By JEFF EPSTEIN
[email protected]
GRANTHAM — A proposal to start a preschool within the Grantham Village School (SAU #75) was a highlight of interest during Tuesday’s public hearing on its 2019-20 budget.
The school already serves 3-4 year-olds by sending them to existing preschools in the area. The cost to do that this year was $97,948, according to school figures. The new in-school program next year is expected to cost $131,806, a difference of $33,858. For a home valued at $350,000, that translates to an additional $26 in taxes.
The State of New Hampshire does not provide school assistance for pre-schools. The federal government, however, provides some.
The advantage of an in-school pre-school, administrators told the audience of about 40 people, is the opportunity for early intervention, “catching” individual special education needs at an age before a formal Individual Education Program (IEP) is required.
If you can spot a need for a service such as speech therapy in a 3- or 4-year-old, said Principal Heather Cantagallo, “then we don’t have to go down that whole special education road.”
The program would be half-day, with a mix of children who are already labeled “special education” and others who are not. This is a deliberate design considered a best practice, explained SAU Superintendent Sydney Leggett.
Some questioners wanted to know more details about the pre-school, but they are not worked out yet, board members said.
“We’ve discussed all kinds of scenarios,” said board member Lesley Nesbitt. “The idea here is to gauge public opinion.”
The total 2019-20 school budget details presented as the “general fund”, including administrative and building expenses, is $9.57 million, an increase of $294,912 or 3.18 percent over this year. However, the school’s summary of the increase, with other items possibly included, lists the total increase at $327,807. That figure, the school wants the public to know, includes fixed increases of $297,665, which means that 90 percent of the proposed increases are based on fixed costs.
The current school tax rate is $18 per $1,000 assessed valuation. The proposed increase for 2019-20 is $0.32 per $1,000, for a tax rate of $18.32 per $1,000. For a home valued at $350,000, the increase would come to $112.
The town will vote on the school budget during the annual district meeting March 5.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.