Requesting a $688,539 "status quo" annual increase, North Branford's Board of Education (BOE) voted 4-3 on Feb. 7 to send a recommended $32.33 million 2019-20 schools operating budget to the Town Council. The BOE's recommendation represents a 2.18 percentage increase over the 2018-19 schools' budget.

The total requested amount is $32,335,714. The recommended budget will be sent on to be reviewed by the Town Council, which also serves as the Town's Finance Board, as part of the annual town budget process.

In January, Superintendent of Schools Scott Schoonmaker brought the BOE his proposed budget request calling for an annual spending increase of $1.03 million, or 3.26 percent, over the 2018-19 schools operating budget; together with a 2.18 "status quo" spending scenario.

The "status quo" budget represents what Schoonmaker termed "level funding" to fulfill contractual obligations, health insurance and salaries and the current level of district personnel. The 3.26 percent increase Schoonmaker had requested sought additional spending of $342,600 over the "status quo" to address district needs which had been prioritized by administrators. Following the Feb. 7 BOE vote, Schoonmaker shared with Zip06/The Sound some revisions and deferments which have since been made to modify the "status quo" budget which will allow for some of the requested district needs to be met next year, although not at the level of funding originally requested.

Capital Priorities

On Feb. 7, the BOE voted unanimously to forward to the Town Council a capital project summary which prioritizes district needs in three tiers. The top tier, described as "Priority A," requests a total of $112,575. It includes $87,575 for elevator control system upgrade at the high school and $25,000 for additional funds for a North Branford High School (NBHS) construction project feasibility study.

The $25,000 earmarked for the study would be added to $25,000 in discretionary money which the BOE set aside in the 2018-19 schools' budget. Originally, as discussed with the Town Council in late 2018, the BOE had anticipated spending $25,000 for a "renovate as new" NBHS building study. However, in January 2019, the council was updated that the BOE would be instead be seeking additional funds to go forward with a feasibility study that could present three options, such as the possibility of constructing new building with a smaller footprint.

"Originally, the council charged the board with bringing only one scenario forward, and that was for renovation. But we felt that it would be prudent and it could be more cost effective if you also looked at a hybrid model or build-as-new. Why not bring three options and let the tax-payers decide what they want to do?" said Schoonmaker, adding the feasibility study is estimated to cost $50,000 to $60,000.

Schoonmaker said another X-factor which will impact any NBHS building project will be what type of state reimbursement will be available to the town.

"The biggest question mark right now is with the state funding, and what the new governor's going to do with regard to [school] building projects and reimbursement," Schoonmaker said. "But we know the high school is long overdue, and we want to keep the eye on the prize; and that's our highest priority right now. The students, the staff and the community deserve to have the high school be the flagship school and something that we can be proud of, and it's not that right now. It's been a long time coming."

Making the second-tier "Priority B" capital project list are several known needs which could be put off for another year, if required. The Priority B list adds up to $159,000 and includes $47,000 for an air conditioner cooling tower and compressor at Jerome Harrison Elementary School (JHS) and $112,000 in additional funding for repairs to the brick exterior of the North Branford auditorium building.

Priority C projects (ongoing maintenance) total $197,104 by adding up $97,104 for ongoing asbestos abatement at Totoket Valley Elementary School (TVES); $50,000 to continue unit ventilator replacements at TVES and $50,000 for the district-wide paving reserve fund.

Making the Budget Cuts

The BOE's vote to recommend an annual increase of $688,539 in operating costs required the removal of $342,600 from the superintendent's originally proposed operating budget. To do that, modifications were made to help retain some of the requested items; reductions were made to some others; and several items were placed in deferment, Schoonmaker explained.

Revised Requested Changes

The modified budget includes $69,511 to add one grade five teacher at Totoket Valley Elementary school (TVES) for one year; $52,467 for a part-time Social Worker for Jerome Harrison Elementary School (JHS), adding an instructional paraprofessional (6.5 hours per day) at JHS and $4,980 for North Branford Intermediate School (NBIS) assistant athletic coaches.

"We're going to add a grade five, one-year position only at Totoket Valley, because of enrollment and our class sizes in grade four are now higher than we'd like," he said. "We reduced a 1.0 [full-time] request for a Social Worker to a 0.5 [part-time]. We wanted a full-time [social work] person to be at JHS because we're splitting one right now between Totoket Valley and JHS. But we reduced that to a part-time social worker to put in the [JHS] building."

The superintendent's budget had also sought to add two instructional paraprofessionals at TVES and a PreK teacher and PreK paraprofessional at JHS. The budget also sought to add a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) specialist. In anticipation of the BCBA salary of $105,920, the superintendent's budget had included a reduction of $65,500 for BCBA professional services next year (services provided in lieu of having a specialist in the district).

Reductions to Requested Changes

Reduction taken to reduce the bottom line include a savings of $108,600 based on the assumption the district will have one certified retirement and that position will not be replaced. In addition, the modified budget reduced proposed spending for TVES' afterschool program by $9,150; adjusted unaffiliated salaries to save $1,070 and reduced building maintenance budgets by $26,4141. All of the reductions add up to a savings of $145,234.

Deferred Requested Changes

The following requested items in the superintendent's budget have now been deferred: adding a PreK teacher at JHS, adding a PreK instructional paraprofessional (6.5 hours per day) at JHS, the addition a BCBA specialist (causing $65,500 to be added back in to the budget to support services provided in lieu of having a district specialist). In addition, the deferment incorporates taking a proposed full-time social worker to part-time.

Deferring these items created an additional cost savings of $197,426; which, when added to the modified budget reduction of $145,234 equals a cut of $342,600 from the Superintendent's proposed budget and delivers the BOE's recommended annual schools budget increase of $688,539 or 2.18 percent.

How the Board Voted

According to the BOE Feb. 7 meeting minutes, BOE Vice-Chairman Marcey Onofrio "...stated she wanted to make a motion to bring the Superintendents requested budget forward at 3.26 [percent increase], she felt that although they would probably not get the request, she was elected to work for the district to try to do what is best for the district and this is what they are saying that they need."  Onofrio's motion, seconded by BOE member Vincent Mase, failed by a 3-4 vote of the seven-member BOE; with Onofrio, Mase and BOE member Jana Balsamo voting in favor of keeping the 3.26 percent increase.

Onofrio then brought forward the motion to approve the 2.18 percent increase, seconded by BOE member Carolyn Candelora. The motion passed 4-3, with votes in favor from Candelora, BOE chair Shawna Papa-Holzer, BOE member Cynthia Rice and BOE secretary Elizabeth Siena.

The BOE then voted unanimously to forward the 2019-20 Capital Budget Summary as submitted.