Board of Education Presents Proposed $30.6 M Operating Budget

The Board of Education (BOE) along with the superintendent and assistant superintendent of schools, presented their proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year to the Board of Finance and Board of Selectmen Feb. 28.

The '13-'14 fiscal year would begin July 1, 2013.

The proposed operating budget is $30,640,862 and represents a .59 percent (or $179,134) increase over the current operating budget which is $30,461,728.

The proposed capital budget is $402,000 (a 11.20% increase over the current budget which is $361,500); and the debt service proposed budget is $556,639 (a 1.45% increase over the current budget of $486,062).

With a projected enrollment of 1,974 students for the '13-'14 school year, the proposed operating budget breaks down to $15,523 per student for the school year.

Here are some highlights of their presentation:

• The Clinton Public School's mission statement is to prepare independent and collaborative learners empowered to embrace the future.
• Over the course of the last two years, 28 certified teachers retired or moved to other districts.
• Enrollment continues to decline in the district overall. (There will be a followup article on this subject.)
• Class size ranges from 10-11 students in Pre-Kindergarten to 22-23 students in third grade. Average class size is 17.25 students.
• In the past two years, the district has realized a zero percent increase and a 5 percent reduction in health insurance costs. 
• The '13-'14 budget reflects two collaborative programs for Special Education that will save the district $80,000 in one year.
• Last year, the town received $6.5 million in Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grants from the state. 
• New contracts have resulted in a $22,000 savings in the first year in electricity and a $30,000 savings in one year for gas.
• The BOE is in the final year of a four-year transportation contact that yielded more than $500,000 in savings.
• Of the total proposed $30.64 million budget, the largest line item costs are $15.6 million for certified salaries; $5.9 million for employee benefits; $3 million in non-certified salaries; and $1.5 million in transportation.