PROPOSED STONINGTON SCHOOL BUDGET SHOWS 2.7 PERCENT INCREASE

Stonington — Superintendent of Schools Van Riley’s proposed $38 million school budget for 2018-19 shows a 2.7 percent increase over this year’s spending plan.

Riley presented the budget to the Board of Education at its meeting Thursday night. The board now will hold a series of meetings, beginning Thursday, Jan. 18, to review and possibly change the proposal before finalizing a budget and submitting it to the Board of Finance for approval.

Residents will vote on the budget at a referendum in the spring.

The current year’s budget of $37 million contained a 2.1 percent increase compared to the previous year.

In his budget address, Riley said that in 2018-19 and beyond, the school system will face continuing financial challenges with decreases in state aid, an increase in special education costs, decreasing enrollment and ongoing maintenance needs.

Riley said the school system continues to take a number of steps to lower costs, such as regionalizing programs, negotiating favorable utility rates and changes to health insurance coverage and will soon negotiate a new bus contract.

“The District has been aggressive with strategies for keeping the costs to our taxpayers at a minimum while maintaining and improving instruction for all students,” he wrote in the address.

Among the increases are $354,987 in teacher salaries, with a reduction of almost four teaching positions due to declining enrollment; $267,971 in health insurance and $146,870 in special education and magnet school tuition.

The savings in consolidating the middle schools and cost to upgrade Mystic Middle School are not included in the budget because the decision to consolidate was not made until Thursday night. The savings and cost are about $800,000 each, effectively offsetting each other.