. He called the proposal presented last week as an “all-in” budget that provides for everything that was requested.
“Hopefully we can come back with a number that is a little more palatable,” O’Neill said.
The budget’s tax rate impact should be available on Jan. 4.
The largest component of the $1 million increase for next year is $780,000 for wages, including $600,000 that is earmarked to fund about two dozen paraprofessionals.
O’Neill said the goal last year was to phase out most of the paraprofessional positions in the district, but the schools were unable to do so while also meeting the district’s obligations to special education students.
“We were unsuccessful in reducing those positions,” O’Neill said. “At the end of the day, we have to provide the services.”
O’Neill said he will look again at the line item for the paraprofessionals, but believes he is pretty close to the final number.
Increases in health insurance premiums, $156,000, and retirement, $168,000, make up the bulk of the remainder of the increase.
Other areas that saw major increases were outside service costs ($142,000), and new and replacement computers ($102,486).
Decreases include out-of-district tuition costs, printing, phone and internet ($202,300), and dues, fees, fund transfers and debt service ($251,000).
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
