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Dudley-Charlton schools budget is up 6 percent

By Debbie LaPlaca
Correspondent

Posted Feb 14, 2018 at 9:23 PM  

Updated Feb 14, 2018 at 9:23 PM

DUDLEY – The Dudley-Charlton Regional School Committee Wednesday adopted a $53.1 million budget for fiscal year 2019, which is a 6.4 percent increase of $2.9 million over this year.

Superintendent of Schools Gregg J. Desto said budget goals for the year that starts July 1 is to ensure the safety and security of students, increase students’ social, emotional and mental health support and reduce class sizes with an emphasis on Grades 1-4.

Planned new hires, he said, include two adjustment counselors and two technology instructors.
The budget is predicated on receiving $24.3 million from Chapter 70 state aid, which is about $95,000 more than this year, and $1.6 million in state reimbursement for regional busing, which is about $20,000 more. The district will also receive $2.4 million from the state to pay the final year of debt on completed school construction.

Additionally, the budget calls for using $1.3 million of its reserves toward operations.

Mr. Desto said the district faces a $1.5 million increase in set costs, which is outpacing increases in state aid. Yet, he said, district expenses are 32 percent below the state average for per-pupil spending, which equates to being fifth from the bottom of 314 school systems reporting.

As the budget stands today, Dudley and Charlton’s combined contribution for fiscal 2019 is $23,296,062, or $3,087,988 more than this year.


Charlton’s assessment stands at $13,902,746, which is a 12.4 percent increase of $1,543,655 over this year. Charlton selectmen have called a special election for April 3 to see if voters will approve a Proposition 2½ override to cover the increase.

Dudley’s assessment is set at $9,393,316, which is a 19.6 percent increase of $1,544,333 over this year. A portion of the increase is a state-mandated “catch up” of $387,677 because Dudley is below its “target” share of costs, according to the so-called “wealth formula.”

District Finance Director Richard J. Mathieu said the state paid 59.7 percent of the district budget in 2007, when the “wealth formula” was introduced. In Dudley-Charlton, the new formula has and continues to gradually shift more of the public education costs to the towns. Today, the state pays 50.2 percent.