Proposed Stonington school budget calls for 2.1 percent increase
Stonington — Superintendent of Schools Van Riley presented a proposed 2017-18 school budget to the Board of Education on Thursday night that calls for a 2.1 percent increase, the lowest in many years.
Riley called the proposed budget, which would increase $793,818 to $37 million, “a reasonable budget that meets the needs of our students.”
Health insurance costs, which have posed a problem in past budgets, are only projected to increase 1.5 percent and teachers' salaries less than 2 percent due to a reduction of 4.4 positions due to retirements and declining enrollment. Transportation fuel costs are projected to rise about $60,000.
Riley explained that the school system faces several challenges, such as decreased state aid, special education tuition and transportation, maintaining equity between schools and the physical condition of schools and declining enrollment.
He also discussed the strategies the school system continues to take to keep costs down and improve instruction. Among them are negotiating lower insurance and utility costs, attracting out-of-district students, regionalizing programs and reprioritizing expenses before requesting any new funding from the Board of Finance.
In the coming weeks the school board will review the proposal before sending a finalized budget to the Board of Finance.
Last year Riley presenting a school budget to the finance board with a 2.8 percent, or $1 million, increase which is what voters overwhelmingly approved at the first referendum on the budget.
Over the past few years, Riley has said he and his staff have modified the budget so spending is more transparent.
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