McCann School Committee OKs $8.8M Budget for Fiscal 2016
 The School Committee on Thursday approved an $8.8 million spending plan for fiscal 2016. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The McCann School Committee on Thursday approved an $8.8 million nearly level-funded budget for fiscal 2016.
"It's not a whole lot different than last year," said committee member Daniel J. Maloney Jr. "Unfortunately, as we have every year, we asked the superintendent to come in with as lean a budget as possible."
The budget is up 1.8 percent overall from this year, from $8,687,831 to $8,846,251, or a $158,000.
Maloney pointed to fixed costs, health insurance and state minimum spending that is not keeping pace with cost increases
"There isn't a single school district in the state that can live with those minimum numbers," he said. "It's extremely challenging."
The largest culprit is health insurance costs, accounting for $1.4 million of the budget.
"The main driver that seems to be the problem for all of us is health insurance costs," Maloney said, adding that insurance reform does not seemed to have helped. "It doesn't put one single book in a classroom, it doesn't turn the lights on, it doesn't do anything else. It's $1.4 million we do not have access to yet it goes out."
Superintendent James Brosnan said the school district's insurer, Berkshire Health Group, was up 15 percent for the coming year. He had been able to ameliorate some of the health costs by using grant money to fund certain positions, thereby lowering salaries and insurance costs incurred by the school.
"If we didn't use the grants it would be over $900,000," Brosnan said of the $873,000 line item.
Still, health costs for employees are up $43,000 over this year and $24,000 for retirees.
"If you look out down the road a couple of years, there will certainly be some difficult decisions to be made as to what and how we do things," Maloney said.
Member towns are assessed based on enrollments and, for capital costs, valuations and population, so they may see their costs change from year to year.
North Adams will pay the most at $909,644, up $49,000, with Adams second at $788,446, up $70,000. Cheshire is also up, about $20,000, while Lanesborough should see its assessment drop by about $30,000.
The total amount of assessments has changed much at $3.2 million for all nine member towns; Chapter 70 school aid is $4,638,741 and regional transportation is $225,000.
Bronson described the spending plans as "rather vanilla budget, nothing's changed much." In addition to the salaries, grants have been used to offset a number of spending items such as dues and memberships. Costs are also slightly down in professional development (reflecting in part teachers having attained degrees and certificates) and in technology (meaning fewer software license renewals or equipment is needed next year.)
The superintendent said the gas heating system had performed well — proving good maintenance pays off — and did not anticipate having to spend more next year; teachers and students had also been thoughtful about conserving electricity so that line item is only being bumped up about $4,000.
However, he warned that the towns were unlikely to get any money back from transportation funding.
"Given the funding [for regional transportation], I would not expect we would be giving much money back to any community next year," he said.
Next year will see the final payment on the gymnasium renovation, wiping out about $100,000 in long-term debt.
Maloney said the superintendent had been prescient in seeing trends and ahd taken every opportunity to review staffing and spending, and obtain appropriate grants.
"In being elected to this committee, we have a responsibility to our communities," he said, while also having "a responsibility to our young people to provide them with an education."
In other business:
• Brosnan reported that the school Excess & Deficiency account had been certified by the state at $20,635.
• The school on Tuesday had hosted a SkillsUSA District 6 competition with 701 students in Western Mass competing. Schools competing for the first time included Pittsfield High School and Taconic High School. McCann students took 20 gold medals, 14 silvers and 19 bronze.
The state championships will be held at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School at the beginning of May.
• Also in May, 10 students and faculty will be attending the 2015 National Leadership Conference of Business Professionals of American in Anaheim, Calif.
McCann Tech School Budget for Fiscal 2016 by iBerkshires.com
Tags: fiscal 2016, McCann, school budget,
