Layoffs are a strong possibility within the Derby Public Schools if the tax board doesn’t give more money to the school district.
That was the message schools Superintendent Stephen Tracy delivered to the city’s Board of Apportionment and Taxation Monday.
Background
Last week the tax board approved a preliminary budget that gives $17,584,779 to the schools for 2010 – 2011.
That is an increase of roughly 1.6 percent from the school district’s current budget.
School officials, however, had requested $18.5 million for next year — a 7 percent increase.
The town side of the budget is up by about 5.4 percent.
Tracy commented on the school budget during the public portion part of the tax board’s meeting Monday.
Click the video to see his complete comments.
The tax board move took school officials by surprise. When Tracy presented his budget to the tax board in April, there were few questions.
A second meeting between school officials and the tax board was canceled because the tax board didn’t have additional questions about the spending plan.
“Suffice it to say that the $227,000 that were included in your recommendation for next year won’t even cover the costs of running the new middle school,” Tracy said Monday.
“In my mind, I don’t know how we sustain a cut of that magnitude without some pretty significant reductions to our academic and athletic programs — laying off more people, on top the people we did last year,” Tracy said.
If the combined town and school budget is approved as is, the mill rate would increase from 26.4 to 27.4.
A property assessed at $185,000 now pays about $4,884 in taxes.
That same property owner would pay $5,069 in taxes next year.
Tracy will go into greater detail about the budget when he meets with the tax board Tuesday in Derby City Hall.
The tax board is scheduled to meet with a number of city department heads.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.
Note: Assuming we can get a cellular signal, the Valley Indy will be live blogging Tuesday’s meeting on the home page.
