The Old Rochester Regional School Committee voted to accept its final version of the fiscal year 2020 school operating budget totaling $19,211,913, up $682,841 from last year – an overall increase of 3.69 percent.
Superintendent Dr. Doug White broke down the details of the FY20 budget on March 7 during the committee’s school budget public hearing, during which some familiar topics such as town assessments and School Choice topped the discussion throughout the presentation.
Expected Chapter 70 funds of about $3,032,000 and a number of revenue sources totaling $1,079,050 helped to offset the assessments to the three towns through grants and awards, revolving accounts, and circuit breaker reimbursements, but the highest revenue source of this category is School Choice, to the tune of $610,050.
Including transportation, capital expenditures, and new debt, this year Marion will pay $4,762,651 for its 764 ORR students, an amount up $201,501 from last year. Mattapoisett is $6,012,295, up $239,040 from last year for its 833 students, and Rochester’s assessment is $4,843,653, which is up $68,975 from last year, for its 889 students at the high school and junior high school.
A significant increase in the budget this year is found in the utilities line item reflecting a total of $112,705, a 10.98-percent increase over FY19. Other areas responsible for the budget increase are found in professional salaries line item, which is up $333,236 for an increase of 3.7 percent, “other” salaries with an additional $21,935 for a 2.62-percent increase.
The line item “supplies” was up 4.01 percent, $21,935, for new social science text books and computers, and the line items for transportation, insurance, and OPEB (other post employment benefits) also contribute to a budget increase of $258,796.
A decrease in the “clerical and paraprofessional” salaries line item was reduced by $61,062, a 4.17-percent decrease helping to offset those other line item increases.
The general day education budget totals $15,753,331, an increase of $743,863 or 4.96 percent, while the special education budget has gone down by 1.78 percent, reducing the amount by $47,979 for a total of $2,654,210.
Driving the budget this year, White said, is the district’s latest Strategic Plan that places an emphasis on social-emotional rigor, technology and security, and global citizenship, all while maintaining class sizes, and managing the facility and the capital improvement plan.
“We also need to make sure that this budget is supporting instructional practices and services for all students,” said White.
Marion Board of Selectmen Chairman Norm Hills asked what the advantages are to having the 119 School Choice students in the ORR School District, to which Business Administrator Paul Kitchen simply replied, “That you’re maintaining the revenues that are coming in.”
Junior high school Principal Kevin Brigioli and high school Principal Mike Devoll both commented that, without the added School Choice revenue, the two schools wouldn’t be able to offer the same programming to an otherwise increasingly declining student population.
Marion Selectman John Waterman asked if the district has ever done a study on the average cost of educating a student relative to the district’s participation in School Choice, which Waterman said should show that the cost is less than $5,000 to educate each student. Otherwise, the district wouldn’t be benefitting from School Choice.
“I think it’s a legitimate question,” White said. “We can do the work.”
School Committee member Jim Muse said that is something the committee does look at, adding, “School Choice brings things that aren’t necessarily financial … but if it’s a budget buster by having it, then we have to take that into consideration, and we are aware of it and we intend to have a close look at it.”
Before closing the public hearing, Marion Finance Committee Chairman Peter Winters asked about increasing staffing at the central office level, alluding to the possibility of replacing the retiring assistant superintendent with two employees, one at the elementary level and one at the secondary education level.
White said there has been no formal decision so far on the matter, but stated, “It doesn’t look like it’s going to have the support to move in that direction.”
The next meeting of the Old Rochester Regional School Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, March 26, at 6:30 pm in the ORR Junior High School media room.
Old Rochester Regional School Committee
By Jean Perry