SOUTHWICK – Residents will have the opportunity to participate in a public hearing on the fiscal year 2013 school budget March 20.
The Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District reviewed a second draft of the $21.4 million budget last night.
Superintendent John Barry said the budget is still evolving and the second draft reflects an 11.5 percent cut from the first draft.
“My feeling is we’re not going to have a finished document for the 20th,” said Barry, “ but it will be a work in progress.”
The current budget reflects cuts made at Woodland Elementary School, Powder Mill Middle School, Southwick-Tolland Regional High School and Granville Village School.
“At Woodland, we have two retirements that are not being filled,” said Barry. “At Powder Mill, two years ago we added a team of four teachers for the ‘bubble class’ and they were cut.”
Barry added that two of those staff were retained elsewhere in the school and two will be laid off.
At the high school, numerous small cuts were made to add up to the target cuts.
“There were a lot of minor cuts to reach the agreed upon goal,” said Barry.
The high school cuts include supplies for various classes such as graphics, as well as cuts to agenda books. All schools received cuts to energy expenses, based on current use, as well as a small increase in the copier line items.
Business Manager Stephen Presnal said the copier costs increased because the school department is entering year four of its lease agreement for its copiers, which calls for a fee of .33 cents of every copy.
“After year four there is an option to get out of it and into another state contract,” said Presnal.
Reductions were also made to supplies in Special Education and General Administration.
Barry said the budget includes a salary line item for a technology director, which is a new position in the process of being filled.
A detailed presentation will be made on March 20.
