BMR school officials seeking 8.4 percent budget increase
BLACKSTONE – Town leaders from Blackstone and Millville gathered Wednesday for a budget discussion hosted by the Blackstone-Millville Regional School Committee, which was intended to start dialogue on the school district’s preliminary Fiscal year 2019 school operating budget unveiled that night.
Moderated by School Committee Chairwoman Jane C. Reggio, the meeting was attended by members of the Blackstone and Millville Boards of Selectmen and Finance Committees as well as Blackstone Town Administrator Daniel Keyes and Millville Town Administrator Jennifer Callahan.
The meeting was proposed by Schools Superintendent Allen W. Himmelberger who wanted to meet with municipal leaders from both communities before the budget process gets underway.
“We’re hoping for a more positive dialogue and a more positive process so that there is greater understanding if not a greater source of funds,” he said.
The proposed preliminary FY19 school operating budget unveiled at Wednesday’s meeting stands at $24,343,730, which represents a $1,885,259, or 8.40 percent, increase over last year’s budget of $22,458,471.
The budget breakdowns as follows:
• Salaries, $14,052,488 (60 percent).
• Benefits, $3,877, 209 (17.3 percent).
• Transportation, $1,606,587 (7.2 percent).
• Building operation and maintenance, $941,899 (4.2 percent)
• Special education, $740,969 (3.3 percent).
• Other, $1,239,319 (5.6 percent).
Fixed costs, capital costs, special education, curriculum and technology improvements are some of the factors driving the budget increase this year, Himmelberger said. Right now, the proposed $1.8 million in increased spending includes $454,000 for new staff; $585,000 contractual; $209,000 for insurance and retirement; $49,000 for district technology needs; $31,000 for classroom technology needs, $66,000 for special education tutoring. $40,000 for utilities; $35,000 for transportation; $22,500 for instructional needs; and $10,000 for library programs.
Some of the new positions being requested in the proposed budget include technology support, $55,000; a special education teacher, $55,000; a technology teacher, $55,000; school counselor, $50,000; Grade 5 teacher, $55,0000; and a reading specialist, $110,0000.
A public hearing on the proposed spending plan will be held later in February.
According to Himmel- berger, fiscal year 2019 is likely to be another challenging budget cycle. The school operating budget has seen total growth of 1.6 percent over the past six years.
“It’s the state and federal piece of the pie that has put pressure on the towns. It’s not because the towns don’t want to support education,” he said.
After four years as the district’s school chief, this is Himmelberger’s last budget season. He is retiring effective Sept. 1. In his three-year strategic and financial plan released in November, Himmelberger said public education across the county is at a crossroads.
“Traditional federal funding has been reduced forcing more pressure on state and local budgets that have not been able to keep pace with the ever changing requirements of curriculum, technology, English language learners, and special education.,” he said. “Schools and districts are educating an increasing number of students with more complex social, emotional, and behavioral issues that require more resources.”
Himmelberger said parents and students have more choices than ever causing uncertainty in how to plan for declining enrollment in traditional school districts. These factors and many more, he said, were highlighted in the recent report from the State Auditor titled “Updating the Structure and Finance of the Massachusetts Regional School Districts.”
“The district is facing several important issues that must be addressed over the next three years to insure the sustainability and longterm viability of BMRSD; stabilizing enrollment, continuing to update curriculum and technology, and improving infrastructure,” he said. “All of these issues and their solutions have one fact in common, they all require systematic funding increases to reach the goal of long term viability of our district. This in turn forces the member towns and their residents to assess what level of educational opportunities they want for their students and to reach consensus on how to support BMRSD with the same fervor that is now reserved for other competing options.”