Recently in School Budget Category
Residents vote down video production warrant article
SARAH SCHMIDT
The Meredith News March 19, 2009
MOULTONBORO — After passing a $13 million budgetand other monetary budget items, it was an article for student audio/visual classes without funding attached that residents debated on for the greatest length of time, eventually voting it down. A petitioned warrant article on the Moultonboro School District Warrant asked residents to decide whether to create an educational program for students to record, produce, and broadcast
Blackadar. “We prefer not to have the education program dictated to us.” Advisory Budget Committee Chair Jean Beadle also spoke against the article and said that before the issue could be seriously considered, the total cost of teachers and equipment should be studied and brought before the town. The article was defeated in a voice vote. The entire meeting finished in about 30 minutes. Residents approved the $13,826,135 budget for the
The budget process is over. Both the town and the school district have presented budgets for 2009-10.
The Town Budget that will be voted on at Town Meeting represents a decrease of approximately $159,261 or -1.5%.
The
The Library Budget shows and increase of $19,420 or +4.59%. The increase was reported by the ABC to be entirely due to salaries and benefits.
Click here for the Final ABC recommendations and budget numbers.
"People in the private sector who have had their wages and salaries frozen have every right to expect similar direction in the public sector"
Editorial The Citizen
Friday, January 30, 2009
Local municipal and school officials in the area are working at what they characterize as cuts in their budget proposals. In most cases what that means is that they are working at minimizing increases.
For example, the proposed budget for the
It is not only the weather that has turned cold. The economic climate has turned icy, too.
Town administrators and school superintendents and school boards are faced with having to provide the best affordable services at the least possible cost.
Among the hard realities of budgeting for the coming fiscal year are these: The number of people who are out of work is increasing. There is little reason to expect increases in earnings. Investment values are melting. Energy costs are rising again. People have less money for discretionary spending.
There is little expectation of a change any time soon.
People in the private sector who have had their wages and salaries frozen have every right to expect similar direction in the public sector.
It is not only about wages and salaries. It is also about levels of service.
Provide funds for what has to be done. Do not abandon maintenance but approach new projects with caution.
This is not a time to expand programs. There might be program expansions and projects that are desirable or timely in the eyes of some people but are they affordable on the part of many? Probably not.
The expansion of a program is seldom if ever an emergency undertaking. What might be immediately beneficial to one family might add to the difficulties of another.
Cities and school districts must continue to whittle at their respective debt burdens. And it is false economy to add to the burden during difficult times, thinking it will be repaid in more prosperous times. Who among us can say when prosperity will return?
It is cruel to add to the tax burden of the unemployed and it is shortsighted to take from people and institutions who have not been hit as hard — yet.
Historically, taxes travel in only one direction and there is no sign of reversal later this year. While people toil to make ends meet and owners of businesses struggle valiantly to put their books in the black and maintain work for their employees, the tax collector will not be denied, though through no fault of his or her own.
The School district budget will be up for discussion again this week ( Thursday January 8 @ 4pm , SAU offices). This is a public meeting, so if you can, please attend. The budget documents indicate that the
· An increase of 17.23% or $76,458 for NHRS (New Hampshire Retirement System). This is due to the employer/District rate increasing from 8.74% (2008-2009) to 9.09%.
· An increase of 5.08% or $63,829 for health insurance. This is the result of an increase of 8.6% for the BCBS Plan and 3.7% for the Dental Plan.
· The average salary increase for each teacher is approximately 5%.
· Non-teaching staff not under the collective bargaining agreement will receive the same 5% increase. (This is not in line with what we have seen in surrounding school districts or in line with the current economic downturn).
Other areas that show significant increases include:
- Special education budget increase of 58.04% or $37,847 for Professional Services. It is unclear as to what additional professional services are being offered.
- Increased cost for fuel oil and electricity of approx. $45,000.
What happens next? The Advisory Budget Committee (ABC) has until January 27 to present recommendations to the School Board. It is worth remembering that the ABC has no real budget authority unlike a true budget committee. Read this article to get the full background as to how we got here.
At the last school board meeting a member of the public requested that Kay Peranelli create a glossary for the public in order to decipher all the codes in the budget documents. We are not aware that this has been provided.
Questions? Feel free to email the School Board/ABC as follows:
Michael Lancor, Superintendent mlancor@moultonborough.k12.nh.us
Bill Blackadar, School Board Chair blackadar@verizon.net
Jean Beadle, Chair Budget Advisory Committee jbeadle@nhecwb.com
MCA
Declining enrollment and hard times call for recommended action.
By HARRISON HAAS
hhaas@citizen.com
The Citizen Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The Gilford School Board is backing a $23.3 million budget for next year, 0.66 percent below the district's current operating budget. Concern from the elementary school staff was directed to the board with the possible elimination of two positions that would decrease the payroll and health care section of the budget.
The bottom line of the budget, which now goes to the Budget Committee for review, is $23,316,817.
"We are aware of the financial status right now," said Carol Young-Podmore, a teacher in the elementary school. "We believe that one more year with an assistant principal would be beneficial."
The Board is seeking to cut out the Assistant Principal position along with a guidance position at the elementary school. Currently the two elementary guidance teachers serve 80 students, which is a 1:5 ratio of students receiving service.
According to statistics, Superintendent Dr. Paul DeMinico claimed that a group of 200 students requires the need of one guidance counselor…..
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By NORMA LOVE Associated Press Writer |
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) _ New Hampshire is cutting its budget by nearly another $60 million — reducing spending on everything from school aid construction to overtime.
Gov. John Lynch presented the areas to be cut Friday to the joint legislative Fiscal Committee, which approved them after a brief discussion. Lynch also recommended another $20 million in steps that will require legislative action when lawmakers convene next year.
Even with those steps, Lynch said another $75 million must be found to balance this year's budget.
"We are in the midst of an unprecedented global economic crisis," Lynch told the committee. "When we crafted the state budget 18 months ago, no one could have predicted the depths to which our nation's economy would sink."
Since February, Lynch and lawmakers have used a variety of spending cuts and revenue measures to deal with declining revenue. The latest cuts bring the total amount trimmed to about $150 million, roughly 5 percent of the $3.2 billion in spending from general tax sources in the two-year budget. The total budget is $10.3 billion when spending from federal and other sources is included.
Lynch characterized Friday's actions as another step and reiterated his pledge to balance the budget....
