School board approves budget proposal

SHARON — Adhering to state Minimum Budget Requirement (MBR) constraints, the Board of Education voted unanimously on Thursday, March 30 to submit its 2023-24 proposed budget for Sharon Center School to the Board of Finance, not with a decrease in spending as had been suggested, but rather with a slight increase. The meeting was conducted on Zoom.

Following discussion, board members agreed to increase the capital expense line by $1,756 and resubmit the spending plan to the Board of Finance. The finance board had called for reducing the budget by a total of $39,000 to be found in the capital expense line.

As originally submitted earlier in March, the Board of Education budget showed no increase in spending, retaining the current year’s total budgeted spending level of $4,512,571. The budget estimated that the current year’s expenditures would total $4,387,450.

Doug Cahill, chairman of the Board of Education, led off discussion by defining three possible courses of action, including the reduction by $39,000, taking no action, or increasing the capital line by $1,756.

Region One Business Manager Sam Herrick explained some of the major budgetary factors to be considered.

“We calculate on October 1 the number of resident students who are attending the high school,” Herrick said, noting that the state’s resident student numbers do not match the school’s count and that his office is working to reconcile the difference.

“We have to be sure that students get charged to the town. We only look at resident kids,” Herrick said, adding that care is taken that outside or exchange students are charged to the correct town.

Education board member Deborah Rathbun commented that potentially declining enrollment numbers could benefit the town by sending fewer students to the high school.

“But you still have the local costs continuing,” Cahill responded. He also noted that the increase of $1,756 would likely be returned to the town at year’s end as unexpended funds, unless something unexpected should happen.

The addition of $1,756 was supported by Herrick who indicated that the town would be likely to receive that much more in state cost sharing funds, while also remaining in compliance with the MBR requirements.

Cahill praised the work of Herrick who had reviewed the situation for the school board prior to  the Board of Finance’s meeting to discuss budget proposals on Tuesday, April 4.

“They will understand our position that we need to stay above water on the MBR,” Cahill said.