NORTH STONINGTON — After working with town officials on a long-term capital improvement and maintenance plan, school board members will reduce next year's proposed spending by $500,000 due to a reduction in the need for anticipated repairs. is completed.
School board members last week passed an amended budget calling for $15.68 million in spending and sent the plan to the finance committee for review and discussion. The proposed budget represents a 3.36% increase in spending, which officials said was the result of contractual obligations, inflation and other factors.
Superintendent Troy Hopkins said the reduction in cost savings, which enabled the reduction from the original proposal of a 4.51% increase in late January, is primarily the result of an ongoing 20-year capital improvement planning partnership with the town. Stated.
“As part of a town-wide effort, we were able to retroactively reduce repair and maintenance costs,” Hopkins said. “Further lengthy discussions are required, but we hope this will help establish a more sustainable process going forward.
The rate of increase is still higher than Hopkins had hoped, he acknowledged, but the district's demands remain below those required by surrounding areas in southeastern Connecticut.
He said school administrators and members of the leadership team continue to “think outside the box” to reduce the impact on the district's annual budget, but this year's costs are largely outside the board's scope. He said it depends on contractual obligations, medical expenses and utility costs. or district administration.
Officials said some of these costs are intended to include the financial burden of intervention specialists at North Stonington Elementary School in the district's annual budget. Principal Rob Cirino said in a presentation to the board in late January that the roles of intervention specialists, who were funded through the current school year through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), were affected. He said it not only helps the students but is also helpful. Beyond the impact of the pandemic, he also helped the district achieve the highest test scores.
Wheeler Middle/High School Principal Kristen St. Germain said adding a social worker a year ago has proven to be a valuable resource for students, staff and families alike.
“We have an influx of students from other towns, whether it's transfers or tuition programs, and if we didn't have social workers, we might be in real trouble right now. There is a lot of support needed, and thanks to the support of our social workers and alternative programs, we are able to provide our students with what they need.”
The district's plan also calls for moving to a one-to-one teacher computer system in the future, rather than providing each teacher with a desktop and laptop, which is the current standard. His second element of the plan will phase out printers in classrooms and replace them with central copiers and satellite printers, striving to eliminate the use of paper where possible.
“The biggest thing I want to stand out for is preparing students to succeed in a changing and complex world, whatever path they choose to take out of high school,” Hopkins told the school board. It means that we are trying to do so.” “Many students are now exploring career opportunities after graduation, and we need to tailor our programming to meet those needs.”
