Superintendent proposes $41.4 million budget

Date: 3/19/2012

March 19, 2012

By Chris Maza

chrism@thereminder.com

WILBRAHAM — After being forced to discuss cuts to programs and staff at budget presentations during his first two years as superintendent of the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD), M. Martin O'Shea was able to present a level service budget to the School Committee and members of the audience at a hearing regarding the fiscal year 2013 (FY13) budget on March 13.

O'Shea presented a budget proposal of $41.4 million, a 2.87 percent increase from last year that he said focused on level services as well as level funding of supplies, equipment and textbooks.

"There are some things that fluctuate throughout the school year, but we think that this is a level service budget, depending on how positions that are open next year are filled and how some costs roll over to next year," he said. "Next year we think once again we can keep the core of our mission intact."

O'Shea, however, warned that HWRSD cannot rest on its laurels and foresaw a need for investment in areas in which the district has lagged behind in recent years while trying to regain control of the budget during volatile economic times.

"I think I can't stress enough that we have deferred some very, very important investments in this district over the last several years," he said. "FY14, I think I would be very nervous if we had to defer those investments once again. Those are investments in the area of technology, supplies, professional development, equipment and furniture — areas we have simply held the line on in recent years.

"In fact, we've done more than hold the line; we've cut those areas significantly in recent years. I think when we get through the coming school year, the following year I hope we can have a conversation, community wide, about the investments I really feel we need to make," he continued.

A slide in the presentation showed the district falling behind its neighbors in instructional materials and equipment spending as well as professional development expenditures in FY11.

HWRSD was competitive with, but slightly behind neighboring districts Longmeadow and East Longmeadow in terms of per pupil expenditures. HWRSD committed $11,508 per pupil in FY11, while East Longmeadow and Longmeadow spent $11,787 and $12,563 per student, respectively.

Some of the 2.87 percent increase from last fiscal year's $40.3 million budget is due to the increase in the Minnechaug debt, O'Shea said.

The operational budget will see an overall increase of 2.41 percent. Wilbraham's operating assessment would increase by 2.49 percent while Hampden, will see a 2.18 percent jump.

"The reason it varies is because of enrollment," O'Shea explained. "Hampden has dropped off 50 students and Wilbraham dropped off 87 students for the coming year, so that changes the split in the assessment."

Wilbraham is anticipated to contribute $20.9 million, while Hampden is expected to throw in an additional $7 million. Chapter 70 aid is expected to remain level with last year's contribution of $11.1 million.

The anticipated decrease in enrollment of 137 total students helped the district in terms of Chapter 70 funding. While the state's contribution will be the same number as last year despite rising costs, the decreased enrollment would help those dollars go farther, O'Shea said.

The district is also anticipating a 55 percent reimbursement of transportation costs through Chapter 71 funding, totaling slightly more than $1 million.

In maintaining school choice opportunities in the district at their current levels, the schools will receive an additional $700,000.

O'Shea lauded several cost-saving maneuvers HWRSD has made in order to weather the economic storm, not the least of which was an increase of in-district special education placements, resulting in $717,000 in total savings since FY08.

"That's FY08 through what was budgeted for FY12," he said. "In fact, that $717,000 will probably increase at the end of this year. We could be close to about $900,000 in overall savings since FY08."

School Committee Chair Scott Chapman agreed with O'Shea's praise of the district's hard work and admitted there has not been enough attention brought upon those efforts.

"We haven't trumpeted the special education reforms that this district has done," he said. "$717,000 is a lot of money and the philosophy behind it is that we want our special education kids in district because we can serve them better because we know them, we know their needs and we've built programs ... That's not only a huge financial savings, it's also a huge philosophical advancement."