District 13 unveils spending plan

The proposed 2010-11 budget for District 13 contains less than a one percent spending increase from this year to next, and a 3.34 percent tax levy increase. Though the budget is tentative, if passed, the average homeowner would pay an extra $39 in school taxes. This year’s tax levy increase was 1.09 percent.

“This budget preserves all the programs and facilities,” said Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Lison.

The 2010-11 proposed budget estimates state aid at about $9.4 million, a six percent decrease from this year — about $1 million less. Lison said district officials considered creating a continuation budget, but the increase from this year’s budget to next would have been around six percent, which she deemed “unacceptable.”

The proposed .85 percent increase would put the district’s total budget at $41,341,680, up about $350,000 from this year. An increase in required spending — in particular a state-mandated building survey that will cost $7,000 and the Metropolitan Transit Authority payroll tax — forced district officials to find ways to control costs without affecting programs. To do that, the district entered into several cooperative agreements with other districts for transportation, food services, insurance and supplies. The district, if the budget does not change, will also eliminate permanent substitute teachers, cut four noon-hour aides and two library/media aides. “There is definitely a cost savings,” Lison said of eliminating permanent subs.

One of the topics of debate at the Feb. 23 budget meeting was the proposed adoption of a science program that the district is now piloting. The science literacy program — provided by Houghton Mifflin for grades K-6 — would cost the district $118,000 to purchase for the 2010-11 school year. Officials said buying the program, rather than leasing it, would save the district money in the long run.

Another topic of debate was transportation. Officials noted that in District 13, students in grades K-3 get bused if they live at least a half-mile from the school, and children in grades 4-6 if they live at least a mile. Trustee Jeanne Greco-Jacobs said that if that changed, and the minimum distance for busing students was two miles, the district could save $800,000 in transportation costs. She explained that at least 110 resident signatures are needed to get a referendum on the ballot to change the decades-old busing policy. “I think the community needs to look at it,” Jacobs said. “It’s a convenience that has nothing to do with basic education.”

To keep costs down, the district has also kept capital projects to a minimum, vowing to not spend more than $500,000 on infrastructure upgrades. About $456,000 in capital projects is scheduled for 2010-11, which includes bathroom and plumbing work at all four elementary schools.

Lison said she expects the Board of Education to adopt the proposed budget by March 23. The next meeting will be held on March 16.