East Lyme school board approves proposed budget with 2.8 percent increase
East Lyme — The Board of Education unanimously approved Monday the superintendent's proposed budget for 2017-18, which stands at $46.79 million, or 2.88 percent more than the current year's budget.
The budget now goes to boards of selectmen and finance for their review before a referendum vote this spring.
Contractual raises and benefits are behind most of the increase, according to Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Newton's presentation during a public hearing attended by local officials, district staff and two residents.
Measures to save $352,673 in next year's budget include renegotiating and consolidating curriculum-based contracts, finding savings in utilities and gas and diesel, special education management, reducing one middle school teacher — due to a smaller number of fifth-grade students next year — and eliminating one secretarial position. In addition, a high-deductible health care plan for secretaries and custodians will avoid about $137,000 in costs, according to the presentation.
Director of Special Education Kim Davis said the special education department, like all other departments, conducted "zero-based budgeting" in preparing next year's budget. Reductions include one less nurse on campus — who will no longer be required based on student needs — and the elimination of the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test for grades three, five and eight. In addition, money from tuition paid by non-disabled peers to attend the Integrated Preschool will be applied to cover the preschool's supplies, equipment, software, and books, rather than use money from the general fund to cover those expenses.
For new districtwide staffing, the district's spending plan proposes to transform the greeters at the elementary and middle schools into campus security staff positions for a total increase of $9,100. An Applied Behavior Analysis teacher position, which costs $59,500, will be required at the high school, Newton said.
One of the speakers during the hearing, Phillip Delaney, complimented the presentation, but pointed out the disparity between increases for district staff and what he and other residents living on a fixed income are receiving from the government.
Board members briefly discussed the budget at a meeting following the hearing. Board Chairman Tim Hagen noted that the amount of savings identified during budgeting added up to a substantial amount, almost 1 percent.
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