The school board didn’t come up with any concrete answers as to how they’ll trim a budget that includes a spending increase of $1.2 million.
The board had its first look Thursday evening at the specifics of Superintendent Stephen Tracy’s proposed 2010 – 2011 budget.
Total proposed budget — $18,638,589.
The $1.2 million translates to a budget to budget increase of 7.38 percent.
It’s an increase coming during a sour economy — especially in Derby, where the unemployment rate in December hit 10.3 percent, the highest in the city since 1996.
Why The District Wants More Money
Tracy broke the $1.2 million increase down into ten parts. They are:
1. Health benefits: Increasing by $380,000
2. Costs associated with the new middle school: $265,000
3. State placements (young people sentenced to juvenile jails, other court-mandated programs): $120,000
4. Special education tuition: $120,000
5. Contractual salary increases: $90,000
6. Curriculum director: $90,000
7. Alternative high school program: $50,000
8. Transportation: $13,000
9. Strategic Planning: $10,000
10. NEASC expenses: $10,000
School board chairmen Ken Marcucio looked at the list and tried to determine which costs are out of the board’s hands. He named health benefits, the middle school and contractual salary increases.
“There’s not a lot here, in my opinion, that you can throw out,” Tracy said. “I hope we can make the case to our fellow citizens and the Board of Apportionment and Taxation that even though this is a significant increase, every dollar has been thought about.”
New Spending
The alternative high school is a program that Derby High School principal Fran Thompson hopes to start in September.
The hope is that the program will result in savings for the school district as students who need the services of alternative learning programs are now sent out-of-district, which increases Derby’s costs.
The curriculum director would add a new, administrative position in the central office. Generally, curriculum directors research and implement strategies to improve student performance. The director usually plays a large role in staff development as well.
Tracy said his proposed spending plan doesn’t bring back any of the programs or positions eliminated last year.
Three paraprofessionals are being added, but that’s because they are mandated to help three students with special needs.
There are no new teachers being hired.
There are a few part-time positions becoming full-time in the budget, such as at the high school, which doesn’t have a full-time librarian. The budget, if adopted in its current form, would turn a part-time library clerk’s position into a full-time position.
The district would also add the equivalent of one custodian’s position.
Athletics?
The budget does not bring back middle school athletic programs cut last year — a fact that riled Marcucio, a former Derby athletic director.
“We’re going to have a brand new school with no one playing in it … at least in the gym, anyway,” Marcucio said.
He was referring to the new middle school, which opened Jan. 4.
The district was able to fund athletic programs this year by using gate receipts sold at sporting events, identified in the budget as the athletic “enterprise” fund.
However, it’s not clear whether that can be done again during the next school year. The enterprise fund is projected to be about $40,000 by July 1 — roughly 50 percent smaller than it was July 1, 2009.
School board member Kim Kreiger asked about the possibility of hiring someone to assist the nurse at the high school.
The new middle school is across from the high school. There is one nurse for two buildings — not an ideal situation, Tracy said.
Budget Deliberations
The school board is meeting all month to digest specific areas of the budget. Future meeting dates include Feb. 9, Feb. 11, Feb. 23 and Feb. 25.
Check the calendar on the school district’s Web site for more information.
