Combined district budget to be heard
WILTON – The first combined School District budget will be presented at a hearing at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Wilton-Lyndeborough High-Middle School.
At first glance, the numbers seem astronomical.
Although the proposed regular education portion of the operating budget totals $8.11 million, that is actually a 3.38 percent reduction from the combined budgets of the district’s three schools last year, a figure gained by adding the budgets from the high-middle school, Florence Rideout and Lyndeborough Central.
That figure does not include added costs of a teacher and support staff contracts, which are still under negotiation.
Because of unanticipated special education costs this year, that part of the budget shows a 21 percent increase, or $526,923, for a total of $2.99 million.
The overall increase in the proposed budget is 2.25 percent. If special warrant articles are subtracted, the overall increase is 1.04 percent.
The biggest reductions in operating expenses include maintenance of buildings, other instructional programs, media services, school board services, and School Administrative Unit administrative costs.
Increases include health services ($39,000), transportation ($16,506) and SAU services ($21,000).
The prepared budget separates each line for the three schools for comparison.
Also new this year is the inclusion of the SAU budget. Under a combined SAU, this expense is separate and not publicly voted. Wilton and Lyndeborough separated from Mascenic Regional last year.
The three school districts were combined last March, and a new board will be elected this year.
Several committees spent much of this year studying the aspects of combining into one district, including negotiating new contracts for teachers and support staff, looking at all of the buildings and considering the space available, and combining policies.
The district meeting will be at the high school at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 5.
Lyndeborough voters are reminded that their district no longer operates under SB 2, and attendance at the meeting is required in order to vote.
