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Sacopee Valley High School Budget

By Joanne McKenney

MSAD # 55 overall budget $13,521,207.77

Sacopee Valley Profile 2012-2013

0% Title 1 students

15% special education students (60)

55%Free and Reduced Meals (218)

2012-2013 budget for Sacopee Valley High School - $4,294,772.92

Additional math position at the high school level for 2012-2013

Eliminated was a 4/5 Special Education Teacher

My 2013-2014 proposed budget$4,493,302.22

Teacher salary increase overall of 4% per negotiated contract settled last June dependent on where professionals are on the salary scale.

All hourly staff receive a 2% increase over their current salary

All administrators receive a 3% increase over their current salary.

Staffing Changes

New English language arts teacher ($36,329.00)

40% of all 9th grade students are below grade level in Reading

More extensive instruction in the area of ELA is needed

Benefits: increase overall reading scores

Staffing Changes

Reduction of a foreign language teacher (- $49,739.00)

Current number in Spanish are 139 students

Current number of students in French is 33

Enrollment in French as a foreign language has dropped each year for the past 5 years.

Although we are reducing an elective a more popular one is offered and we will use this funding to offer increased English skills for our students that are struggling.

Staffing Changes

Reduction of an hourly study hall educational technician Study hall numbers would be absorbed by classroom

teachers who each would be given a “learning lab” along with teaching five classes, one prep period, and one team planning period.

Students would get the educational benefit of having the expertise of a certified teacher available to help them with work

Reduction of study hall staff cont’

Class size for teachers would increase slightly as classroom teachers would be teaching five out of six classes rather than the current six out of six classes.

Current average classroom size is less than 16 students so class size would still be within workable limits and students would benefit from the increased support.

Curriculum offerings

Although curriculum offerings would only change by the reduction of a foreign language teacher, we would be offering increased services in English Language Arts to better reach the goals set forth by the school board that are for 80% of students to meet district benchmark goals by 2016 in both math and literacy.

Increases

Included in the budget is an estimated 4.2% increase in benefit costs (although this is never known until late spring)

For all utilities I figured an increase, although it is difficult to predict with the current market

Repairs and Maintenance Increase

My increase in the area of repairs and maintenance is up 61%. The high school has neglected many repairs over the years and is now in need of upgrades to at least meet ADA requirements as we will have a student with Spina Bifida starting 9th grade next year. This will allow for current maintenance as well as enough cushion to do the bare minimum to meet the requirements needed for this student.

Repairs and Maintenance

This budget in the area of repairs and maintenance will fix only the necessities and upgrade to make our school accessible to a student with needs.

We are in the process of planning for major renovations with Harriman Architectural firm, but the school board has not decided on a feasible cost to take to the voters at this time.

Travel and Conferences

There was a 22% increase in travel and conferences to provide for professional development for all staff to work with students on reading and writing to meet district goals. Although the addition of an ELA teacher is important all content area teachers need to be able to learn to use reading and writing in the content areas to help with student success.

Income

Essential Programs Services will be less than last year as our total enrollment has decreased at Sacopee Valley High School as well as across the district in its entirety. The high school enrollment is down to 392 from 398 and the district is at 1093 down from 1143 in April of 2012.

We expect more funds to be received from state agency clients and Medicaid billing by our special services staff.

There is a decrease in activity fees as the school board voted in the summer to eliminate this fee due to the economic hardship in the area.

Income

Debt service will be less as debt service goes down each year.

I decreased local funding a small amount.

The other revenues line was increased slightly though this most likely is just hopeful.

Reflections

Although it is hard to determine an adequate level of spending, I feel that my expenditures for “my budget” will meet the needs of our students for the upcoming year. Our district does a decent job of stretching our dollar to do the best we can for our students.

Are our dollars equitable to everyone else? Do we provide adequate education? I believe that we provide the best education we can for the amount of money we have to educate our children with. Could we do a better job with more money? Yes. Do we do less than we can with the funds we have? No! As a system we educate our students to the best extent possible.

Final Thoughts

Budget! Oh my! I am not sure I am liking that term right now. I think in my mind that it is that I want the absolute best for our students, no matter at what level they are, and I have ideas how to make it work. Is it equitable? I am not sure. Do I want the best for everyone, yes! Though I have to say that I am always fighting for those that no one else fights for and those are the students that it seems that the budget does not always provide what is needed for. I do feel that I have learned a lot more through this process though I was familiar with budgets from being a school board member in the past.