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Soaring Fuel Costs Worry School Superintendent, May Dent Budget

Posted on: Tuesday, 25 October 2005, 21:01 CDT

By Dan Bustard, Eagle Times, Claremont, N.H.

Oct. 25--CHESTER -- After needing three tries to get a budget passed earlier this year, Green Mountain Union High School Board members want to do everything they can to avoid a repeat performance next year.

In order to improve their chances, the 2006-07 budget currently under development is being drafted with the involvement of the school's budget committee, a spending plan Vice Chairman Jack Coleman hopes will keep any increase to the "absolute minimum."

Windsor Southwest Supervisory Union Superintendent Ed Brown sounded a cautionary tone on higher fuel costs, however, asking the board not to absorb this increase entirely within the education side of the school budget.

Brown also wondered how many school budgets will hit the per pupil penalty phase under Vermont's education funding system thanks to higher fuel costs.

Any school that spends more than $11,700 per student has some of its local tax dollars sent to the state and redistributed to other districts as a measure to keep school spending in check.

Coleman said he would prefer the budget increase by the inflation rate, taking into account increases in health insurance and teacher salaries according to their contract, two factors beyond the school board's control unless positions are cut.

The school board's finance committee has met with administrators and the budget committee, going over a list offered by staff for the next budget.

Board member Cindy Cole asked why a "wish" list is being considered. Brown said any list would be refined before a draft budget is presented to the full board.

"You have to have a starting place," said board member Mike Ceravole, the finance committee's chairman.

Coleman suggested letting the public know not only what is included in the budget but what was not to help better inform residents. The board is planning an effort to better sell the budget next year before the town meeting vote in March.

"We need to get the public on our side," Ceravole said. "We need to get the department heads on our side."

Brown also said the legislative committee that is working on a way to move education funding away from the property tax is considering leaving the nonresidential statewide property tax rate at $1.50 per $100 of property valuation, lowering the residential rate to 30 cents and adding 1.5 percent to the state income tax.

Act 68 created two statewide property tax rates.

"This does absolutely nothing except gets it off the backs of the Legislature," Brown said of the committee's idea. "It is not going to make it better for anyone."

The superintendent was not sure how the idea would fare in the Legislature, but he did say the statewide property tax for residential property would likely drop to 97 cents for every $100. The residential school tax rate can be higher, based on how much money per pupil is spent within a school and a town's common level of appraisal, the comparison between recent property sales and the property values on a town's grand list.

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Copyright (c) 2005, Eagle Times, Claremont, N.H.

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Source: Eagle Times, Claremont, New Hampshire

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