Voters who attended the school deliberative session Feb. 2 spent several hours debating whether taxpayers could afford a proposed 5.7 percent increase in the school tax rate. The preliminary school district budget, with warrant articles, stands at $59.8 million – a 3.8 percent increase over last year’s budget.

Prior to the deliberative session, the School Board had reduced its proposed budget by $1.1 million, bowing to decreasing state aid and health insurance costs that are projected to increase by as much as 18 percent in the coming year.

Despite the cuts, several voters at the deliberative session said more needed to be done to ease the stress on taxpayers already burdened by the harsh economic realities. The proposed budget, with warrant articles, would increase the school tax rate by 81 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.

The two warrant articles that caused the most debate were a $7.8 million bond to renovate McKelvie Intermediate School and $1.3 million in contractual salary increases for teachers, support professionals and maintenance staff.

To justify the $7.8 million McKelvie bond, the School Board argued that renovating the school now would allow the district to capitalize on low interest rates and $2 million in state building aid.

Despite the possible benefits, some voters questioned whether the scope of the project fit the economic times.

Ann Marie Banfield said the prospect of building aid was misleading, since any federal or state aid ultimately comes out of taxpayers’ pockets.

“I don’t see where you’re doing what’s absolutely necessary, and that’s what’s making a lot of people in this town very angry,” Banfield said. “It’s not free money. If it’s from the feds, if it’s from the state, it’s from us.”

Pamela Robert, a teacher at McKelvie, said the bond was absolutely necessary. Robert, who attended McKelvie as a student, said the building’s problems have continued unresolved for years.

“I remember sometimes our teachers would ask us to get our coats because the rooms were too cold, and a bucket would be in the corner because the ceiling was leaking” Robert said. “Well guess what? I’m now a mother and have children in this district, and we still have this same problem.”

The night’s other point of debate involved three warrant articles that authorize the district to appropriate more than $1.3 million for contractual teacher and staff pay raises. Several teachers and students spoke out in support of the articles, backed by an auditorium filled with dozens of fellow teachers and classmates.

Marie Carbonneau, a Bedford teacher, said overworked and underpaid teachers rely on the pay increases to survive. She said she works two jobs and spends money out of pocket to buy supplies for her students.

“I’m a single mom working here in Bedford, living here in Bedford, trying to make it all work,” Carbonneau said, asking teachers in the audience whether they worked more than one job. Several hands went up. “We don’t make a lot of money.”

Despite several dozen high school students and teachers supportive of the pay increases, several voters spoke out against the warrant articles. Elaine Tefft said while teachers and students should be valued by the community, they must make sacrifices when other residents cannot pay for heating oil, medicine or other necessities.

“I realize the kids are our future, but a future without context is not worth anything,” Tefft said. “And I think we need to start thinking about some of the other people who live in Bedford – not just the young people.”

Town residents will have a chance to vote on all school district warrant articles on March 9.