PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Department's preliminary budget calls for a $60.7 million city appropriation for fiscal 2017.

 

The appropriation is $2.29 million more than this year, which is a 3.91 percent increase. That appropriation is eyed to be mixed with about $620,000 in tuition revenues to create a $61.4 million budget, which is up by 3.72 percent over last year. 

 

However, Superintendent Jason McCandless says there may be more changes coming before the public hearing on April 13. After the hearing, the School Committee will be asked to approve the final number.

 

"This should not necessarily be considered the absolute document we will be coming into the public hearing with," McCandless said. "We will be coming into the public hearing with likely a slightly different variation of this."

 

One notable change is for special education tuition. Director of Business and Finance Kristen Behnke has penned in a $438,315 increase, which is a 23.7 percent increase over this year. The increase represents an increase in the number of students needing placement.

 

However, that line could be additionally hit hard in the wake of the closing of Eagleton School, which five of the district's children attended. Behnke said she was informed on Wednesday that the state is placing those students in other schools on an emergency basis.

 

Eagleton was typically $50,000 less in tuition than other alternative schools and one student could be going to a school nearly $200,000 more costly. Behnke said the emergency placements are being done without full team meetings but that the district has made it clear school officials want a seat at the table in deciding long-term placements. Without knowing exactly where and when these placements will occur, that line-item figure is still an unknown.

 

"We are working closely with the state and our special education director to make longer-term placements," she said. 

 

Other aspects contributing to the budget increase includes $1.68 million in contractual agreements. The city has contracts in place with the United Educators of Pittsfield, the Educational Administrators Association, and the bus drivers and attendants. The School Committee is in negotiations with the paraprofessionals, clerical, custodians, and cafeteria. Those contracts call for increases in salaries.

 

In the teacher's contract — United Educators of Pittsfield — this year employees are being merged from one pay scale to another. The new matrix has even 3 percent steps while the previous contract ranged from 2.5 percent to 4 percent. Behnke said once all employees are moved to the new scale, the district will start to see a cost savings compared to the previous contract. 

 

"By year three, we'd expect a $100,000 decrease per year," she said. "We're going from an uneven scale to an even 3 percent scale."

 

The administrators are attributing a $32,000 increase in those obligations. 

 

Another driver of the cost is in three community coordinator positions. Behnke said there is a $228,000 increase on the city's budget because grant funding no longer pays for the positions in Crosby, Conte and Morningside schools. 

 

"This isn't an actual add to the district. These are positions that have been in the district for a number of years," Behnke said. "These are three staff members who are in the district now, it is just a change with how we are paying for them."

 

The city is also seeing the decrease of a kindergarten grant to the tune of $152,000 and the federal e-rate program is providing $35,000 less than last year. 

 

The district is seeing some savings this year, particularly with gas and electricity. Behnke said there is some $460,000 in saving anticipated because of contracts with utility providers. 

 

The School Committee previously held a daylong meeting with school principals to hear the wants of each school. The proposed budget accounts for some of those requests. 

 

A dean of students for Allendale School is being added at a cost of $68,000; the elementary school's office staff will see increased hours in the morning and afternoon to the tune of $13,000; permanent substitutes are being implemented with a $90,000 increase; and career counselors at Taconic and Pittsfield high schools are being added. The district is also looking to add a half-time English Language Learning teacher at Crosby Elementary school.

 

At Capeless the request to exchange a .4 full-time equivalent in the library for a physical education teacher is also being honored.

 

"It is a direct exchange. It is something they looked at for program reasons," Behnke said.

 

While some positions are being added, three positions are being reduced. A districtwide information management tech, a bus mechanic, and a staff member in the technology maintenance department are all being cut. Those represent a reduction of $140,000.

 

Taconic High School will also be under construction in 2017 and graduation will have to be held off site. Behnke penned in a $11,000 increase to pay for that. The district will also be adding $20,000 to continue its summer school program. 

 

"This is really a good return in our investment in terms of drop out prevention," she said.

 

The building maintenance line is also increasing creasing by $35,000 to leverage a federal grant to upgrade all of the wireless access points in all schools. The city will pay $40,000 for the project and the federal government will contribute $160,000.

 

"We have a $40,000 wireless access point upgrade project we are looking to do," Behnke said. 

 

More information on the budget is available below.