Proposed Stonington school budget shows 3.46 percent increase
Stonington — Superintendent of Schools Van Riley's proposed 2020-21 school budget calls for a 3.46 percent increase, primarily due to hikes in staff salaries and health insurance.
Riley unveiled his $39.9 million budget proposal to the Board of Education at its meeting Thursday night. The school board has set budget review sessions for Jan. 23 and Feb. 6, as it works to adopt a budget to send to the Board of Finance later this winter.
Riley’s proposal for a $1.3 million increase in spending comes after the Board of Finance recommended to school officials in November that they have no increase in the proposed 2020-21 budget.
Each fall before the first selectman, department heads and school officials begin creating their proposed budgets for the coming fiscal year, the finance board offers a guideline for acceptable budget increases. If a proposed budget exceeds the guidelines, the finance board will ask for justification for the increase.
The finance board based its guidelines on the 1.6 percent cost-of-living increase for Social Security recipients and the 0.4 percent increase in the grand list.
Finance board members have explained the reason they issued a guideline for a zero percent increase in the school budget is that the school system will have some offsetting savings in 2020-21, such as a decrease in expensive out-of-district student placements, savings from the closing of two school buildings, decreasing enrollment and other factors.
Riley’s budget proposal calls for $574,573 increase in teacher salaries, a $132,429 increase in paraprofessional salaries and a $196,952 hike in health insurance. There is also a $212,965 increase in special education and other tuition. Utility costs decreased $154,547 due to efficiency upgrades and the closing of the two buildings. The school system also has opened an alternative education annex to substantially lower costly out-of-district tuitions and is looking to expand that program.
“We present a budget that meets the needs of the district and try to be as conservative as possible,” Riley told the school board.
With declining enrollments, Riley said further staff reductions would negatively impact programs and stressed the school system strives to ensure equity among its schools.
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