WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — An appreciative Finance Committee on Wednesday heard an explanation of Williamstown Elementary School's proposed $6.8 million fiscal 2018 budget.

 

The K-6 school has a budget that calls for a 2.39 percent spending increase over this year but which calls for a 3.64 percent increase in funding from town property taxes.

 

After a 90-minute presentation from interim Superintendent Kimberley Grady, Principal Joelle Brookner and members of the School Committee, the Fin Comm members in attendance appeared satisfied with the fiscal direction of the school.

 

"This was pleasant and very informative," Fin Comm member Daniel Gendron said. "It has a different feel than not only last year but prior years. … My confidence level has surged."

 

It was clear at times during Wednesday's meeting that the Fin Comm does have concerns about the long-term budget prospects at the elementary school, and there will be at least another meeting between the town panel and the School Committee to address those concerns.

 

School Committee Chairman Joe Bergeron indicated that his committee was aware of the need to take a hard line as it heads into budget negotiations this summer with all three of its collective bargaining units.

 

The 2.39 percent increase on last year's $6.7 million budget is made possible, in part, because of a 1.5 percent decrease in the teacher wages — about 28 percent of the budget. The decrease comes not because of a change in staffing but because of retirements that allow the district to bring in lower-paid replacements.

 

Another factor keeping the bottom line increase to just 2.39 percent: a modest 1.6 percent increase in health insurance because of Berkshire Health Group's move to a deductible plan for municipal employees in the region.

 

"If we didn't have retirements and the health insurance break, this exact budget would have been a 7 percent increase," Bergeron told the Finance Committee. "We know we can't come to you with 7 percent increases."

 

The 3.64 percent increase to town taxpayers — the appropriated portion of the budget in school budgeting parlance — arises from a need to put more of the school's operating expenses into the appropriated side of the budget and rely less on non-appropriated funding sources, principally grants and school choice revenue.

 

Grant revenue is expected to decline slightly in FY18. School choice could end up going up slightly if all 36 open school choice slots are filled for the entire year. But Grady explained that the district was being more conservative in its planning for that revenue.

 

"Families move," Grady said.

 

Last spring, the district projected just more than $206,000 in school-choice revenue. The actual figure for the current fiscal year is going to end up closer to $169,000. In addition, the district expects to use even more of the school choice than it budgeted.

 

The net effect is that while school officials last spring projected a $61,149 carryover from FY17 to FY18, the current projection puts that carryover at $13,902.

 

In order to avoid a cycle of ever-dwindling reserves, the district attacked the problem on two fronts: First, it is budgeting for $155,000 in school choice revenue — the equivalent of 31 filled seats even though it has 36 school-choice slots available. Second, it is budgeting just $133,909 against school-choice revenue — 14 percent less than it budgeted against that revenue for FY17.

 

The result of both those moves is that the 2018 spending plan projects a $34,993 carryover in school choice to fiscal 2019.

 

"Ideally, next year, we walk in here saying we filled all 36 [school choice slots]," Bergeron said. "I'd much rather walk in and say we brought in more money than we projected rather than walk in and say we have less."

 

Grady noted that the FY18 budget includes money for out-of-district placement of special needs pupils that she hopes not to have to use. Ideally, unanticipated out-of-district needs that arise after the budget is voted at Annual Town Meeting could be met with reserve funds — but the school's projected $13,902 school choice carryover would make that strategy unworkable.

 

"Knowing the reserve in school choice is down to $13,000 … we have some children whose needs we are meeting [in the school building], but I don't know how much longer we can do that," Grady said. "I don't want to come back for a special town meeting to pay for an [unexpected] out-of-district placement because in a town this size, the children are easily identifiable."

 

The Finance Committee members agreed with the district's conservative budgeting approach to rebuilding its reserves.

 

Brookner expressed her appreciation of the town's past votes to support the elementary school budget.

 

"Academics in the classroom are very important, but so are the arts, so is technology, and we're committed to keeping those things," Brookner said. "We're committed to keeping a manageable class size. It's something we value, to have manageable class sizes and low student-teacher ratios.

 

"We're a Level 1 school. We received a special commendation from the commissioner [of education] for our students' high achievement and high growth. That's a recognition of the support of this town and the hard work of our staff."

 

The Finance Committee will hear a presentation from Mount Greylock Regional School next Wednesday and will vote its recommendation on all the fiscal warrant articles later this spring in preparation for the May 16 annual town meeting.