Initial Numbers Show Increase in Mansfield Schools Budget

An initial view of the Mansfield Schools budget for fiscal year 2016 has the town spending a little more than $2.8 million more on education.

According to early numbers provided to the Mansfield School Committee by Director of Finance and Operations Edward Vozzella, the early budget amount for fiscal year 2016 is $47.1 million, an increase over last year’s $44.2 million.

Vozzella told the committee that increases in spending at the high school, in athletics, and at the middle school contributed to the expected increase in the budget.

At the high school and middle school, a large request for textbooks is responsible for a 16.5 percent increase in spending at the high school and an 11 percent increase at the middle school. Overall, $150,000 is in the budget for textbooks.

A request to make the new textbooks a capital request and if granted, the books would be taken out of the budget.

For athletics, an increase in bus transportation, rink rental, and using fewer dollars from athletics fees are responsible for 17.9 percent increase in the department’s budget.

The elementary schools saw smaller increases in their budgets with the Jordan/Jackson School seeing a 7.8 percent increase and the Robinson School receiving a 1.8 percent increase.

The budget for the Roland Green School decreased by 5.6 percent.

$976,000 in educational needs is also included in the budget,

While numbers are being released, it should be noted that it is still early in the process and the numbers shown are not final. Mansfield School Committee Chairman Michael Trowbridge said the numbers presented were the maximum, calling them a first pass and a place holder for the warrant at the annual town meeting.

“What I’m saying is don’t read too much into anything,” Trowbridge said.

The school committee will take a more in-depth look at the fiscal year 2016 budget on Jan. 6 and 8 if necessary.