Region 14 Board Proposes Third Highest Budget Increase in Connecticut

Region 14’s Business Manager Jay Hubelbank presented a 2010-2011 budget proposal during Monday night’s Board of Education meeting. Hubelbank and Superintendent Robert Cronin proposed a 7.17% increase in the total budget, from $29,723,082 to $31,853,030, an increase of $2,129,948. All other Connecticut towns besides Darien and Middletown made more diminutive proposals, with those two respectively at 7.97% and 8.99%.

Cronin summarized four major savings within the previous five years: 11 less elementary school teachers, 30 less paraprofessionals, reduction in technology costs and bringing the preschool system into the district. He said there are five major increases in this year’s budget: 3.4 additional high school teachers to meet Connecticut University System standards, 3 additional elementary school teachers, an increase in health care insurance costs, contractual obligations for teachers in their third year and Special-Education costs.

Salaries account for 56.9% of the budget; employee benefits, 15.73; instructional and non-instructional purchased services, 16.91; service and capital outlay, 5; supplies/materials, 4.04; new programs and staff, 1.42.

In terms of facility NHS will add 10 teachers, 1 science, .4 (2 days/week) math and .6 world languages, .4 histories and .6 music. These positions annually cost between $65,497 and 45,667. For Pre-K, half a Special-Education teacher is added. For BES, 1.0 kindergarten teacher off a two-year jobs grant. In BES and MES, 3 teachers, 1.0 in kindergarten, 1.0 in first grade and the last in third grade will be added. One social worker at a cost of $81,363 is promoted for .75 to full-time.

The board listed several expenditures at MES responsible for the budget increase. Hubelbank said there is a need to replace a fire alarm panel at MES that will cost $22,000, an alarm system at $15,500, replacing steam traps costing $10,000, replacing partitions in boy’s bathroom at $5,000 and replacing roof on the two remaining portable classrooms (necessary by Hubelbank’s recommendation), at $19,000.

At WMS, replacing the ceiling in the nurse’s office will cost $10,000, removing remaining pneumatic controls, $9,000 and removing and replacing carpet in Guidance another 9,500. At NHS, changing the unit vent to an air handler in the small animal lab will cost $13,000, replacing front doors and hardware, $10,000 and heating control upgrades, $15,000. District wide, repair and maintenance of all fields will be $45,000.

The board also addressed a consistent drop-off in enrollment. As 172 seniors are expected to graduate, 125 kindergarteners are expected to arrive next year. The region has experienced such a decline in students every year since 2004, from 2,325 to 2,082. Next year the region expects 2,047 students.

Using figures as of February 18^th, enrollment is projected to increase from 737 to 743 total for both elementary schools (320 in Bethlehem Elementary and 423 in Mitchell Elementary, with 17 and 23 teachers respectively), fall from 448 to 426 in Woodbury Middle School, fall from 659 to 633 in Nonnewaug, rise from 28 to 35 in Special-Education and maintain for tuition Ag-Science at 210.

Factoring in less revenue, the tax burden on the towns increases 8.42%. Given that 476 students are expected to be enrolled from Bethlehem and 1,419 from Woodbury, 25% of the budget goes to the former and 75% the latter, or $7,273,688 (+344,862 year-on-year) and $21,683,535 (+1,903,084) respectively. For Bethlehem and Woodbury, the mill rates rise from 21.25 to 22.1 (4%) and 21.45 to 23.01 (7.25%) respectively.

Mr. Hubelbank and Mr. Cronin will be leaving their posts this year. The Board expects to have an interim superintendent appointed in the beginning of the summer. That interim period will end in September. However, the Board did discuss the possibility of a longer interim superintendent term. The Board was not clear as to whether their search for an interim business manager was affected by their search for an interim superintendent.