The Jaffrey-Rindge School Board continued conversations Tuesday about possible scenarios depending on the outcome of the vote on the budget March 11, including an option that preserved teaching positions, and one that focused on maintaining athletics and co-curriculars.

Residents at deliberative session voted to reduce the proposed budget from $33.76 million to $30.76 million. Now, the majority of the School Board is advocating for a no vote on the budget article, which would put the district’s default budget of approximately $33.86 million into place.

Superintendent Reuben Duncan presented several scenarios for consideration, though the board did not take any votes.

Board Chair Chris Ratcliffe said that after the March 11 vote, the board will have 20 days to submit a final line-item budget to the state.

“The idea here is to give people and idea of what the board would have to consider,” Ratcliffe said.

Duncan said that if the budget fails, and the district moves forward operating under the default, the district would function “similar or the same” as to the district’s original plans.

Ratcliffe said the budget originally proposed by the School Board had already been examined for cuts that could be made based on data trends. For example, he said the district has typically had significant surpluses in the area of student services each year, and this year, decided to remove about $800,000 from what was anticipated to be spent this year, based on that trend. He said budgeting that way is a risk, because if all positions are filled year-round, the budget will be overspent.

Duncan explained the previous year the district had a surplus of about $1.7 million. He said in some cases, that was due to positions that were unfilled, and in some cases covered by other district employees, and that model should not be the district’s goal.

“We cannot budget in a manner that suggests we’re going to function that way,” Duncan said.

Duncan said that in scenarios where the budget passes, and the district must reduce its original proposal by $3 million, there are some scenarios to consider.

One scenario put forth for consideration to the board was eliminating co-curriculars and athletics, which would also eliminate positions such as the activities director, two part-time custodians and a grounds employee. It would also cuts to items such as raises for non-union SAU employees, purchasing new books and periodicals for the coming year and forgoing facilities work such as painting and carpeting and professional development for staff.

Duncan explained that even a pay-to-play scenario that is offset by fees or revenue would have to be counted for in the expense budget, and that the requirement was not to reduce tax impact, but to reduce the budget. Duncan said he also did not agree with pay-to-play as a concept, saying it was “disgraceful” and would leave children who cannot afford fees out.

Another option included keeping athletics and activities, but focusing on elimination of full-time positions at the elementary and middle school, for a total of six teaching positions. Duncan said three of the four positions at the elementary school could be absorbed through attrition from retiring teachers. It would also eliminate the Little Orioles daycare, summer programs, pre-K, reduce kindergarten to half-day and put off books and periodicals, non-union SAU raises and consolidating roles at the SAU.

Duncan also proposed the possibility of making cuts even if the default budget passed, reducing it by about $600,000, based on the public feedback received since the deliberative session. Those cuts could include elementary teachers, a behavior support administrator and staff development.

Correction for district mailing

A recent voter’s guide sent to residents contained an error related to the tax impact for the operating budget. The document incorrectly stated that the impact of passing the article would be an increase of $3.45 per $1,000 of assessment for Jaffrey and and increase of $2.24 per $1,000 for Rindge. The actual tax impact for Jaffrey would be 80 cents, and the tax impact for Rindge would be 18 cents.

The estimated tax impact of not passing the article is correct on the mailer – $3.58 per $1,000 for Jaffrey and $2.34 for Rindge.

A postcard has been sent to every residence in the district with the corrected information, and the corrected information is on the front page of the district’s website. The ballots contain the correct tax information.

During a recent candidate’s night in Rindge, Ratcliffe apologized for the mistake on behalf of the district, calling it an “unacceptable” error the district was striving to correct.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.