NOT APPROVED
Public Hearing on Proposed School Budget for 2004-2005
January 15, 2005
Newfields Elementary School
In Attendance:
Board Members: Jan Trueman, Mark Bouzianis
Administration: Steve Kossakoski, Dennis Dobe
Board Officers: Carolyn Bellisio Kelly
Visitors: William Davis, David Mason, Nancy Mason, Bill Dawson, Jennifer MacPherson, Robert MacPherson, Marty Poulin
1. Call to Order – The meeting was called to order at 9:30 p.m. by Jan Trueman. Mark Bouzianis seconded. All in favor.
2. Budget Hearing –
The purpose of this meeting was to review the proposed budget and warrant articles for the school year 2005-2006. The budget will be voted on at the town elections on March 8, 2005. The bond hearing was cancelled as the NES School Board has decided not to request funding for a parking lot at this time. The board does not have solid estimates on all the costs that are necessary to move forward with requesting a bond. Mark Bouzianis discussed that the board does plan to get estimates and perform any necessary studies in order to fully understand the costs involved with creating a new parking lot.
Warrant Article #1
Jan Trueman explained that the current default budget is higher than the budget the school board is proposing. This is due to the fact that the teacher’s pay increases have been negotiated into a new three-year contract and are listed separately in Warrant Article #2. Jan Trueman gave the visitors the opportunity to go through the budget and raise any questions they may have. Mark Bouzianis explained the budget process and that Mr. Dobe worked hard at decreasing categories wherever it was feasible in order to have the lowest possible impact to the tax rate and support Warrant Article #2.
Special Education costs continue to be high and include teachers, therapy and transportation to help children have free access to public education. By law, special education begins at 3 years old. There are plans for a Special Education coordinator SBU wide which should benefit NES. Transportation costs for special education are $22,000. Marty Poulin asked if all of the special education funds that are budgeted for are spent each year. Mr. Dobe responded that they are not necessarily spent but that they have to plan for them to be prepared in case they do occur. Jen MacPherson asked how the section for the instructional material is built. Mr. Dobe responded that there is a small increase to this budget and teachers build their own classroom budgets based on the needs of their individual curriculums but they work to keep the total cost of this category within budget. Nancy Mason asked if aides carry certification. Mr. Dobe responded that depending on the aide they are certified by life experience and/or associates degrees. Jan Trueman noted that the school bus contract will expire, but we have agreed with the bus company to roll over the contract for one more year to anticipate the changes that the new high school will have and understand the routes before engaging in a new contract.
Warrant Article #2
This article requests $56,183 for teacher salary increases for the 2005-2006 school year which is the negotiated amount for a three-year contract instead of an annual contract as we have had in past years. In future years the amounts will not be in a separate warrant article. The three-year teacher contract is a final step in trying to have the NES teacher’s salary be competitive to other teachers in the SAU. The teachers continue to be the lowest paid teachers in SAU 16. If this article is not approved, the current language and salary structure of the teacher’s contract would remain same and the teachers will not receive increases in pay unless they have received a graduate degree. Negotiations with the teachers were completed the week before the holiday break. Longevity stipend has been foregone except for the teachers who already receive it and were grandfathered in. There were also some wording changes since the contract wording had not changed since it’s inception in 1990.
Warrant Article #3
This article requests $10,000 to be added to the School Building Maintenance Fund to repair and maintain school buildings. Mark Bouzianis noted that the board had requested a capital plan to be created in order to have better long range planning for building improvements. The plan requires raising $10,000 per year for five years. If the money in the School Building Maintenance fund is not spent in the school year it is held to be used in future years. Some of the types of projects that are planned for under this fund are abatement of the remainder of asbestos in the elbows of the plumbing and in the flooring, American with Disabilities Act signage, cleaning the ductwork, addressing problems with the window functionality, additional electrical circuits for the multi purpose room, blinds and roof and fascia work. There is also the need to address a violation of the Life Safety Code that is caused by wedging open the classroom doors. The solution is a magnetic hold which will keep the doors open as desired but will release them in an emergency situation.
Warrant Article #4
This article includes discontinuing the Capital Reserve Fund established in March 1994 to plan and construct a building addition.
Warrant Article #5
This article includes funding to create a final bid specification for the new parking lot, this could include conducting the necessary soil testing, creating an electrical and landscape plan and studies regarding traffic and building use.
All the warrant articles if approved would increase taxes an estimate of $34.00 per $100,000.
3. Next Meetings -
3.1 Deliberative Session, February 8, 2005, 7:00PM at NES
3.2 Board Meeting: February 14, 2005, 5:30PM at NES
4. Adjournment- The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 AM. Mark Bouzianis motioned to adjourn first, Jan Trueman second. All in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn Bellisio