No changes were made during Mascenic’s deliberative session Feb. 2, including to the proposed operating budget of approximately $19.48 million, with the exception of an amendment to fix a clerical error in the warrant article pertaining to the district’s collective bargaining agreement.
The warrant for the collective bargaining agreement calls for spending $245,269 the first year, $268,709 the second year and $268,850 the third year. The error in the original warrant article was leaving off the figures for the second and third years.
Superintendent Chris Martin spoke in support of the district voting in favor of the CBA, saying that its increases for educators were an important component of keeping Mascenic moving forward.
“The most-important factor in a child’s educational life is their teacher, plain and simple,” she said. “We want the best and the brightest, the kindest and the most-empathetic joining our staff. In order to do that, we need to make sure our salaries are reasonable but competitive.”
Furthermore, she said the district negotiated for long-term health care savings, which would help the district retain funds in the long run.
Regarding the proposed operating budget, district Business Administrator Lizabeth Baker pointed out that the increase is 0.9%, or $181,917.
“We went as far down as we could,” Martin said, calling the budget “needs-based.”
Another important consideration, she said, was that 67% of the budget is devoted to salaries and benefits.
“We are a people-based organization,” Martin said. “We teach children, we don’t make widgets, and we need people to do that.”
As such, she said the budget as presented was as low as they could make it for taxpayers while also fulfilling district needs.
“We are confident that this number that we are bringing before you this evening will bring your students a rich experience in the next academic year,” she said.
The district’s other warrant articles are related to capital reserve funds, with neither containing any amount to be raised from taxation and instead coming from the fund balance available for transfer at the end of the fiscal year.
The first of these is $21,000 for the Food Service Equipment fund, to fund a renovation of the Boynton Middle School kitchen. The second is for $20,000 to be added to the Health Care fund to help the district prepare for potential unanticipated health plan changes.
Voting for Mascenic’s warrant articles will be March 8. Voting in Greenville will be at Greenville Elementary School from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. New Ipswich voting will be at Mascenic Regional High School from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.