nothin New Haven Independent | Superintendent Unveils $54.4M School Budget

Superintendent Unveils $54.4M School Budget

Sally E. Bahner Photo

Hamlet Hernandez, Supt. of Schools

School Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez presented the Fiscal Year 2017 to the Board of Education Wednesday evening. In simple terms, he is looking for a 2.25 percent increase over last year’s total of $53,230,000. The amount represents $1,197,520, which would bring the anticipated request to $54,427,520.

This is the largest portion of the overall town budget.

Sally E. Bahner Photo

Branford Board of Education

The Board of Education was expected to hold a workshop Feb. 8, but it has been cancelled. Another workshop is scheduled for Feb. 10 at 7 p.m., at Branford High School to address questions from board members and the public.

Once the final number is determined it will be submitted to the Board of Finance appropriations then to the Representative Town Meeting’s Education Committee, which will make the final recommendations to the RTM.

Hernandez typically selects a theme for his budget presentations and this year it is synergy.”

Issues at the Forefront

He took the audience through various key issues that play into how he arrived at the recommended budget increase. The budget’s primary intent is to allocate resources based on needs and maintaining existing programs.

At the forefront is enrollment, which has declined by 400 students between June 2011 and January 2016. Elementary school class size is 16 to 18 and special attention is being paid to fifth graders as they move into the intermediate school. Class sizes in the high school are slightly higher. On the early learning level, Hernandez said the Family Resource Center (Branford Early Learning Center) is at capacity.

Slide from Budget Presentation.

However, there are four groups of student who require extra attention: the substantial influx of ELL (English language learning) students; those with special education needs (Hernandez said special needs students are being educated within the school system and that is saving money); the number of students who requires free or reduced lunches (an under-represented number, he said); and student mobility (students who cycle in and out of the school system).

He said staffing is reflecting those changes and that Personal Development for teachers is critical.

In general, salaries and benefits are the biggest portion of the budget and they are determined by union contracts. 

Naturally the improvements to Walsh Intermediate School are part of the budgetary concerns. According to Hernandez’s presentation, the town’s long-term debt is $43.6 million, without the projected $88.2 million for Walsh; that translates into 8 cents of every $1 being paid toward that debt. Hernandez said that with Walsh that would rise to 9 cents.

Typically, the superintendent will plead his case before the Board of Finance (BOF) and a final number is determined by the Representative Town Meeting and the BOF. The process takes about four months.

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