BMR School Committee to decide on FY19 budget
Spending proposal is nearly $1.7M more than last year, but is expected to be adopted
BLACKSTONE — Blackstone-Millville Regional Schools Superintendent Allen W. Himmelberger last week outlined a budget proposal developed by the leadership team and staff that will increase school spending by a projected $1,680,557 next year.
“Both the leadership team and the School Committee have spent a tremendous amount of time on analysis and needs and trying to get to a number that is workable for us to be able to run next year,” Himmelberger said at a public budget hearing last Thursday.
The proposed FY19 school operating budget represents a $1,680,557 increase over last year’s budget of $22,576,232. The budget now goes to the Blackstone-Millville Regional
School Committee, which is slated to adopt the spending plan at a meeting on Thursday.
Himmelberger said the fiscal year 2019 budget is shaping up to be one of the most challenging in terms of matching revenue to expenditures to offsets.
“Out revenues and offsets continue to erode as Chapter 71 is not fully funded; circuit breaker reimbursement is not fully funded and federal title grants continue to be reduced,” he said. “The budget can no longer be offset with end-of -year unrestricted funds, and we are being asked to comply with state and federal laws with no additional state and federal funding.”
Himmelberger says the school’s district’s piece of the town’s education pie is shrinking as the Norfolk County Agricultural High School ($600,000) and school choice ($305,000) continue to reduce the district’s funding as parents choose other educational options.
Fixed costs, capital costs, special education, curriculum and technology improvements are some of the factors driving the budget increase this year, Himmelberger said
The budget increase of $1,680,557, breaks down as follows: New staff, $199,000; Curriculum, $22,500; Technology, $66,500; Transportation, $35,000; Special education, $286,000; Facilities and maintenance, $40,000; Contractual, $593,000; Offset reductions, $285,000; Library programs, $6,000; Offset for FY18 reductions, $37,557; Insurance and benefits, $190,000.
Some of the new positions being requested in the proposed budget include technology support, $50,000; high school counselor, $50,000; middle school special education teacher, $55,000; Millville Elementary School physical education teacher, $22,000; John F. Kennedy Elementary/ Augustine F. Maloney School Complex library paralibrarian, $22,000.
According to Himmelberger, fiscal 2019 is likely to be the most challenging budget cycle the district has ever faced. The school operating budget has seen total growth of only 1.6 percent over the past six years.
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 long-term 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.”