I’ve been to many budget discussions over the past couple of months, and there is one cohesive theme: Everyone wants to find the magic number to keep the town and schools running and get the budget passed on the first try. But as everyone makes cuts in hopes that the people of Stafford will pass the budget, there is usually at least one voice asking, “Is this enough?”
At the March 4, 2024, meeting of the Board of Finance (BOF) – wherein the Board of Education (BOE) presented its budget proposal – that voice belonged to David Walsh.
Superintendent of Schools Steven A. Moccio presented the budget approved by the BOE to the BOF, with a full house of school administrators and a few members of the BOE there for support.
The schools are asking for $31,420,854.90. That is a 3.86% increase over last year – or $1,167,992.85 more than in the 2023/2024 fiscal year. Of that increase, 3.06% is going toward meeting contractual obligations. From increasing transportation costs to tuition and other expenses for out-of-district placements, most of the increase goes toward maintaining the status quo. But as we’ve heard over and over again throughout this process, the schools are trying to add back some of what they lost last year. That includes:
A Pre-K teacher at West Stafford School (WSS), as a new state rule about when students can enter kindergarten, means many of the WSS students will have to spend another year in Pre-K
Two tutors at the high school to help make up for the lack of other support staff
A school counselor at Stafford Middle School (SMS)
Walsh compared the school budget to the roads, saying that the budget gets chipped away at over the years, creating a situation where it’s impossible to catch up. He noted that many of the positions lost in last year’s budget crunch were integral to providing a “basic education as we define it today." He added, "You can’t just cast off so many people without an effect."
BOF Chair Steve Geryk said, "There are needs the town has, and we have to find a way to fund them. Unfortunately, we have to ask the taxpayers for a raise."
Walsh noted that very few people voted in last year’s referendums and that it’s ultimately a small minority of people in town forcing so many budget cuts. As the Journal Inquirer reported last year, "Voters in May rejected a proposed $47.2 million budget by a vote of 1,119-426, requiring an increase in the tax rate from 35.78 mills to 39.22 mills to fund it. In June, they rejected a $45.8 million proposed budget two weeks later in a vote of 992-713, requiring an increase in the tax rate to 36.77 mills." That means just 1,545 people voted in the May referendum, 1,705 voted in June. The budget finally passed 639-542 – representing just 1,181 votes.
Next, the BOF will dive deeper into the BOE budget, asking questions and possibly suggesting changes. Stay tuned.