Hamden Schools Seek 2.9% Budget Increase

Teachers’ time, bus rides, and building maintenance will all cost more in the upcoming school year — but how Hamden will choose to manage rising prices remains to be seen.

That was the message as Jody Goeler closed out his eight-year run as Hamden’s Superintendent of Schools with a first draft education budget for the 2022 — 2023 school year, featuring a 2.9 percent increase from the previous years’ adopted financial plan.

The primary reason for the budget jump: Costs associated with keeping schools open through Covid-19.

“This is out of necessity,” asserted Hamden schools’ Chief Operating Officer Tom Ariola as he joined Goeler at a recent walk-through for the Board of Education on the $94 million outline. 

“Salaries are contractual; transportation’s contractual; utilities are very hard to control,” added Interim Superintendent Chris Melillo. ​“Contractual obligations alone bring a 2 percent increase.”

Salaries and benefits for school staff are by far the greatest driver of the bigger budget.

Next year, teachers and staff will together receive $1,604,208 more than they’re currently paid. That increase was already determined by a new teachers union contract negotiated last fall: Read more here.

In total, the superintendents’ proposed budget is $3,470,208 more than the previous year’s finalized document. That means salary increases — the outcome of teachers arguing for more compensation after two especially taxing years of work — make up 47 percent of possible budget growth. Even after negotiations, Hamden’s starting teacher salary is slightly lower than the state average.

Changes in transportation make up 14 percent of the net budget raise and serve as the second most significant addition to the budget. Hamden will go out to bid for bus contracts on Feb. 15; Goeler said that with driver shortages and the cost of labor increasing, other municipalities are looking at an 8 percent increase for busing prices. Hamden has budgeted for a 6 percent rise in costs.

Other factors contribute to the cost of transportation. Hamden is slated to receive six electric buses in 2022. Going electric will take an additional $158,000 to keep buses running everyday compared to diesel buses, according to Ariola. Administration budgeted an additional $462,505 moving forward for student transport.

Outplacement of kids is another way in which Hamden will have to spend more in order to respond to demands of higher compensation by teachers and educational professionals outside of Hamden public schools. 

Goeler said he expects to pay $194,949 more in public tuition and $298,644 more for non-public tuition in the next school year

While the budget reflects forces like inflation — including a 6 percent in electricity costs — and the heightened bargaining power of unions, it also captures the changing internal intent of the BOE itself.

For example, maintaining buildings will depend on additional funds — roughly 4 percent more, according to Goeler — as the district attempts to reverse an earlier decision to shut down two neighborhood schools in Southern Hamden. Those two schools, Shepherd Glen and Church Street, were selected for closure partly because both are in need of costly renovations. 

Goeler said the pandemic made the town realize the importance of keeping those schools running in their known neighborhoods and communities. He budgeted an extra $142,000 to do so.

The goal of the superintendents’ budget, Goeler said Thursday, ​“is really to just share with you from a balcony level what this district aspires to do and how much money it needs to do it.”

It will be up to the Board of Education, mayor, and ultimately Legislative Council to gradually fine-tune an official budget for the upcoming school year. It’s their job, Goeler instructed, ​“to ask the really tough questions,” like whether or not the amount of money allotted to a given initiative will successfully support its development.

“We tried real hard for 2,” Ariola added regarding the 2.9 percent net budget increase. That would have put it in line with budget growth seen in 2021 – 2022 and 2019 – 2020.

“With inflation and the teachers’ contract, there’s just no way,” he asserted. ​“I’ve seen big numbers out there,” he pointed out, arguing that other districts are amping up their budgets by 4 or 5 percent following a year defined by Omicron, supply chain and staff shortages, and tough work conditions.

“You will hear a lot of noise from the Hamden community wondering why so much of the Hamden town budget goes towards our schools,” BOE President Melissa Kaplan said to her fellow board members Thursday. 

“It’s important that we are always open to inviting members of the community to come to our finance committee meetings to understand where all of this money gets allocated to, why it’s so important to invest in our schools, to support our students, to make sure our buildings are in running and operable shape.

“All the things we aspire our schools to be, it does cost money,” Kaplan said. ​“But it’s an invaluable investment not just in our students and schools but in the entire town.”

If feedback through the budgeting process turns critical of the high price of education, newly elected BOE member David Asberry is pushing for an alternative plan: Sell the 60 Putnam Ave. BOE building. 

The two-story space which houses district administrators and serves as the meeting place for BOE discussions (when they’re not pushed to Zoom) has an appraised value of $4,325,900. The town’s owned 60 Putnam since 1914.

“We’re always talking about money, so why are we spending money on the Board of Ed building if it’s in terrible shape?” Asberry said. ​“I think we should look into it … that’s a lot more money that comes to Tom. Hopefully we can give it to Tom and he can manipulate it and do his thing to it.

“If it’s all about the kids then I say we sell the Board of Ed building and get that money,” he declared.

“I agree with you — that it’s all about the kids,” Director of Pupil Services Ben Dix said with a cryptic grin.

“I’ll go anywhere,” added Interim Superintendent Chris Melillo. ​“I’ll work out of a cardboard box with a cell phone — if you need me to.”