Concerns aired over SAD 63 budget

EDDINGTON – Several hourly employees who will have to pay a portion of their health care costs if the proposed SAD 63 budget is passed voiced their concerns Thursday during a public hearing at Eddington School.

Those who spoke at the meeting also said they are worried about creating a new media technician position in a tight budget year, especially since educational technicians are feeling the crunch.

“The cuts in the [educational technician] area are going to hurt,” said Diane Porter, who lives in Holden and works at Eddington School. Ed techs in “the surrounding areas make more money and they have benefit packages. For me it’s a 20 percent reduction in benefits. Several people are thinking about leaving.”

During the meeting, school leaders broke down the actual health care costs part-time employees will pay, which range from annual payments of $520 for the standard plan to $5,199, depending on hours worked. The less an employee works, the more they will pay, according to business manager Yvonne Mitchell.

The proposed 2004-05 budget is $8,015,930, an increase of $249,979, or 3.22 percent. Holden resident Greg Perkins, who is also a special education teacher at Holbrook School, asked school leaders to hold off on hiring the media specialist.

“I don’t know if we have to have it in this first year,” he said, referring to the first year of the district’s comprehensive plan, which calls for more computer technology.

“It’s not new money, Greg,” said superintendent Louise Regan. “The technology coordinator has amassed that money for that position. That budget is bone bare.”

Another $20,000 also has been added to the regular teacher salaries budget line to pay for the full-time position, according to Mitchell.

School board member Gary Duplisea, who sits on the finance committee, said a big reason for the increase for local taxpayers stems from a decreasing state subsidy.

“The state is not kicking in their part,” he said.

“The portion they [the state] pay is going down,” Regan said. “It means the taxpayers are paying approximately 54 percent.”

Later in the evening, Regan added, “They [the state] are paying 46 percent presently. We wouldn’t have this discussion if the state would pay its fair share – does everybody not get that?”

Eddington resident Matt Pagnozzi asked how the $133,000 in projected June revenues that is being used to offset the budget, which he described as “a big chunk of change,” will affect taxpayers.

Regan said it will prevent a larger tax increase.

Chairman Don Varnum ended the meeting by saying the goal is to pass the budget during the June 8 referendum.

“Every time we run one of the referendum validations, it will cost us $2,500,” Varnum said. “Every time it doesn’t pass we will come back and probably have to cut a budget line.”

A special SAD 63 school board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at Holbrook School, where final budget numbers will be approved for the referendum ballot.