WINCHESTER SCHOOL BOARD
DELIBERATIVE SESSION
FEBRUARY 7, 2008
School Board Members present: C. Duquette, C. Thompson, V. Cole, B. Moser, G. O'Neal.
Administration Present: D. Crisafulli, T. O'Connor, J. Bischoff
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Board Members, Administration, Town Officials and Attorney Matt Upton were introduced.
Moderator, Henry Parkhurst called the meeting to order at 7:14 pm.
ARTICLE ONE: Shall the Winchester 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 $10,048,109? Should this article be defeated, the default budget shall be $10,157,466, which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the Winchester School District or by law or the governing body may hold one special meeting, in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only. [NOTE: This operating budget Warrant Article does not include appropriations contained in ANY other Warrant Articles. The Budget Committee and the School Board recommend this article.]
ARTICLE TWO: Shall the voters of Winchester School District adopt a school administrative unit [SAU38] budget of $1,842,413 for the forthcoming fiscal year in which $262,654 is assigned to the school budget of this [Winchester] school district? This year's adjusted budget of $1,772,572, with $252,698 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.
ARTICLE THREE: To see if the Winchester School District will vote to raise and appropriate “up to” $50,000 to be placed in the Special Education Expendable Trust Fund, and authorize such amount to be funded from the June 30, 2008 unreserved fund balance available for transfer on July 1, 2008? [NOTE: This article will not require any additional funds to be raised through general taxation.] The School Board this article. The Budget Committee does not recommend this article.
ARTICLE FOUR: To see if the Winchester School District will vote to authorize the school board to enter into a 4-year lease agreement for the purpose of leasing 25 computers, and to raise and appropriate the sum of $7,065.62 for the first year’s payment for that purpose? This lease agreement contains an “escape” clause. (Majority vote required). The Budget Committee and the School Board recommend this article.
ARTICLE FIVE: Shall the Winchester School District receive the reports of its agents, auditors, committees and officers?
ARTICLE SIX: Shall the Winchester School District vote to transact any other business as may lawfully come before the meeting?
K. Whippie MOVED to accept Articles One through Six on the school budget as printed; SECONDED by: C. Thompson,
H. Parkhurst introduced the candidates for two, three-yr term School Board seats:
*Wendy Hildreth
*William Klause
*Gary O'Neal
*Chris Thompson
John Frado opposed the Motion; feels it shortcuts the democratic process.
Kevin Whippie feels it doesn't short circuit any discussion on any Warrant Article, it just moves the whole thing forward expeditiously.
H. Parkhurst advised if there is a vote in the affirmative, this Warrant will go to the printers and the voters as is.
Roberta Frasier asked about the crossing guard; why is it not on a Warrant Article.
C. Thompson explained it is in the budget, level funded at $7,200.00.
C. Duquette explained that is for 180 days at two hours per day, for $20.00 per hour.
William Klause asked about Article Four. Does that include a contract for the service of computers.
C. Thompson explained they have a copy of the lease. Were leaning toward fixed PC stations that have leases on them. However, the cost was almost the same to purchase rather than lease.
K. Whippie - We wouldn't incur costs for the disposal of computers?
C. Thompson - Would likely be the intention to purchase for a $1.00 buy out as allowed in the contract.
John Frado asked for clarification on Article One. Why is the default more than this year's budget?
C. Thompson compared the new budget to where it is now.
J. Frado was confused. C. Thompson said everything was going up except for the default budget. Feels this is incredibly misleading.
C. Thompson explained the budget incorporates all anticipated needs. The amount needed also depends on the amount received from aid.
J. Frado asked how much more or less did we get from the State this year than last year?
T. O'Connor advised we received $1,266,150 for the current year's adopted budget and $1,494,928 recommended by the Budget and Board.
K. Whippie advised if we don't go to the polls and adopt the budget, we negate the work done by the Board and the Budget Committee to bring in a responsible budget. He feels we need to talk this up and make it clear that if this budget doesn't pass, we will pay more; maybe for less.
H. Parkhurst advised that there was an article in last night's paper advising that the Winchester school budget is up less than two percent.
Billie Jo Newell asked about Article Three. She wanted to hear from the Budget Committeee as to why they did not recommend this Article.
S. Tedford explained that the original request received by the Budget Committee was $200,000. Any money left in the operating budget would help reduce taxes. If we pass Article One and all other articles pass, could end up with a lower tax rate.
Billie Jo Newell asked what S. Tedford would recommend for Article Three?
S. Tedford advied that he will vote not to approve the article; he doesn't think we need it. He explained that that is his personal vote only.
C. Thompson explained initially asked for $200,000 at outset as felt Special Ed was insufficiently funded, but realized sufficiently funded and put it back to $50,000. At end of school year one child can put us back over $100,000. Have $50,000 currently. Kids in district individually can cost $200,000. Can avoid supplemental appropriation by having that account; it is still the taxpayers money.
Trevor Croteau explained that the Budget Committee originally recommended up to $25,000.
G. O'Neil explained that he and Chris Thompson go over Special Ed funding issues on a regular basis. There is a student currently in Keene now in residential placement; could cost us $150,000.
C. Duquette - The School Board had to use $100,000+ this year due to a deficit in Special Ed, to balance the books.
William Klause - How do you determine the cost for special needs students?
Matt Upton explained all Special Ed services go through a process with Special Ed teams. Students can ultimately be placed in a residential placement after everything has been done to keep them in school.
C. Thompson advised we are responsible for students from age three. Once they are identified by their primary care provider, they become our responsibility to work with Special Education. We can see these children come through our preschool program, we can see these children come up as every year progresses and Jude can budget and anticipate what their next year's needs will be.
H. Parkhurst asked isn't there an exit age that the school is responsible for the students?
C. Thompson advised 21.
C. Thompson advised it is easy for one or two variables to pop in. In a very short period of time, we could have a 10% increase in our student body and 23% of our children have special needs that we're not budgeted for right at this moment. So should this develop and continue in the town of Winchester, these are needs we're going to see. Feels this slush fund is miniscule in the scope of the budget and is paramount in being able to level fund things throughout the year and not have to have these special meetings.
William Klause - Seems like a lot of guess work just to throw a number out like $50,000.
C. Thompson - It is budgeting.
H. Parkhurst advised having watched people, there is very little guess work. They strain every bit of mind power, muscle power and money power to get the very best we can get for our children. I would suspect that anybody who has not been on one of these school board's or budget committees has no idea. They have to sit hour after hour weighing everything. We should be very much grateful and indebted to the people who do volunteer.
Jacky Stetzer - On behalf of the Winchester Head Start, she advised they greatly appreciate the fact that they can bring students to be tested and consult with the Special Ed Department.
K. Whippie - His assumption is that the School doesn't come up with the costs for Special Ed. We are billed dependent upon care. Our cost is according to how many students are receiving services.
C. Duquette advised the Article would only go into place if we had a fund balance at the end of the year and would only be used for Special Ed costs.
Jacky Beaman - Do you plan to go forward with hiring a Special Ed Director that was proposed?
C. Duquette - That money has been taken out. Not going to say won't be hiring that person; but the money has been taken out.
S. Tedford - Saving for a rainy day is fine, but a fund balance of $390,000 to reduce taxes, is that extra money in the budget?
G. O'Neal - We are looking to other revenue sources; explained there is a 70% reduction in Special Ed reported from Washington.
J. Frado doesn't think S. Tedford's question was answered.
S. Tedford asked if someone on the School Board would explain the fund balance of $390,000.
T. O'Connor explained that the Board and members of Administration have been carrying around some fairly substantial binders around with the materials that go into the prepartion of the school district budget and have reviewed it extensively. There was a complete overview of the budget process. He explained there would be a $390,000 fund balance at June 30, 2008 if certain events were to take place. Components would include savings from Catastrophic Aid revenue in excess of budget amounts and savings in health costs. Estimates are based on the report from the State of NH information received from us for Special Ed costs for year ended 6/30/07. It is not a very solid number, but was extremely high because we incurred significantly higher costs for Special Ed than were budgeted for. Those costs are in a great way compensated by a program that the State provides as reimbursement in the following year. When the budget was done, it was estimated we would receive $320,000, but the report then indicated we would receive additional money. T. O'connor included that money as additional revenue. The State has now delayed reimbursement and they could reduce the amount received. To date, T. O'Connor explained we have received $266,000. He is hoping that we get to the $320,000 to reduce the tax rate. If they send $60,000, he will not be short in his budget this year.
J. Frado feels no one will vote against money for Special Ed, but he is concerned about voting on guess work. Consistenly have surplus, but are still being asked for additional money. What is wrong with going to a special meeting?
H. Parkhurst - The answer is there is nothing wrong with it.
J. Frado - Then why are we asking for money now?
Matt Upton explained a supplemental meeting is a cost and drain on manpower.
J. Frado advised the cost is $3,5000 for a meeting with ballot votes.
C. Thompson explained the fluctuation in costs. You can only imagine how much heating oil this place uses. So the idea that we stick within a couple of hundred thousand dollars on a budget of this scale, he thinks is something beyond remarkable. Every dollar goes back to taxpayers.
J. Frado feels they do a good job in that respect; that's a pretty good margin. But feels there is consistently a surplus; why do we need the money now?
C. Thompson - If regular ed accounts are short will not take money from the Special Ed account or vice versa.
J. Frado asked would will still have to go back for an additional $50,000?
C. Thompson - No, we would make the best guess with Jude, etc.
C. Thompson advised had a deficit in Special Ed and withdrew $100,000 from the Special Ed Warrant.
Roberta Frazier - The school budget is not a bottom line budget?
C. Duquette - Yes it is.
R. Frazier - So we would not need a special meeting until the whole budget was expended?
C. Duquette - Correct.
R. Frazier - Feels should be expended from somewhere else first.
C. Duquette explained we took $100,000 out of the Warrant account and the rest of the budget to offset the Special Ed line item.
R. Frazier feels if Special Ed gets overdrawn, the Board should see if there is anywhere they can take money from first.
C. Thompson explained we were overdrawn more than $100,000 in the Special Education line item. Explained there are certain things that must be done, such as running the plow, electricity, etc.
C. Duquette - The Board had agreed if there was anything over $50,000 in Special Ed account would return to taxpayers. It didn't happen this year.
R. Frazier - If not enough money in the Special Ed account, would you go to the Town for a special meeting or the bottom line?
C. Duquette - The bottom line or Warrant Article account. Special Ed fluctuates so much.
R. Frazier - Instead of using money from the fund, feels we should use it from budget first.
C. Duquette - Explained have done it a number of different ways. Special Ed is mandated. It is something we must do; sometimes at the expense of regular ed students.
MOTION PASSED BY VOICE VOTE.
H. Parkhurst advised the School Warrant will go to the printer as printed.
S. Tedford MOVED to recess the meeting at 8:05 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Peggy Higgins