SOUTHWICK – At Tuesday night’s meeting, the school committee voted unanimously in favor of approving the FY (Fiscal Year) 2019 budget for the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District.
The total budget adds up to $24,438,518, which is a .38% decrease from last year’s FY 18 budget. According to the school district’s Business Manager, Steve Presnal, the decrease is due to a shift in the out-of-district costs that went to the school choice revolving account. The revolving account is not in the general funds for the school district and therefore doesn’t affect the budget.
School District Business Manager Stephen Presnal. (WNG File Photo)
Presnal believes that the decrease in the budget is a benefit financially for the district.
“We think it accomplishes the districts goals and objectives from a funding standpoint,” said Presnal.
At the last school committee meeting on March 21, Superintendent Jen Willard gave a presentation on the upcoming budget.
Willard began the presentation by going over the budget’s educational initiatives. They focused on continuing a plan to have reduced class sizes for kindergarten thru second grade, increase professional development, investing in technology, and increasing instructional coaching positions.
The district received a $223,000 grant from the state to use towards improving their infrastructure at all three schools. The money will allow each building to have more wireless access points at certain areas that need them. The grant will also give the district the opportunity to educate their teachers and staff on the upgrades.
Moving forward, Presnal noted that the assessment of the budget will be sent to each of the three towns in the district. The assessment is the portioned cost to the three communities for their membership in the district. The figures of the assessment will be what the towns vote on at their annual town meetings.
