CONWAY — The Grammar School’s 6-member committee unanimously approved a $2,286,273 budget for the coming year at a School Committee meeting Thursday evening.
The board is asking town voters for $1,844,700, a 2.9-percent increase over last year’s request.
Remaining funds are projected to come from School Choice and state grants.
The vote followed a presentation of a previous draft at Wednesday night’s Selectboard meeting, which called for a roughly 5-percent increase in the town’s contribution. In response, the Selectboard requested that school officials cut projected spending in order to relieve the financial burden on the town.
Explaining the Selectboard’s request, Chairman John P. O’Rourke said Thursday, “This is about being financially responsible to our residents. We’re not trying to put the school down. We’re trying to present a budget to our residents that makes sense. The budgets we were presented last night came out to 6 percent — meaning we would have to cut 8-percent from our side to make it level funded. We can’t do that.”
“Potholes are one thing, kids are another,” said School Committee Member Phillip Kantor, adding that the school is “extremely economical” for its worth to the community.
Selectboard member Robert Armstrong noted the decrease was requested because the town is approaching its tax threshold, “which means we can’t raise anything at all, and will have to make dramatic cuts to the town. We requested all the other departments in town to come in level funded.”
In 24-hours after Wednesday’s meeting, school officials eliminated two full-time instructional assistant positions — nearly halving projected increases down to $52,070, the voted-on 2.9-percent.
Town Administrator Tom Hutcheson said “the cuts will help tremendously” in balancing the town’s budget.
Of the increases, $50,045 is related to salary, in large part because the district’s collective bargaining agreement increased 1.53 percent. Elsewhere, operational costs, including software expenses and instructional supplies, have gone up $5,296. That’s been leveled off by a $3,271 decrease in central office expenses, resulting from the office’s recent move from Christian Lane into Frontier Regional School.
The school’s budget will be looked at again during a joint school committee meeting April 6 before it is voted on at Annual Town Meeting on May 8.
You can reach Andy Castillo
at: acastillo@recorder.com
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