School Board Proposes Reduced Budget

The Hampton School Board is proposing a 2012-2013 operating budget that is $450,000 or 2.5 percent less than the current year thanks to cost savings created by the new .

Three of Hampton's schools — , , and — formally from earlier this year, and SAU 90 Superintendent Kathleen Murphy said several changes made possible thanks to that separation helped trim the schools' budget without cutting personnel.

Murphy said the board wanted to prevent the budget from rising without affecting current programs. She said they did this by entering the budget process "as if we didn't have anything" and adding in "what we needed to do" to allow the district and schools to function, while keeping in mind the current taxpayer climate.

"The board really believes that everyone is still trying to recover from difficult economic times and recognize that the schools are a component of the big picture of the Town of Hampton," said Murphy. "They tried hard to create a budget that reflects all of that."

Budget details and a bottom line number weren't immediately available Monday. Murphy and Business Administrator Nate Lunney will present the proposal, which requires town meeting approval in March, to the Hampton Budget Committee on Thursday at 7 p.m. at .

While figures weren't readily available, Murphy did say that some of the largest cost savings came from the operational side of SAU 90, as well as from special education costs related to out of district placement and transportation.

The proposed budget also calls from a reduction in the number of buses from 14 to 12.

The budget doesn't take into account the proposed warrant articles for the school district, which Murphy said will likely include articles for "maintenance and technology equipment" items, as well as one for the creation of a special education contigency fund.

More information about these proposed warrant articles, as well as a detailed breakdown of the budget, will be released during Thursday's presentation, according to Murphy.