Published March 5, 2020
By JILLIAN STRING
NORTH READING — Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Michael Connelly presented the fiscal year 2021 (FY21) preliminary budget of $33.2 million to School Committee members at their meeting Monday evening.
“We adopted our budget goals over the summer,” Connelly said, explaining that five priorities would be highlighted at this preliminary stage, but that the budget includes “many more.”
Connelly stated that maintaining appropriate student to teacher ratios continues to be a high priority.
Other budget priorities include implementing year five of the district’s strategic plan known as NRPS 2021, supporting buildings and grounds needs at all schools, restoring school and department operating budgets, and developing a school budget that meets the needs of all students while collaborating with Finance Planning Team members.
Increase of 4.5%
The recommended budget, totaling $33,199,530 and representing a 4.5 percent increase over the FY20 budget, includes an increase in fixed costs, such as insurance premiums, transportation, utilities, out-of-district tuition, and negotiated salary increases, as well as necessary increases in instructional expenses and maintenance costs.
The salary increases include the addition of 6.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions across the district: 1.5 FTE classroom teachers (elementary), 2.0 FTE academic teachers (Middle School), 1.0 FTE elementary Teaching and Learning Coordinator, 1.0 FTE reading specialist (elementary), and 1.0 FTE floater custodian (district).
“There are many other positions that we’d love to be recommending. We’re trying to find a balance as we always have done,” Connelly said.
Superintendent Dr. Patrick Daly noted that not funding the recommended positions, especially the Middle School academic teachers, would require the district to roll back current initiatives, such as STEM and World Language classes for grade six.
Connelly highlighted several challenges in creating the FY21 budget, such as flat state aid and constrained local revenue.
“The governor’s budget was released and typically, and this has been historically for North Reading, the state aid that we receive has been relatively flat, as we tend not to see huge increases in Chapter 70 aid, as well as the governor’s unrestricted local aid,” Connelly said.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Chapter 70 program “is the major program of state aid to public elementary and secondary schools. In addition to providing state aid to support school operations, it also establishes minimum spending requirements for each school district and minimum requirements for each municipality’s share of school costs.”
The district is anticipating roughly $69,000 in state aid, which is an increase of approximately $30 per pupil, Connelly said.
Two additional budget scenarios
In addition to the recommended budget, the proposed document also contained a level services budget and a full requested budget.
The level services budget would account for minimal increases in fixed costs and instructional expenses. This budget totaled $32,938,803, and represents an increase of 3.7 percent over the FY20 budget.
The full requested budget includes fixed costs, instructional expenses, plus additional staff, totaling $33,852,149 and representing a 6.6 percent increase over the FY20 budget.
In addition to those listed in the recommended budget, staff requests in the full budget request include a 1.0 FTE assistant network administrator, 2.0 FTE school adjustment counselors/psychologists (elementary), 1.0 FTE Secondary Teaching and Learning Coordinator (grades 6-12 STEM), 1.0 FTE Secondary Teaching and Learning Coordinator (grades 6-12 Humanities), 0.5 FTE digital learning paraprofessional (Batchelder), and 1.0 FTE facilities engineer (district).
The district is entering the final year of its five-year strategic plan, NRPS 2021, focusing on three major strategy areas: Teaching and Learning, Technology Integration, and Student Services.
The full requested budget would take significant steps toward achieving the goals set forth in NRPS 2021 and the recommended budget would make forward progress toward those goals whereas the level services budget would not be in keeping with the strategic plan.
Savings in lighting costs
School Committee member Chris Pappavaselio inquired as to savings that would be incurred if the district switched to LED or solar powered lighting.
“Based on preliminary estimates that we’re getting in, we feel like once the project is paid off, we could save about $85,000 annually,” Connelly said, referring to LED lighting.
Connelly noted that he is still waiting for proposals regarding solar power.
Concerns re: reserve fund, K fees
Committee Chairman Scott Buckley wanted to make sure consideration was given to restoring reserve funds.
“That one small reserve account that we restored last year was gone before the year even began, and so I think we need to be cognizant of that,” Buckley said. “I just want to make sure that maybe we think about even funding those a little bit higher.”
Buckley also requested that consideration be given to reducing the fee for full day kindergarten.
“It’s hard to prioritize needs,” Buckley said. “It’s an equity issue at some point in time…At what point in time do we look at the fee question? I don’t know what the answer is, but I think it’s a discussion that we can have.”
Budget workshop, hearing scheduled
The School Committee members commended Connelly for his efforts in preparing the preliminary budget, and reserved the remainder of their comments for the upcoming budget workshop on Wednesday, April 1.
The complete FY21 preliminary budget document can be found on the North Reading Public Schools website, and the public hearing for the final budget proposal will take place on Monday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Distance Learning Lab at North Reading High School.