The Jaffrey-Rindge School Board has reduced its proposed operating budget by $185,070.
The proposed budget now sits at $25,397,600, which is $267,923 less than the 2016-17 approved budget. The district’s default budget has also been set at $25,999,574.
“This year’s proposed budget is about one percent less than last year’s approved budget,” said Superintendent Reuben Duncan.
The Jaffrey-Rindge School District will have a budget hearing this Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Rindge Memorial School gym.
There were three reductions made in the budget on Monday: a $113,559 reduction to food services, a $36,000 reduction for a bond interest credit, and a $35,511 E-rate adjustment.
School Board member Alison Bergeron questioned the food services reduction as she was concerned that there could be a drop in services for the students. Business Administrator Carrie Broderick said the reduction was due to an estimated drop in food sales.
The board also discussed draft warrant articles on Monday.
There will be as many as three warrant articles presented to address energy savings and heating equipment throughout the district: a warrant article for a $2.9 million bond contingent upon a $375,000 grant for a biomass heating system at the middle and high school, a $2.1 million lease agreement; and $500,000 to replace the heating system at Jaffrey Grade School.
The articles are written in a way that if a pricier option does not pass, the emphasis would be on the cheaper article. The board discussed putting the cost for repairs into the operating budget, but decided it would not be transparent to the voters.
The board withdrew a warrant article that would have asked to raise and appropriate $150,000 for the district’s capital reserve fund, which can be used for the reconstruction and repair of real estate, buildings, and capital equipment.
The board amended a warrant article that asks to change the cap on the School Board’s authority as agents to expend from the capital reserve fund. Last year, a warrant article was passed to limit the amount to $100,000 with a project costing more having to be approved by voters. The original warrant article asked to change the amount to $250,000, but a 3-2 vote changed the amount to $150,000.
The board is also proposing an article that would pull $180,000 from the capital reserve account to help repair the Conant High School Applied technology Center building.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.