BY DARRELL HALEN

Voters will be able to debate whether more money should go to the Windham High School building project this year.

Two bond articles totaling $7 million for the school and a proposed school district operating budget of roughly $30.8 million are among the spending proposals on this year’s Windham School District warrant.

Residents can discuss them at the Friday, Feb. 9, deliberative session of School District Meeting at Golden Brook School. The meeting kicks off at 7 p.m.

The school board is asking voters to permit them to spend $3 million in interest from the bonds approved for the high school two years ago. Passage of this warrant article will not raise taxes.

This article, known as Article 4, would allow the school district to construct a high school with a student capacity of 800 students and a core capacity of 1,000 students.

The school would have 50 teaching spaces, a media center, one gym, a 600-seat auditorium, a fitness area, a cafeteria, special education areas, a life skills area, and administration, faculty and heath offices.

There would be football, soccer, baseball and practice fields; and a kitchen to serve the high school only.

Voters can add to the school by approving one or two bond warrant articles this year.

Passage of Article 2 would provide  $4 million that would enable the school district to build the school for 1,000 students; add a dozen classrooms, faculty areas and small group instructional areas; spend $500,000 more for equipment and furniture; add two more athletic fields; and increase the kitchen’s capacity to serve the entire school district.

The estimated tax impact is 15 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Article 3 provides $3 million to add a lecture hall, small gym, outdoor lighting and bleachers, a greenhouse, and to convert one playing field to a turf sports field.

Passage of Article 3 is contingent upon Article 2 being passed.

The estimated tax impact of the two articles combined is 26 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
Both bond articles require a 60 percent majority to pass.

Regardless if Articles 2 and 3 are approved, the school would have a core capacity of 1,000 students.
The school board’s proposed operating budget for the school district for 2007-08 is $30,797,659. It is listed on the warrant as Article 10.

If voters reject the budget in March, school officials would have to spend within a default budget of $30,548,285, which is the current budget with certain adjustments and contractual obligations.

The proposed budget is  $1,640,677 higher than current spending.

Within the new budget, tuition to Salem High School is up  6.37 percent, or $495.90, per student. Total tuition increased by $141,945 with 25 fewer students going to SHS.

The budget includes 3.5 percent pay increases for custodians, secretaries, principals and assistant principals, and library aides.

Also in the budget is $165,000 for three new first-grade teachers; roughly $354,955 for the third year of a teachers’ contract; more money for heating fuel; a 4 percent increase in transportation accounts; an increase in health insurance costs of $678,505 or 21.4 percent; $258,500 more for special education tuitions; and $191,565 in additional retirement costs.

Other warrant articles deal with salaries, staffing, and capital improvements.

Article 5: new contract for aides

A three-year collective bargaining agreement between the school board and the instructional assistants’ union calls for increases in salaries and benefits of $60,503 in 2007-08; $61,505 the following year; and $69,004 in 2009-10. The contract provides  3.5 percent increase in pay for each year.

Article 6: driveway and parking

Voters are being asked to put a second and final installment of money into a fund to improve the driveway and parking at Windham Middle School and to expand parking there. The fund currently holds about $32,000, and the school board is asking voters to add $115,145 to it.

Article 7: emergency repair fund

Voters are being asked to permit the creation of a fund for emergency repairs and maintenance, and to put  $100,000 of expected surplus money at the end of the current fiscal year into it.

If the fund is created, the school board would decide each year how much of expected surplus money they would seek to put in the fund with voter approval.

Article 8: septic repairs

If approved, the school board could tap into a septic capital reserve fund to repair and replace the septic system at the middle school. The article carries no tax impact.

Article 9: new art teacher

This $55,000 warrant article would provide for an additional art teacher at the middle school. The salary range would be $30,000 to $35,000 with the balance going to benefits.

The school has only one art teacher, which school officials said makes it  difficult for scheduling and creates a heavy workload for one person.

Voters will go to the polls at Golden Brook School on Tuesday, March 13. Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.