The Westford School Board is presenting a redeveloped budget for the 2010-2011 school year after the originally proposed budget was defeated in May.  The redeveloped budget will be voted on Tuesday, June 15.

The redeveloped budget represents a zero percent expense increase, keeping it at the same amount as the current year’s budget: $5,194,034.  This is approximately $74,000 less than the budget originally proposed to voters.

All changes to the budget were sensitive to the needs of children and educational programming.  The School Board reduced expenditures in several areas to maintain the budget at this year’s level while maintaining planned educational staffing levels.  These areas where reductions were made include: salaries, high school tuition, overtime, benefits, liability insurance, conversion of email system, and miscellaneous items.

“Our criteria was to try not to make cuts that were going to hurt the quality of education that students receive,” Westford School Board Chair Martha Heath said. “While we think that the budget is going to be tight, we feel comfortable that it’s the budget that’s going to meet the needs of the students, while reducing the projected tax burden considerably.”

Savings were possible in salaries because the district may realize replacement teacher cost savings and does not intend to replace a half-time (retiring) receptionist position, coupled with a downward adjusted assumption on the yet-to-be-settled teachers’ labor contract.  Additionally, savings were realized in the high school tuition line as it was adjusted to presently known actual students (not considering the possibility of new students moving to Westford) and high schools’ actual announced tuition rates.  Miscellaneous savings are presently unspecified, but will likely involve less spending for supplies, equipment, travel, training, and so forth.

Westford taxpayers, like all Vermonters, either pay taxes based on their household income  or by homestead value (the case for approximately 1/3 of Westford households) or by a combination of the two (the case for approximately 2/3 of Westford households).  For those paying taxes based on income, this budget results in a 1.6% tax increase (or an additional $20 per $50,000 of income).  (The prior budget would have required over twice as much.). For those paying taxes based on homestead value, this budget results in a 5.5% increase, or an additional $62 per $100,000 of assessed value.  (The prior budget would have required nearly twice as much.).  For those paying taxes based on a combination of household income and homestead value, the tax increase will fall between 1.6% and 5.5%.

The School Board will hold a public informational hearing on June 10, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Westford School.  Voting will take place June 15 from 7:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. at Westford School.

Additional details can be found online at www.ccsuvt.org/school-boards or by contacting a school board member:

• Martha Heath, Chair: 893-1291
• Andre Roy, Vice-Chair: 879-9511
• Jennifer Townsend, Clerk: 879-3963
• Marilyn McConnell, Member: 879-6093
• Allison Weinhagen, Member: 878-5804