On April 3, North Branford Public Schools Superintendent Scott Schoonmaker and Schools Finance and Personnel Director Don Winnicki gave a public overview highlighting staffing requests and other needs in the 2018-19 Board of Education (BOE) $32.38 million budget request, an increase of 4.48 percent in annual spending.

To maintain "status quo" – keep all current staff and programs, the BOE would need to ask for a 3.85 percent increase. New positions have added to the requested increase to bring it up to an overall bump of 4.48 percent over last year's spending.

The breakdown of the 4.48 percent increase calls for increases of 2.43 percent for salaries, 1.18 percent for benefits, .037 percent for special education tuition and .33 percent for utilities.

An increase in certified salaries of $501,954 includes BOE funding for all certified positions in accordance with the 1.34 percent annual salary increase in the teachers' contract and a .36 percent increase for an additional 2.7 full time equivalent (FTE) of certified staff. Additionally, the BOE will use Title 2 funding for one teacher's increased certified salary and Smart Start grant funds to  underwrite another teacher.

The budget also includes contractual and estimated increases for non-certified salaries as well as one new and four upgraded paraprofessional positions, for a total increase of $252,359.

The total net increase for health insurance costs is $313,646.

Budget adjustments including the reduction of one requested vehicle ($51,000) and a $30,000 adjustment in school-day Special Education costs largely offset increases of $63,000 in base transportation contract costs as well as an $18,000 increase in diesel fuel costs and $10,000 in other Special Education expenses.

Outside placement costs were budgeted at full costs (not reduced by projected Excess Cost Grant payments) for an increase of over $115,000.

Revenue from estimated "pay to participate" school sports fees contributed by families remain at $40,000.

School enrollments, which includes a second pre-school classroom, will decrease by 43 students to a district total of 1731 students in 2018-19.

The district plans to eliminate one North Branford Intermediate School (NBIS) classroom position, eliminate one Totoket Valley Elementary School (TVES) music position (leaving one in place), reduce grade 6-12 World Language by 0.4 FTE (in order to offer Spanish at NBIS); reduce NBHS Health by 0.1 FTE.

The BOE wants to upgrade four paraprofessional positions to Specialists (behavior technicians).

Staffing requests for 2018-19 include adding one 6 – 12 instructional coach for English Language Arts, adding one 6 -12 instructional coach for math, adding one preschool teacher and one preschool paraprofessional; adding a K-2 school librarian and increasing High School communications by 0.2 FTE.

The BOE chose not to include the following in the budget: K-5 Science Instructional Coach, K-5 Social Studies Instructional Coach, Talented and Gifted Teacher and increasing the substitute per diem rate. In addition, although it was included on the administrative priority list, the BOE deferred a request for an Instructional Technology Teacher in favor of evaluating what can instead be accomplished through instructional coaches.

Over the past ten years, the town's public schools have reduced the total number of regular education full time teachers from 155.3 (FTE) to 132.8 and decreased Special Education teachers from 37.5 to 37.0.  The number of paraprofessionals in the district has increased over the past 10 years, up to 72.4 (FTE) from 68.5. In addition, due to adding 10 security positions, the district's staffing of other employees has increased from 50.0 to 60.0, said Winnicki.

The BOE's proposed budget now heads to the Town Council as part of budget deliberations set for April 10 (see related story).