The Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District proposed budget includes $78,310 to hire a full-time safety coordinator for the district.
Voters at the Jaffrey-Rindge Deliberative Session Wednesday night had little to say on the proposed district warrant, offering no amendments, and reviewing the entire warrant in under an hour.
The proposed budget for the district is $26,217,333. If the budget does not pass, the district has the option to use a default budget, which is about $85,000 more than this year’s proposed budget, or to call a special meeting, if voters allow.
There is an estimated tax impact of an increase of $1.06 per $1,000 of assessed value for Jaffrey and an increase of 62 cents per $1,000 of value in Rindge, if the budget passes.
This year’s budget includes a new position for a full-time safety coordinator for the district, a cost increase of about $78,310.
In 2013, the Jaffrey-Rindge district eliminated a position for a school resource officer, a police officer who was responsible for safety and crime prevention in the Conant High School. The safety coordinator would be a different role, and not a uniformed officer, but would have a role in ensuring the district was ready to respond to emergency situations.
Dan Whitney of Rindge said he was in support of a safety coordinator for the district, but questioned if it had to be a full-time position.
School Board Chair Laurel McKenzie said the position would need to be year-round, including over the summer break, and a full-time position was the most appropriate. She added the School Board believes it will be easier to attract the right candidate with a full-time position, compared to a part-time one.
The budget also includes 3.75 new instructional aid positions for the district, at an increase of $115,487.
The district is also proposing a four-year collective bargaining agreement for the district’s support staff, which includes instructional aids, custodians, secretaries and other non-teacher staff. The agreement covers about 80 employees, and provides for an average 2.6 percent yearly salary increase.
The agreement would provide $82,685 in salary increases the first year, $84,122 the second, $87,516 the third, and $90,646 the fourth.
“We think it is a great benefit to have the stability a four-year agreement brings,” School Board member John McCarthy said.
The collective bargaining agreement, if passed, would result in a 10 cent increase on the Jaffrey tax racte and an 8 cent increase for Rindge.
The district is also asking for funds to address the parking lots at all three of the district’s schools. $200,000 of the unexpended fund balance at the end of the year would be used to improve parking capacity and drainage, and add lighting.
“I think everyone knows our parking lots are in rough shape,” McKenzie said. She said while $200,000 wouldn’t solve all of the parking issues, it would be enough to at least improve the situation at all three schools.
The district is also asking for $100,000 for the unreserved fund balance to add to the building maintenance capital reserve. The district is currently saving to replace heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment which is at the end of its life.
The board said it does anticipate the district will have enough unreserved funds at the end of the year to both complete the parking project and add to the building capital reserve.
No amendments were made to the proposed warrant, and it will be placed on the ballot as presented. Jaffrey and Rindge will vote on all school issues, including district officers, on March 10 at their respective polling locations.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.