West River Training District approves finances |
TOWNSHEND — West River Education District voters will be considering a $12,915,000 budget for fiscal year 2023 that makes several investments in programming and staffing.
At a meeting Monday, the School Board approved the spending plan to present on the March 23 ballot and it’s up by $800,000 or 6.6 percent over the current year. Tax rates are currently estimated to rise by 2.91 percent in Brookline, 5.82 percent in Jamaica, and 4.94 percent in Newfane, with Townshend’s dropping by about 1 percent.
Major increases included employee salary raises and related changes in personnel ($110,823), benefit increases and related changes in personnel ($136,582), the Pipelines to Pathways program undertaken in collaboration with Brattleboro Development Credit Corp. ($25,000), grants for promotional work ($15,000), and new positions such as a secondary maintenance employee ($45,000), after school coordinator at L&G ($18,000) and a staff member to explore ways to sustain the Journey East program over two school years ($100,000).
A $222,000 increase for assessments for services is the biggest bump in the budget, board member Drew Hazelton said. He questioned if anything is being done to control such costs.
“I think the board is very supportive of the approach that we take currently, that we take academic support wise and that we take special ed wise in order to serve the students that we are required to serve and that we need to serve,” Superintendent Bill Anton said. “There are structural challenges. We have students in different locations who have services that have to be delivered in that way.”
Anton said the schools have set up a system that serves students in “an increasingly efficient way.” He expressed hope that the Long Term Planning Committee can look at ways to bring further improvement.
Hazelton said the budget is artificially reduced from $400,000 to $500,000 by applying about $250,000 in one-time money from surplus funds and federal grant funds related to the coronavirus pandemic. He worries that will hurt the district in the future.
“The theory is the costs will be reduced,” said Laurie Garland, chief financial officer at Windham Central Supervisory. “We saw that last year with the special ed costs going down so I think it can happen again.”
Board member Emily Long, who also serves as majority leader in the Vermont House of Representatives, said it will take time for Act 173 to make its intended impact. The 2018 Vermont law is meant to enhance “the effectiveness, availability and equity of services provided to students who require additional support,” according to education.vermont.gov.
School officials also are hopeful the Legislature will take action to make pupil weighting more equitable for rural districts like WRED. Education costs are tied to the number of “equalized pupils” at schools, and factors going into that number include age and poverty.
Anton said the district anticipates having “a reduced enrollment for the foreseeable future.” If weights make special consideration for rural schools, that could help curb rising local costs.
A two-year moratorium on a penalty for schools exceeding a threshold related to per-pupil spending saved the district an estimated $19,977 during this budget season. WRED and other rural school districts such as Twin Valley have been affected by the penalty in the past.
Garland noted recently, students have more needs due to COVID-19.
“There’s no question, we’re all facing some challenges now,” Long said. “I would also say we’re pretty fortunate to have had quite a bit of money coming into the state that has helped us out to help us offset some of this stuff.”
Hazelton urged fellow board members and school officials to continue thinking about long term plans to contain costs.
Ken McFadden, the only board member to vote against the proposed spending plan, said he wouldn’t support the budget because it couldn’t be kept under the annual cost of living adjustment.
“It’s under the inflation rate,” he said. “But who is going to suffer the most? The elderly taxpayers. And they’re going to suffer the most because they’re only getting so much of an increase this year and we’re taking more of it.”
The district is seeking someone to fill the elected treasurer position when voting occurs.
“Our treasurer is not going to run and is not going to accept a nomination,” board member Drew Hazelton said. “It’s a very important position.”
An informational meeting is scheduled for 7 pm March 22.
