[Updated] Granby School Board Approves $28.56 Million Budget

[Updated 2:45 p.m.]

In a move that drew near-universal applause from the 50 or so people in attendance, the Granby Board of Education on Wednesday unanimously adopted a $28.56 million budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year that calls for a 2.5 percent increase over current year’s spending.

The budget includes $27.25 million for the actual operating budget - representing a 1 percent increase over current year’s spending - as well as $625,000 for the educational capital improvement fund and $690,930 from the Quality and Diversity fund. The Quality and Diversity Fund is comprised of money received by the town from the state as reimbursement for participating in the Open Choice program.

But those numbers don’t necessarily reflect the impact that the budget will have on the town’s taxpayers, according to Superintendent of Schools Alan Addley.

Indeed, after factoring in revenues that the school district receives - over $6 million - the net budget is $21.21 million, which represents 1.3 percent spending increase, Addley said.

Regardless of how it’s broken down, the budget maintains current levels of services, while also including funding for all-day kindergarten, an integrated preschool, the expansion of the World Languages program at the high school and elementary school levels, the hiring of a high school guidance counselor and the installation of wireless support technology at the high school and middle school.

All-day kindergarten will cost $397,000 instead of the original budget of $317,000, according to Addley, because the personnel of who would be teaching those classes had been confirmed, and they earned more than originally estimated.

The budget also calls for the reduction of 9.2 full-time positions, primarily paraprofessionals, in the area of special education, which came as a result of a recent study done by consultants to locate efficiencies within the program.

Prior to the vote, school board Chairman Cal Heminway called on his fellow board members to support the entire budget even if they objected to a specific item.

“You may have a disagreement with some number, whether it’s with a $100,000, $200,000, $300,000, $400,000 or even $500,000 expenditure,” Heminway said. “At the same time, you probably fully support the other $28 million of the budget.”

The comment may have been aimed at board members who voiced their objections over the addition of all-day kindergarten.

Several school administrators, including Granby Memorial High Principal Patricia Law, spoke in favor of, among other things, all-day kindergarten and the addition of the guidance counselor at the high school.

School board member Matt Wutka, a vocal opponent of expanding kindergarten from half-day to full day, allayed the concerns of both Heminway and Addley, who also called on board members to present a unified front before the community at large.

“I have supported every budget the administration has put forth for the last 11 years,” Wutka said before voting in favor of this budget. “I may not like it.”

The Board of Finance public hearing is scheduled for Monday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Police Department.