More Coffee, Please

Kids First Monadnock directly took on the front page claim of the Monadnock Taxpayer’s Association not too terribly long ago—namely that school budgets have doubled in the last 10 years.

It’s an interesting read. It says a great deal about the way things happen in this district—the half truths and deceptions which are thrown around with no regard for the truth.

Here’s another one:

If all warrants pass, the amount that needs to be collected (in taxes) for the 7 towns¹ in MRSD will increase by about 28%

Hmm. Let’s look at the warrants that carry a tax burden.

ARTICLE ONE: Shall the Monadnock Regional School District raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant or as amended by vote of the first session, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $31,852,333 (The operating budget is $30,882,333. $970,000 is also required for federal grants and nutrition grants that are funded by separate State and Federal revenues)? Should this article be defeated, the default budget shall be $31,115,261 ($30,145,261 plus the $970,000 required for federal grants and nutrition grants that are funded by separate State and Federal revenues), which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the Monadnock Regional School District or by law; or the governing body may hold one special meeting, in accordance with Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only. Note: This warrant article (operating budget) does not include appropriations in ANY other warrant articles. The Budget Committee supports this article. The School Board supports this article. (Majority required)

Assuming the budget passes, ($31,852,333) it’s not much more than the default budget which we’ve been on from last year ($30,935,825). The difference between a budget which meets what the schools need and a “barely there” budget is $916,508. The default budget is an additional $179,436 over this year. In other words, if this article passes, it will mean an additional $737,069.00

ARTICLE TWO: Shall the voters of the Monadnock Regional School District adopt a school administrative unit budget of $1,842,413, for the forthcoming fiscal year in which $1,259,861 is assigned to the school budget of this school district? This year’s adjusted budget of $1,772,572, with $1,212,103 assigned to the school budget of this School District, will be adopted if the article does not receive a majority vote of all the school district voters voting in this school administrative unit. (Majority of all the voters in the entire SAU is required)

Once again, the difference between this article passing and not is $69,841.

ARTICLE THREE: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to approve the cost items included in the three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement reached between the Monadnock Regional School Board and the Monadnock Education Support Staff Association for the following increases in wages and benefits at the current staffing levels.

The Agreement also includes provisions that require Support Staff to pay more for their health insurance. Currently, the District pays ninety percent (90%) of the cost of the Blue Choice Plan. Over the course of the Agreement, the District will pay eighty-eight percent (88%) of the cost of the Blue Choice Plan in the first year, eighty-five percent (85%) in the second year, and eighty percent (80%) in the final year of the Agreement.

The estimated increase in the costs for wages and benefits under the collective bargaining agreement are as follows: ²

Year 2008-09= $323,139

Year 2009-10= $257,500

Year 2010-11= $152,099

And further to raise and appropriate the sum of $323,139 for the 2008-09 fiscal year, such sum representing the additional cost attributable to the increase in wages and benefits over those of the appropriation at current staffing levels paid in the 2007-08 fiscal year. The School Board supports this appropriation. The Budget Committee supports this appropriation. (Majority vote required).

Okay…so the final numbers for next year? $323,139 all the other numbers are what it would cost the following years—but the increase next year would be $323,139.

ARTICLE FOUR: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to approve the cost items included in the four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement reached between the Monadnock Regional School Board and the Monadnock District Education Association for the following increases in wages and benefits at the current staffing levels:

The Agreement includes provisions that eliminate the early retirement program, established in 2000, over the course of the next three (3) years by reducing the number of employees eligible to participate in the program and the length of time for which they can participate. The early retirement program will not be open to any new participants after June 30, 2011. The existing participants in the early retirement program will be fully compensated and the program will cease to exist by June 30, 2015.

The elimination of early retirement will result in a reduction of cost over the term of the Agreement.

The Agreement also includes provisions that require Teachers to pay more for their health insurance. Currently, the District pays ninety percent (90%) of the cost of the Blue Choice Plan. Over the course of the Agreement, the District will pay eighty-eight percent (88%) of the cost of the Blue Choice Plan in the first year, eighty-four percent (84%) in the second year, eighty-two percent (82%) in the third year, and eighty percent (80%) in the final year of the Agreement.

The Agreement also contains an “evergreen” clause, which means that the term of the agreement, if approved, would continue while the parties negotiate a successor agreement after 2012. This means that certain cost items, like step increases, would continue during future negotiations. The District estimates that the average cost of a step to be approximately $1,145 per year of experience. The cost of all steps during the last year of the agreement is estimated to be $226,700.

The estimated increase in the costs for wages and benefits under the collective bargaining agreement are as follows:

Year 2008-09= $680,306

Year 2009-10= $316,300

Year 2010-11= $411,064

Year 2011-12= $446,254

And further to raise and appropriate the sum of $680,306 for the 2008-09 fiscal year, such sum representing the additional cost attributable to the increase in wages and benefits over those of the appropriation at current staffing levels paid in the 2007-08 fiscal year. The School Board supports this appropriation. The Budget Committee supports this appropriation. (Majority vote required).

Like before, the cost for the next four years is listed, but the one for next year is $680,306 Considering this makes up for two years of no cost of living increases and many teachers being off step, it’s a bargain. the following year is almost half that increase—and teachers pick up more health insurance costs, which makes an impact as well. Just to keep things in perspective.

ARTICLE FIVE: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $400,000 for repair of health and safety related maintenance items throughout the District’s school buildings. This is a Special Warrant Article in accordance with RSA 32:3 VI. This will be a non-lapsing warrant article per RSA 32:7 and will not lapse until the maintenance projects are complete or June 30, 2012 whichever is earlier. The School Board supports this appropriation. The Budget Committee supports this appropriation. (Majority vote required).

$400,000 is the cost. Not too bad for health and safety.

ARTICLE SIX: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $123,000 for the purpose of roof repairs at the Monadnock Regional Middle/High School, the Mt. Caesar Elementary School, and the Wilcox Building. This is a Special Warrant Article in accordance with RSA 32:3 VI. This will be a non-lapsing warrant article per RSA 32:7 and will not lapse until the roof repairs are complete or June 30, 2012 whichever is earlier. The School Board supports this appropriation. The Budget Committee supports this appropriation. (Majority vote required).

$123,000 is the cost next year. Considering the water pouring into some classrooms this winter can do that much damage to computer equipment in a single night, it’s not a bad figure. I won’t even talk about how much will be saved in the lawsuit when the building finally gets bad enough—when all those code violations everyone knows about go a little too far—and someone gets hurt.

ARTICLE ELEVEN: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to establish a non-lapsing athletics revolving fund, in accordance with RSA 194:3-c to be funded by receipts at athletic events and known as the 2009 Athletics Revolving Fund, and, further, to raise and appropriate up to $5,000 for the purpose of supporting athletic programs within the District, said amount to be withdrawn from the revolving fund and disbursed monthly as needed. The School Board supports this appropriation. The Budget Committee supports this appropriation. (Majority vote required).

So $5,000 total.

If all those blue colored numbers are added up, the total cost comes to $1,938,355. That’s an additional 6.22% for voting “no” versus voting “yes.”

So where does the Monadnock Taxpayer’s Association come up with the “28%” everyone will need to pay next year if they agree to this budget?

My guess? They added up each year of the contract and other warrant items and applied the total cost to next year’s budget. It’s a little like saying that the car one is about to purchase is going to allbe paid next year, when in reality, it’s going to be spread out over the next four.

Nobody is going to pay 28% more on their taxes next year. But it sure is scary to say that, isn’t it? Sure does look a big and scary and nasty number.

Sure hope nobody is foolish enough to believe it. More importantly, I wonder if 6%—a very low number, especially considering Surry’s loss and the fact we all pick up their tax burden³—is reasonable to keep the schools safe, the trained and experienced staff we have, and the ability to address some of the issues.

1 May I once again comment on why there are 7 towns in the MRSD instead of 8? Reflect on the sadness that there’s a couple of seniors who will probably (I hope a deal can be reached that would allow them to stay) spend their senior year at Keene High instead of MRHS? Point how good it must be to be the mechanic for a member of the Monadnock Taxpayer’s Association? After all, oil is expensive, and putting it in a car every three thousand miles is such a hassle… Nah. All that is better left unsaid. ↺

2 Because of formatting issues, I didn’t record the breakdown and breakout of the years covered by the contract. The original warrant article has the proper formatting. ↺

3 Not that I want to point fingers, but isn’t the Monadnock Taxpayer’s Association trying to get another town to leave the district? What will that mean? I mean, other than taxpayers paying more and the children suffering. Other than that, of course. I’m sure it will improve public education. I’m sure it’s what’s best for Roxbury, and Swanzey, and Troy, and Fitzwilliam—you know, those towns supposedly being represented. I don’t even think it’s good for Sullivan.↺

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Budget Committee, Monadnock Regional School District, Monadnock Taxpayer’s Association, School Funding

Gregarious

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