School Committee OKs 3% budget increase

CHESTERFIELD — When the Chesterfield-Goshen School District Committee met last week, before them was a preliminary budget for the New Hingham Elementary School that was 2.3% higher than the last fiscal year, a budget Principal Amanda Faro said was as streamlined as possible.

But by the end of the two-hour meeting held in the school’s library, the committee unanimously voted to support a 3% boost heading into fiscal year 2027.

The original budget requested for next year was $3,287,209, but the number voted on rose to $3,309,855, or about a $96,404 increase over last year’s budget.

Committee member Don Willard of Chesterfield was the first to suggest a slightly larger budget. Citing the need to leave some breathing room hinging on contract negotiations and the unknown costs of health insurance, Willard’s recommendation was a 2.9% increase.

“We can always go down, it’s a little harder to go up,” he said.

Following Willard’s recommendation, Andrew Watt of Goshen made the motion for a 3% boost, which met the unanimous approval of his peers.

“We always put a whole lot of attention on high schools, because that’s where the sports teams are, and that’s where the band and debate clubs and all the higher learning stuff seems to happen,” Watt said. “But the foundational stuff happens here … and that’s why I’m advocating for a 3% increase.”

Before the vote was made, Faro and Hampshire Regional Business Administrator Dawn Scaparotti presented the preliminary budget, while painting a picture of the school’s strenghts and challenges.

“I’m going to be honest, it’s a little hard to swallow this year, just because there are a lot of increases that we can’t control,” said Faro, citing increases in health insurance and employee compensation.

“And those are pieces that are out of our control, but it is something that we have to grapple with,” she said.

Staff salaries are estimated to rise $44,175 and benefits increased by $86,288. Building and grounds, as well as transportation each cost in the ballpark of $5,000 more. Meanwhile school insurance is up $17,000, and state assessments have ballooned by $60,000.

There also was a significant cut to rural aid from the state totaling under $55,000 (it is unclear the exact amount). This marks a more than 50% decrease from the current year’s $95,000 grant from the state.

Those on the School Committee talked about how legislators on Beacon Hill need to pay attention to their current fiscal plight, and referenced an article in the Boston Globe that detailed declining enrollment and declining funding for rural schools.

“I hope people in Boston read that and listen,” said Superintendant Vito Perrone.

One less expense will be funding an out of district student with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Now that the student is graduating, the school can trim one paraprofessional from staff and no longer pay transporatation costs. This represents savings of $140,000.

This money will leave more room for an urgent need: substitute teachers, an expense that has increased, with a line item in the current budget that is $6,000 higher than anticipated.

Faro’s minimalist budget provides one teacher per grade level, from kindergarten through sixth grade. Given limited options for substitute teachers, Faro said creativity and working outside of job descriptions have been the cure to fill in gaps when possible.

Faro said that with a veteran staff with more paid time off and sick time means an increased need for substitutes, but they are hard to come. For this reason she is often the one filling in. Between filling in as a teacher and in the cafeteria alongside the school’s nurse when needed, Faro said she has gotten into the habit of wearing flats rather than heels on the job.

“I work in flats more often than my heels,” Faro said.

While expenses are up, revenue is projected to be down about 5.2%.

To keep up with expenses, tuition for kindergarted has been raised $1,000 per student. Faro said the mission going forward will be to attract students to the school to develop streams of revenue.

Among programs that have been added to increase draw is a STEAM program, which stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math for students in grades K-6.

“When we add new programs and we add new opportunities for our students and their families we have a bigger draw for students to come, which is additional revenue for our school as well,” said Faro.

Earlier she explained her awareness of the struggles families and municipalities are facing that led her to create as lean a budget as possible.

“We have wonderful things happening, but I also understand the reality of the financial situation we are in, that our parents are in,” Faro said. “So that is the reason my ask is so minimal this year.”

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