FALLS VILLAGE — The 2010-11 Region One School District budget passed easily in a referendum vote Tuesday, May 4. In the six towns, there was a combined vote total of 308 in favor and 90 opposed.
Voter turnout was the lightest in six years, with a total of 398 voters participating.
The vote was tightest in North Canaan, with 53 votes for and 36 against.
The $14,396,304 budget represents an increase of $253,787, or 1.79 percent, over the 2009-10 budget.
The Region One budget has three components: Housatonic Valley Regional High School; Pupil Services (including Special Education) and the Region One central office. The six member towns are Canaan/Falls Village, Cornwall, Kent, North Canaan, Salisbury and Sharon.
At last week’s meeting of the Region One Board of Education, Business Manager Sam Herrick reported that negotiations with insurance carriers have resulted in a likely deal that will save the district a considerable amount of money. In a phone interview Monday, May 3, Herrick gave a rough estimate of total savings for the insurance buying group (which includes municipal employees of the six member towns) at $400,000.
The Region One board voted May 3 to authorize making the switch from Anthem to Aetna.
The negotiations with the insurance carriers could not be included in the Region One budget, however, which was finalized after a public hearing April 6.
After negotiations, Anthem’s final offer included an increase of 8.32 percent. Aetna offered an increase of 1.68 over what the district is currently paying.
Herrick said there are still some details to be worked out and added that Aetna, anxious to get into the public sector, had made an unusually competitive bid, which includes caps on fees for services other than claims.
This is welcome news for Region One taxpayers, as employee benefits — including health insurance — were “the lion’s share� of the increase in the regional budget, as Herrick said at the public hearing.
The regional budget covers administrative costs, including the salary for the superintendent (the central office budget); special education costs (called “pupil services� in the budget); and all costs for Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
The central office budget is $902,003 (up $10,270, or 1.79 percent); Pupil Services is $5,278,891 (up $112,547, or 2.18 percent); and the high school is $8,215,410 (up $130,971, or 1.62 percent).
