Mary Phillips: On Moultonborough school spending, it’s up to voters to hold line

To The Daily Sun,

This Saturday, Moultonborough voters will be asked to approve a record-setting school budget of $20.5 million. Excluding revenue offsets, that comes close to $41,000 per student. Keep in mind this does not include the $8 plus million bond coming in the next few years to fund renovations at the Academy or our roughly $5 million SWEPT exposure. We have reached a tipping point. I encourage voters to vote "no" on articles VII, VIII, and IX.

Article VII and VIII ask voters to approve total budget increases of $1.2 million in teacher and staff salary and benefit increases for next year, and about $750,000 total over the following two years. If approved, the contract for the teachers is locked in for three years, and the new contract for staff is locked in for four years. Particularly troubling to me, the school board agreed to give up its authority to implement a reduction in force based on merit; from now on, any RIF must be based exclusively on reverse order of seniority.

Article IX asks voters to approve an operating budget of $19.3 million. The total operating budget (including salaries) has increased 18% over the past two years and 42% over the past five. That includes $1.6 million for administrative overhead. Why are two principals needed for the Academy’s 250 students? Administrative overhead should be reduced throughout the school.

An unfortunate effect of the school’s spending is the impact on the town budget. In part because of the school, the selectboard reduced proposed spending from taxation by nearly $600,000 to blunt the overall tax increase on our residents.

The school district meeting starts at 9 a.m. at Moultonborough Academy on Blake Road. Make every vote count.

Mary Phillips

Moultonborough