Granby Public School Budget Calls For A .2 Percent Increase

On Wednesday evening, Superintendent of Schools Alan Addley presented the Granby Public Schools’ administrative budget, which calls for an increase of 0.2 percent over the previous year, to the Granby Board of Education. 

The total Board of Education appropriation request totals $27,612,294, an increase of the district's net operating budget of .2 percent. Included in that figure is an operating budget request of $27,036,319, less $315,407 from the federal Education Jobs Fund Program for a total of $26,720,912.  a 0.2 percent increase in the net operating budget. 

The appropriation request also includes $525,000 for the educational capital improvement plan and $366,382 for the Quality and Diversity fund, which helps the town meet the legal requirement for schools to increase opportunities of interaction of teachers and students from diverse backgrounds. 

Revenues are appropriated from the fund to cover expenses, which support services such as magnet school tuition and transportation, academic support and extended day Kindergarten. According to budget figures, the revenues for Quality and Diversity total $366,382. 

Last week, the Board of Finance gave the boards of selectman and education direction for their budgets, which called for a zero percent increase in the mill rate. 

“How do we create a system that is rigorous and that is responsive to the economy and the global expectations,” Addley said. “That is a very, very difficult task.”

The past two years, Addley said, the budgets have increased by 1.6 percent and zero percent. 

“Clearly this is something we have been dealing with the last couple years,” Addley said. “That gives us an average of about 0.6 [percent increase] for the last three years,” which includes the use of the Education Jobs Fund Grant. 

Addley said the increase of 0.2 percent was made possible by not adding new programs or personnel to the operating budget, favorable health care trends, support and assistance from the teaching staff, and the use of $315,000 from the federal Education Jobs Fund Program.  Addley said a redeployment of staff also helped make such a small increase possible.

Overall, Addley said about 80 percent of the budget is personnel. 

“We are a personnel organization,” he said. “Teachers are the fundamental necessity. They are the resource for moving the company forward.”

From Fiscal Year 2011 to Fiscal Year 2012, salaries for administration increased by 2.8 percent, regular education by 1 percent and special education decreased by -1.7 percent for a net increase of 0.9 percent overall. 

In the proposed budget, there is a reduction of -1.7 full-time equivalent teaching assistant positions, which reflect current needs in the school system, Addley said. There will be a net reduction of -0.9 full-time special education personnel. A 1.0 full-time equivalent school psychologist funded through a grant, as well as  .2 full-time equivalent speech pathologist, have been eliminated. Addley said the impact of the loss is offset with a 0.3 full-time equivalent special education behavioral consulting teacher, funded from the Open Choice Support Grant. 

The Fiscal Year 2012 small capital expenditure plan totals $525,000. Included in that figure is $215,922 for transportation, $68,903 for building maintenance projects, $11,045 for furniture and equipment and $229,130 for technology. 

Addley drew attention the recognition the district has received for its efficient operations and the growing reputation of the school system. However, Addley said he still has concerns about the future.

Among those concerns are a lack of funding for unanticipated expenditures or unexpected enrollment increases. Looking ahead, Addley said future flat budgets and/or any other reductions could equate to the danger of negatively affecting improvements in the schools. 

According to Superintendent Addley, the district still has two major capital needs that have not been addressed -  an athletic field and a facilities building.

“The board has made a strategic plan to go after land,” Addley said. “We need to move forward with this.”

The Board of Education will hold a budget workshop Wednesday, March 9 at 7 p.m. at the Central Office, when the board may vote on the budget. If the budget is not voted on at that meeting, there will be another workshop the following Wednesday. 

For more information on the Granby Public School budget you can find the superintendent's full presentation here or find it in our media gallery.