Marcia Chambers Photo
Saying this year’s theme was “coherence,” Branford Schools Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez presented a proposed $52.4 million education budget for 2015 – 16 Wednesday, a difference over last year’s appropriation of roughly $1.2 million, which equates to 2.29 percent.
“We are looking at a very lean budget this year,” he said. At a meeting at Branford High School, he outlined a proposed budget that keeps low class size a high priority, maintains existing programs and meets all operational and contractual obligations. School enrollment continues to decline.
Innovative programs, he said, will have to wait for next year. This budget, Hernandez said, “is not innovative. This may not be the year for us to do some innovation. But it does position us, perhaps for next year.”
Marcia Chambers Photo
Hernandez’s proposed budget formally opens the school-town budget season, a process undertaken over four months and requiring approval from the Board of Education,(pictured) the Board of Finance and the Representative Town Meeting (RTM). The RTM’s final budget meeting takes place in May, followed by the Board of Finance’s final review and the setting of the mill rate. The RTM may cut items or move funds from one department to another, but they may not make any increases.
Much can happen between now and then. Last year, in May 2014, for example, the RTM reduced the BOE’s operating budget. Hernandez had asked for a 2.73 percent increase, but the RTM gave him 1.8 percent. In the end, last year’s BOE operating budget came in at $52,227,323 after RTM reductions.
Marcia Chambers Photo
Hernandez had certain priorities and he pressed to keep them. He also asked those RTM members in the room to work toward approving the budget he presented.
Class size he told a room filled with administrators, members of the Board of Education and some parents, was “an overreaching priority.” At the elementary school he said class size averages about 17 children.
He said the public school system, with an enrollment of 3,110 children, plus about 100 more the school system pays for although they attend schools elsewhere, is different from when he first came aboard five years ago. The district is now teaching more students who come to English as a second language. The district also educates more students in need.
Overall public school enrollment continues to decline, from 3,506 students in June 2009 to 3,110 as of January 2015. As a result there will be a decline in purchasing supplies for students, Hernandez said.
The proposed $1.2 million increase in the proposed budget centers on contracted salaries, benefits and purchased services.
He told the audience “there are certain pressures on the town budget that we need to be sensitive to,” noting the school system’s relationship to the town. Among his budget priorities this year was to be “responsive to the community.” The community pays for roughly 96 percent of the school budget via the property tax system.
Town Budget Underway
The town’s budget, the other side of the overall financial equation, is not yet finalized. First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove has asked his department heads to be prudent, preparing what amounts to a flat budget.
In a recent interview Cosgrove told the Eagle that he would not be adding any new positions to the 2016 budget. He did say there would be certain increase in certain line items. “Once the Individual departments complete their budgets, we will look at the overall budget. We had significant debt paid out last year; a very responsible thing to do. There were no gimmicks in that budget. We had various projects and debt was paid out.”
He noted that Branford provides “a high level of service. We want to maintain that level of service. That is the goal. It is a challenging year,” he said noting that this was a revaluation year. Jim Finch, the town’s finance director, attended the school budget meeting last night.
Hernandez outlined only the operating budget for the 2016 school year. No reference was made to the capital budget. He said that would be taken up a school workshop meeting Monday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. at the Branford High School Media Center.
When it comes to faculty and administrators, Hernandez said he knows now – as opposed to the end of the school year – that there will be four retirements. He said an assistant superintendent’s position would not be filled this year, a tech teacher will report directly to the classroom and a third English language teacher will be added, but that this teacher’s compensation will come from other funds.
Michael Krause, president of the board of education, asked members of the audience to attend the school budget workshops.
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