School Budgets for FY ’13 to be Presented at Town Meeting

In , Principal Alixe Callen outlined initiatives being introduced at ABRHS. In closing, she asked that those present support the coming year’s school budget, which she hoped would include additional personnel, programming, and capital expenses.

Two weeks later, at “Budget Saturday,” Callen presented approximately $780,000 worth of proposed additions to the high school’s operating expenses.  Included in the upcoming year’s budget is the sum of $250,000, which will cover the top three priorities on Callen’s list: hiring a counselor, two English teachers and a Special Education assistant.

The remainder of the personnel and programming needs and capital expenses—primarily computers—were tabled.

Presently, each counselor at the high school is responsible for 247 students. Hiring one more will bring that number down to 219, which is closer to the caseloads carried by surrounding towns’ counseling staff. This change was recommended by New England Association of Schools and Colleges officials at their most recent site visit.

The additional English teachers will help to decrease the number of sections that each instructor will be assigned, moving closer to the goal of each teacher having four (instead of the current five) classes.

The proposed Acton-Boxborough Regional School District (7-12) FY ‘13 budget totals $39,114,804, up 1.59%, or $612,453, over the previous year’s budget.

Salaries and benefits for staff comprise the largest line items, totaling $28,897,477 and representing 73.88% of the budget.

Acton will be assessed $25,193,314, with Boxborough’s contribution, projected state aid, and reserve funds comprising the balance.

The Acton Public Schools (K-6) FY ‘13 budget totals $26,562,103, up 1.72%, or $448,384, over the previous year’s budget.

Salaries and benefits for APS staff total $21,898,393 or 82.44% of the total.

Savings in health insurance, transportation, and out-of-district SPED costs are reflected in both budgets. The latter is due to a predicted increase in state reimbursement.

The per-pupil expenditures for the 2010-2011 school year were $13,182 for Acton students and $12,331 for all APS/AB Regional students.  

These figure are lower than those reported by Lincoln-Sudbury, Lincoln, Concord-Carlisle, Concord, Boxborough, and Harvard.

In a letter to townspeople that will be handed out at Town Meeting, Superintendent of Schools Steve Mills says, “My goal for this fiscal year for both budgets was to maintain “level service,” keep the annual increase as low as possible, and fund ‘investment budget’ items that are consistent with the vision laid out in our new Long Range Strategic Plan.”

Regional Schools committee chairperson John Petersen said, “I am very satisfied with this year’s budget. In addition to continuing to support our core activities, we are adding important positions to the high school. The Regional Schools have committed to create and begin to fund and OPEB account to address the liability for retiree health care.”

“The budget enables a dramatic improvement to our campus in the form of the Lower Fields project, Petersen said. “These turf fields address the need in the schools and the community for more and better playing surfaces. The partnership between ABRSD and Friends of the Lower Fields is expected to result in the fields essentially paying for themselves through rental agreements while they greatly expand playing time for our own youth.”

Summaries of both budgets will be available at Town Meeting,which begins on Monday night at 7:00 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The Acton Public Schools budget is Article 25; Acton-Boxborough Regional School District budget follows. It is expected that the school budget votes will be taken the second night, Tuesday, following the Acton 2020 Comprehensive Community Plan vote.

The Board of Selectmen invite all Acton residents to attend Town Meeting. Registered voters are urged to participate in the debate and vote on the Articles presented.