By Angelo Lynn/Addison Independent
The Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union Board is well on its way to adopting a fiscal year 2024 budget with preliminary numbers projecting a 10.71% increase in spending, with certain line items like fuel seeing a 48% increase over the prior year.
The Consumer Price Index (inflation) is around 9% over the prior year, which is driving up that aspect of the Brandon-area school district’s budget.
Specifically, the RNESU board is eyeing a spending increase of $1,149,539, from a FY23 budget of $10,773,367 to a proposed FY24 spending plan of $11,882,906.
Primary cost drivers for the proposed spending plan are:
- 6.85% increase in salary and benefits.
- 21.91% increase in EEE and PreK coordinator, representing a difference in spending of $75,796 compared to the previous year, but which represents only 0.71% of the total budget.
- 10% increase in Special Ed and Act 173 spending, representing an increase of $625,850 for a line item that represents 5.83% of overall spending.
- 7.83% increase in overall transportation costs, representing an increase of $101,693 for 0.95% of total spending.
- 48% increase in supplies, including fuel, seeing an increase of $244,864 and representing 2.28% of total spending.
In general, the proposed budget sees no program changes for district-wide curriculum; no changes in the technology department; no proposed staffing changes for the board or superintendent’s offices; in the business office the district added an assistant business manager/financial analyst and eliminated a shared position and under Special Services added an executive assistant and adjusted programs to meet student needs.
Board seats open
The RNESU board was scheduled to meet on Wednesday, after the deadline for this edition, to continue discussions on the proposed FY24 budget.
The following OVUUSU board seats are up for election on Town Meeting Day this coming year:
- Brandon, one seat now held by Kevin Thornton.
- Goshen, one year remaining of a three-year term.
- Leicester, one seat now held by Jennifer Mallory.
- Pittsford seat, now held by Brett Mullin, two years remaining of a three-year term.
At-large, two seats now held by Devon Fuller and Jeremy Gildrien; candidates can be from any OVUUSD towns — Brandon, Goshen, Leicester, Pittsford, Sudbury and Whiting.
The Barstow Unified Union School District has one at large seat open.
All seats are for three-year terms unless otherwise noted. Petitions are available at each town clerk’s office and at the RNESU office at 49 Court Drive in Brandon. Completed petitions, along with a signed consent of candidate form, are due to the town clerk’s office by Jan. 30, 2023.
