WLC cuts position hours, transportation
WILTON – The first budget hearing for the new combined Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative School District saw lots of confusion and lots of attempts to hold costs down.
The final result, after a two-hour meeting at Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative High School that drew about 40 people, was an operating budget of $11.4 million – a 2.2 percent increase over the last year’s combined budgets for the three school districts of Wilton, Lyndeborough and Wilton-Lyndeborough – that were combined to make the new district.
Much of the discussion dealt with procedures for the new district and such questions as whether Wilton residents should vote on a proposed addition to Lyndeborough Central School, or whether Lyndeborough should vote on proposed improvements to Florence Rideout Elementary School in Wilton.
“Why should Wilton voters step back and not vote?” Wilton Budget Committee member Mark Whitehill asked.
“The problem is that residents of Wilton feel they don’t have the right to vote, but they have that right and responsibility.”
Board Chairman Dion Lewis disagreed.
The final budget included a 3.4 percent reduction of the regular education accounts compared with the amounts spent last year by the three former districts.
But extra costs caused a rise of 21.9 percent for special education, leaving an increase in the budget of about 2.2 percent, or $243,000.
During the meeting, the School Board cut a media specialist position to 40 percent, or two days a week, reduced the amount in the fuel oil line by $12,000 based on current costs and eliminated transportation from Lyndeborough to an out-of-town kindergarten. The town isn’t required under state law to provide kindergarten transportation.
The total amount cut prior to the meeting was about $81,500.
A suggestion was made to reduce school nurse positions to 80 percent coverage.
The idea was strongly opposed by those attending, and was dropped.
Budget Committee Chairman Kelly Eshbeck said the committee will meet in the next week to decide whether it will support the budget proposal.
The $11.4 million budget doesn’t include warrant articles.
Those articles include an addition to Lyndeborough Central School; a deficit appropriation for special education of $160,000 at Florence Rideout Elementary; approval of a three-year contract with school support staff, with no added costs for the 2010-11 school year; and $175,000 for added life-safety code improvements to Florence Rideout Elementary.
Any unspent fund balance on June 30 would be used to add $35,000 to a capital reserve fund for special education, $73,000 for a trust fund to cover costs of a new districtwide teacher contract still under negotiation, and $25,000 for building and road repair at the middle-high school.
Under the Articles of Agreement, capital costs are covered by the town in which the school is located. Lewis said an agreement with the teaching staff is still under discussion.
“We have been unable to reach an agreement this year,” he said, and salaries will remain as they are. “The problem is merging three significantly different contracts. We are trying to get a unifying contract and have agreed to disagree.
“About half of the teachers are getting a step increase because of existing contracts; the others are not.”Superintendent Trevor Ebel said Florence Rideout had reduced staff by two people last year and the high school had eliminated the Schools-to-Careers position, combining it with guidance.
The annual district meeting will be held at the high school on Friday, March 5.
The district is traditional, and people must attend in order to vote.
