By ARCHIE MOUNTAIN
NEWPORT — An attempt to slice the proposed 2019-20 Newport School District budget by $963,855 at Saturday’s Deliberative Session failed on a ballot vote of 150-96.
The motion to amend the operating budget back to an even $18 million proposed by Bert Spaulding Sr. was soundly defeated, 150-96.
In the end, the operating budget of $18,963,855 was supported. Tax impact, $3.84. If Article 3 fails to get voter support on March 12, the default budget totaling $19,163,662 will kick in.
The operating budget action, however, was one of the two major highlights of the five-hour meeting held in the gymnasium at Newport Middle and High School.
The other was approval of a three-year contract for Newport teachers that will include pay raises and make up some of the annual step increases that were sought in recent years when voters did not support teacher increases. Tax impact, 80 cents for first year.
It won’t all come in the 2019-20 school year but teachers will be at their right experience step level in the second year of the contract, according to Lisa Ferrigno, co-president of the Newport Teachers Association
It was also mentioned that pay and step increases will help Newport retain teachers and hire new ones. Newport lost 27 teachers last year for various reasons.
An earlier amendment to add $120,000 to the operating budget to bring that final number closer to the default budget number failed on a vote of 168-101.
All the other articles passed before the meeting ended at 2 p.m. If they all win approval at the March 12th voting session from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Newport Opera House the tax impact will be $5.38 per $1,000. On property assessed for $200,000 the increase will add an additional $1,076 on its tax bill.
There was not a lack of discussion from both sides on the two major monetary articles.
“We took out everything we possibly could without personnel and got the operating budget down to just over $19 million,” said Tim Renner, a school board member who is not seeking re-election. “We got it down to what it is today. Seventy-five percent covers personnel and Special Education. There is not much more we can cut.”
“We care about the children of Newport,” said Lisa Ferrigno, a Grade 1 teacher and co-president of the Newport Teachers Association. “They need a safe place to learn and to play,” she said making reference to the move in Newport to erect a new recreation center.
“I’m horrified. These are awesome teachers,” said Heidi North, a Newport businesswoman. “These teachers deserve more money than they are asking for.”
“While we advocate for these wonderful things it won’t attract people to this community,” said Robert Scott, Newport School District Clerk and Treasurer.
“We are paying for past shortcuts,” said Russell Medbury, a candidate for School Board, when he offered the amendment to add $120,000 to the budget.
“The school district needs to get is financial problems in order,” said Jeff Kessler, a member of the Newport Budget Committee and chairman of the Newport Board of Selectmen.
“If this budget doesn’t pass today it won’t pass in March. It’s suicidal,” Spaulding said.
“Their budget is useless and has no reality. I don’t think there is any expertise in this group to enact such a budget,” said Todd Fratzel, chairman of the Board of
Selectmen. “This district has no leadership for finances. If you don’t want to see the same things happen you have to do something this year.”
Ferrigno said a budget cut would mean the loss of 13 teachers, equivalent to the loss of two entire departments at the high school or almost all of the Middle School staff.
“How do we make things better by doing less? Cutting money is not the way to save money,” Renner stated.
“This School District has had 18 to 20 Business Administrators and catastrophe after catastrophe. It is ludicrous to look at a 41 percent tax hike on this town,” Spaulding said.
He also spoke of the overdue bill for $178,402 to cover Croydon’s tuition payment for 2017-18 that has yet to be paid and was due 237 days ago. “That should have been income for the year that just ended,” according to Spaulding.
Several other articles on the warrant then gained support from the large crowd that had thinned out a bit.
Article 5—Authorization to hold one special meeting to address the cost item of the Newport Teachers Association agreement if it is defeated in March.
Article 6—A sum of $45,000 was approved for a feasibility study and design of the programmatic and physical renovation or expansion of the Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center. If this eventually happens, 75 percent of the funding will come from the State of New Hampshire. Tax impact, 10 cents per $1,000.
Article 7—Raise $200,000 for the purpose of programming, construction and staff costs to expand the Special Education program and services for autistic and other similarly identified students in the elementary school. Tax impact, 46 cents.
Article 8—Fire alarm panel upgrade at Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center, $78,000. Tax Impact, 18 cents.
Article 9—Creates an expendable trust fund to be known at the School Health Insurance Fund.
Article 10—Authority to apply for, accept and expend, without further action by the Newport School District, unanticipated money from state, federal or other governmental unit or a private source which becomes available during the fiscal year.
Article 11—Authorizes the Newport School District to retain year-end Unassigned General Funds in an amount not to exceed, in any fiscal year, 2.5 percent of the current fiscal year’s net assessment. Such fund balance retained may only be used to reduce the tax rate or for emergencies or over expenditures to be approved by the Department of Education.
Article 12—To raise and appropriate the sum of up to $25,000 to be added to the Transportation Capital Reserve Fund previously established. To amount to be raised from taxes.
Article 13—To raised and appropriate up to $25,000 to be added to the Unanticipated Educational Services Expendable Trust Fund previously established. No amount to be raised from taxes.
Article 14—To require that the annual budget and all special warrant articles having a tax impact contain a notation stating the estimated tax impact of the article.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.