Preliminary school budget numbers have been approved

BOYLSTON – The impending move of the sixth grade from Berlin and Boylston elementary schools to the new Tahanto Regional Middle/High School is reflected in the preliminary budgets for the next fiscal year.

The three school committees recently approved the early numbers to the towns to start the budget process.

The numbers could change, but even more variable are the revenues, which could vary depending on state aid, grants and assessments.

Adding to the complexity of the figures is the fact that the sixth grade move shifts budget figures from town to region.

The Berlin-Boylston Regional School Committee voted a preliminary budget of $7,801,181, an increase of $903,302.

The Boylston budget numbers show a decrease of $232,171, totaling $2,856,130.

In Berlin, the budget is at $2,496,193, a decrease of $153,084.

The numbers reflected estimated savings that the town budgets will realize because the elementary school teachers’ benefits are paid from the town budgets. At the regional school, those are shown in the school budget, increasing the apparent, but not actual, cost.

The staffing overall will drop by the equivalent of two fulltime staffers as the regional school increases its staff less than the reductions to the elementary staff.

“The revenue side at this point is unknown,” regional committee Chairwoman Rebecca Dono Healy said. “Realistically the figures are going to be grim,” she said, with state aid likely to drop.

The elementary school budgets could decrease further if teachers no longer needed in those districts move to the regional school, saving the towns costs such as unemployment.

The complexity makes it difficult to compare the numbers head-to-head. The total decrease, however, is less than the regional school increase.

But the new budget also includes the increased costs associated with the new middle/high school building that students moved into on Jan. 3.

The budgets will get further scrutiny from the school committees as the numbers are reworked during the budget process. State figures are not available until later in the process, but schools and towns must start their budget process in order to have budgets set in time for voters to approve in May.

There will be some construction items to be completed after the students move in, Ekstrom said. Any work done during school hours will be restricted and any workers in the building carefully regulated.