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Did you know that the School District budget is not funded like other departments in the Town? When the other
departments are level funded, it truly is not a level fund, as their "fixed costs" like health insurance, retirement benefits,
etc. are in a separate budget for the Town. When the School sets its budget, their fixed costs are in their total assessment
for each town. Therefore the District is absorbing the increases in fixed costs, the other departments never have to.
That is why the District has to lay off teachers to meet budget, because their fixed costs are IN their budget, not like the
Town, where they are OUT of their individual budgets. Of course the Town has to take the fixed costs into account
when they ask the departments to set their budgets - but when the schools put a number in front of the Towns to fund their
budget, it is a number that already has the fixed costs within it. In other words when they went from an approximate
$45 million budget and asked for a $48,000,000 budget this year, most of that increase was for fixed costs. Take
a look at the chart below:
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School Budget Less Fixed Costs
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By removing the fixed costs out of the School Budget, we are now comparing apples to apples with
the rest of the departments in Bridgewater. Over the past two years the District has actually DECREASED their operating
costs (minus fixed costs) by over $300,000!!!!!!! So in essence, the $3.2 Million increase they are asking for doesn't
even meet a level fund!!!!
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FY 03 |
FY 05 |
Difference |
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Total Budget |
45,086,856 |
48,242,430 |
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Less |
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Retirement |
503,410 |
670,526 |
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Insurance |
5,310,270 |
7,166,240 |
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Debt Service |
2,233,947 |
2,155,346 |
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Special Education |
2,275,005 |
3,174,471 |
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Sub Total |
33,764,224 |
35,075,847 |
311,623 |
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Less |
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Transportation |
2,265,587 |
2,376,389 |
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Add State Trans Reimb |
1,020,372 |
490,301
(est.) |
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Add HWM |
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200,000
(est) |
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TOTAL |
33,519,009 |
33,189,758 |
-329,250 |
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Mike Berolini, Ron Pacy and Peter Riordon, all current members of the Advisory Board, sat down with several people from
the School District to look at the numbers and ask the tough questions of the District. Although they acknowledge that
they would have liked information to be more forthcoming, they got ALL their questions answered. There is no hidden
money in the budget. They are operating at BARE BONES!!!! If you want the absolute facts, talk to anyone of these
gentlemen.
B-R is in the bottom 15% for per pupil spending for the State. The State average is $6,177
per pupil and B-R spends $5,524. If you compare only Regional School Districts as some have suggested that that is truly
the "fair" way, B-R is fifth from the bottom of the 52 Regionals in the State.
204 of 376 teachers in the system are at top pay. This is what is making our average salary
for teachers so high above average for the State. The bulk of our teachers are senior and when we laid off 80 positions,
those were entry or near entry level positions. Therefore, our average is slanted to above average. It will become
more "average" as the senior positions retire and are replaced by entry level positions.
We have approximately 1,000 Special Education students in the District. Their education (and
care in some cases) is mandated by the State and paid for by the District. Ten of these students are severely handicapped
and require $2,000,000 of the District's budget. On March 31, 2004, ten more special education students moved into the
District. That increased the District's burden by $900,000. Approximately $400,000 will be Bridgewater's
share. The District will most likely have to lay off teachers to fulfill their State mandated obligations, espeically
if an override does not take this increase into consideration.
Many parents are concerned over the overcrowding in the lower grades and the lack of aides.
However, parents of High School age children are just as concerned from a different perspective. Did you know that currently
the curriculum in the high school offers very little in the way of electives? When they are offered, they are usually cancelled
for lack of staff to teach these courses. Did you know that the Latin program is in danger of being cancelled for lack
of staff? Did you know that the High School is on warning status for accreditation and will most
likely receive a probationary letter within the school year? DID YOU KNOW THAT IF WE END
UP LAYING OFF THE AMOUNT OF TEACHERS PROPOSED - THE PROCESS TO BEGIN TO TAKE OUR ACCREDITATION WILL BEGIN BY THE END OF NEXT
SCHOOL YEAR? This will factor in when a child is going to apply to college. Are we adequately
preparing our kids?!?!?
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