Budget Hearing-Tuesday, May 13, 2025
I. EXPLANATION OF THE $603,167 BUDGET TO BUDGET INCREASE
There are three cost-driving factors that account for almost all of the $603,167 increase from the current 2024-25 school budget to the proposed 2025-26 budget. Those factors are as follows:
The cost of the additional five instructional staff members is approximately $308,000, which includes salaries and fringe benefits.
The cost for health insurance premiums for our employees in the 2025-26 school year will increase by around $290,000 or 12%.
Proposition number three asks our voters to approve an amount not to exceed $65,000 to purchase a Pupil Transportation Vehicle as our current vehicle will not pass an inspection by the Department of Motor Vehicles to transport students any longer.
II. RATIONALE FOR REQUESTING FIVE ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF
MEMBERS IN THE 2025-26 SCHOOL BUDGET TO ADDRESS THE RATHER
SIGNIFICANT LEARNING NEEDS OF SOME OF OUR STUDENTS
In the current 2024-25 school budget there was a reduction of eight instructional staff members—more than 30% of last year's instructional staff. The specific positions eliminated were one secondary English teacher, one secondary math teacher, two academic intervention services (AIS) teachers and four teaching assistants.
These reductions have dealt a devastating blow to the quality of instruction we are able to provide to our students. With the departure of many veteran teachers at the end of the last school year, we now have a largely new instructional staff. This new team has been tasked with addressing the academic needs of our students with limited support, particularly for those requiring interventions due to significant achievement gaps.
As a result, a top priority in the development of the 2025-26 budget is the proposed addition of five instructional staff members. This proposal focuses on meeting the extraordinary needs of some of our learners and aims to compensate for the loss of the eight positions cut in the current budget.
For example, we currently have a third-grade classroom with 20 students and a fourth-grade classroom with 19 students—both with a wide range of achievement gaps. These gaps must be addressed over the next few years to ensure that, by the time these students reach seventh grade, they are performing at or near grade level in reading, math, and other core subjects.
III. A SUSTAINABLE 2025-26 SCHOOL BUDGET
Amanda Zullo, pre-K-12 principal; Kate Cruikshank, coordinator of pupil personnel services; and I feel strongly that the proposed 2025-26 school budget will provide the necessary foundation to meet the learning needs of our students.
Furthermore, we believe the proposed budget is both cost-effective and sustainable. This sustainability stems from the expectation that approximately 60% of the increase in this year’s budget will not be required during the 2026-27 budget development process.
We do not anticipate hiring any new instructional staff members for the 2026-27 school year, which accounts for about $308,000 in the proposed 2025-26 budget. Additionally, there will be no need to purchase another pupil transport vehicle—an expense not to exceed $65,000—in the 2026-27 budget.