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Date: 2/8/2022
CHESTERFIELD/GOSHEN – New Hingham Regional School Committee members sat for a first look at next year’s budget. Principal Jesse McMillan presented three versions, but the numbers all looked too high to the town representatives.
Chesterfield’s assessment may increase by six figures. The big question, where that money will come from, brought disagreement.
“I know we have lots of financial challenges across the board,” said Committee member Angela Thompson, “but … I do not want to see our children bearing the brunt of financial issues.”
“You said the children shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of this,” replied Neil Godden, another committee member. “I don’t think the senior citizens should bear the brunt either. [With a] $126,520 increase, that is 7.68 percent of the overall budget.”
Budget increases reflected the different versions submitted by McMillan and front office personnel. The numbers are also still fluid on the state level, with the cherry sheet figures often inaccurate at this stage of the commonwealth’s budgeting process, according to Superintendent Diana Bonneville.
The proposed funding models include a level service budget that maintains all current services, with contractual, insurance and retirement cost increases. Option 2 builds in a budget increase of 4.3 percent. Option 3 would increase the budget by 5.37 percent. McMillan said, “The last option, I would be extremely grateful for.”
The higher budget total seemed unlikely. Selectman and committee member Don Willard didn’t affirm Godden’s number of a 7.68 percent increase, but commented that it fits the historical pattern that has faced the towns.
“Five percent every year?” Willard asked. “Every year we say, maybe next year will be better. But if we have a lot of contractual obligations we have to find other places to cut.”
Business Administrator Bobbie Jones wasn’t optimistic about the possibility of significant cuts to the budget. She cited increases in special education costs of $13,906. County retirement and insurance costs increased, as did retiree benefits costs.
“We didn’t even have any increase in the utilities,” Jones said. “There’s really not a whole lot to present about this budget.”
McMillan offered a list of positive developments that included a complete HVAC system upgrade, new special classes in technology and ceramics, a 10-year capital improvement plan, an update of the Master Plan, and the tuition free pre-kindergarten program.
“We had a really positive school student climate survey,” McMillan said. “This is about how they feel about their school, it’s really positive right now, and you can feel that in the building.”
Line item increases did not add up to much. Incorporated into the proposed budget are increases in spending for textbooks of $1,185, a $2,000 increase in special education contracted services, class supplies will see an additional $1,180, and the building allowance bumps up $5,575 to $40,000. The building allowance increase shows an awareness of the greater need for maintenance, now that the building is 25 years old.
McMillan increased a speech and language pathologist to a full-time position, five days weekly instead of four, an increase of $14,000. The population served by that position already justifies the bump. The increase will also help retain those students coming to the school through the school choice program, with the added cost coming from elsewhere in the budget.
“The full-time para[-professional] is offset by the revolving fund,” McMillan said. “It’s not sustainable, but I felt it was necessary.”
McMillan was hired, he said, with the understanding he would grow registrations to keep the school from becoming too small and a target for closure. He reported projected enrollments next year will be 155 students, up from 151 this year, including school choice students. Thirty students are anticipated for the pre-kindergarten program.
“We did not run a pre-K program last year, during COVID [-19], because we were remote,” McMillan said, “All the classes, outside of first grade, are healthy.”
The pre-kindergarten program drew questions about possible cost cutting. The logic behind the program is that greater expenses for student adjustment in later grades will be prevented.
“If we catch these students early, when they’re 3 or 4 years old,” Bonneville said, “we catch their needs then, whether they have a learning disability or a trauma they need to overcome…. The social emotional and interventionist options are critical.”
Large budget increases, up to 100 percent, were featured in the budget spreadsheet this year. Jones explained the staff made calculations of the front office expenses differently and distributed the numbers to all committees.
Front office staff also informed the committee that state-level change, external to the town, influenced the possible increase in Chesterfield’s assessment by almost $100,000. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education increased the foundation budgets for towns, which determines how much each town is capable of paying in educational assessments. The commonwealth also refigured the population split between Chesterfield and Goshen, with Goshen seeing a drop to 35 percent of the census.
“Chesterfield will not be able to add $100,000,” said Chesterfield resident Trish Colson Montgomery. “Are you going to go back and try to increase revenue lines? Or cut stuff from the budget?”
Lee Manchester, co-chair of Chesterfield’s Finance Committee, saw problems even if the level funding option is chosen.
“There’s not a lot here to cut. The budget is flat from last year to this year,” Manchester said. “Even if we go with the level funded option, there’s still a $92,000 increase.”
Committee members acknowledged that in years past, even with increases, the group was able to vote on the proposed budget. This year members chose to slow down the process and didn’t vote. The consensus arrived that more reliable numbers are needed from the state. Committee members also wanted school staff to take more time looking for revenue to offset the jump in costs.
Jones, with a clear view of the numbers, acknowledged the constraints.
She asked, “More bake sales?”