Proposed FY 16 NRSD School Budget
Templeton has budgeted $5,230,328 assessment
as well as $431,969 debt service for a total of
$5,662,297
Templeton's total assessment increased 4.79% which the last time I checked is larger than 2.5 %. The difference between the town's draft budget and NRSD is $166,504.
Phillipston's increase is 2.3%
Templeton can not afford any increases over 2.5 % because we can only raise taxes 2.5% a year. Any department that increases their budget over 2.5% means a cut in some other town budget.
Julie Farrell voted NO on this budget based on the 4.79 % increase.
The total $18,999,030 NRSD FY 16 budget will be the recommendation to the NRSD School Committee.
How does this Superintendent have the nerve to hand us a budget like this ?? The Town has no place to cut, what doesn't she understand ?? In other towns, School Departments work with the Select Board when they are in trouble. Why doesn't ours ??
ReplyDeletelooking at the student population causes me to look at the makeup of the school committee. It seems there may be justification to have one more member from Templeton and one less from Philipston, which I believe requires a rework of the regional agreement which I believe would require a vote from both towns. The other thing I would think would be interesting and important to see is the cost vs. reward of the wood chip boiler system. What has been spent on propane this year, what is projected to be spent next year and how much money will be put aside for that, how much will the wood chips cost (is there a contract in place with a dollar figure for the per ton cost of chips) and what is the estimate of chips to be used which may be hard to state since next fall will be the first time this system will be used. I also hope there is a dollar figure for the total price tag for this project as well as an accounting of a dollar break down as in how much was spent and what was it spent on? More importantly, has there been a determination of how much will be saved with this current arrangement, propane & wood chips over the old oil fired boilers and where will or where has those savings, if any been placed? Were those saved dollars used to supplement any other item other than the debt of the new system? With the town only able to raise 2.5% without an override and the school able to increase to any amount voted on and approved by the school committee, there clearly has to be a change somewhere. This could be the year for Templeton to have state come and look at both sets of books because it has been demonstrated in other area towns, that action does not guarantee that the school will automatically get every thing they want. Standby for another interesting town meeting as in 2013.
ReplyDeleteClose the school!
ReplyDelete