BY ROD HANSEN
A $9.4 million school district budget, a four-year teachers’ contract and a study regarding New Boston Central School expansion are all likely to face New Boston voters on this year’s ballot.
In previewing the school district budget, New Boston Central School Principal Rick Matthews said the budget showed a $334,947 decrease in tuition due to a reduced number of local students attending Goffstown High School, while costs for transportation and materials have seen their numbers go up.
This year’s budget is set to be $9,430,844, not including special warrant articles, Matthews said at a budget hearing on Jan. 11. Failure of this article would result in a default budget of $9,318,691, which is the same as last year’s appropriation plus adjustments required by contract or law.
Some regular education items to rise in the budget include a $28,913 in new equipment costs, along with retirement costs increased by $29,133, plus $3,500 more needed in substitute teacher expenses and $12,646 in new kindergarten aide salaries.
Some reductions in pay and benefits costs appear as $23,049 less for kindergarten teachers salaries and $34,729 less in health insurance costs.
Special education program costs saw an overall increase of 13 percent, with $157,354 in new spending for that area. Some growth in line items included $44,017 in new spending for special education aides, a $53,959 expansion in contracted services with Mountain View Middle School, and $38,020 in new private special education tuition costs for high school students.
Special education saw few reductions in any line items, the most significant decrease being $33,920 less in tuition payments for middle school students.
The school budget appears as the fifth and final article on the draft warrant board members discussed at the hearing.
Another warrant article seeks voter approval for a new four-year teacher contract. A positive nod toward that article would require $119,039 to be raised for the 2007-08 year.
Also on the ballot is an article for $33,000 commissioning a survey of the New Boston School District property, along with an architectural study considering an elementary school expansion that could include the addition of grades seven and eight.
Voting
New Boston is scheduled for its deliberative session of School District Meeting on March 8, while voting on the ballot is scheduled for March 13.