Volume 18, Issue 49
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
Submitted by BASREP
Friday, March 16, 2012
Proposed school budget increased 4.24 percent, includes all-day kindergarten
Fun in the sun An unseasonably warm day brought out the spring in our steps! The children at BASREP enjoyed the nice weather on Wednesday, March 7. Leo DiLeone hangs from the rings.
TownTimes.com
By Mark Dionne Special to the Town Times At a March 7 meeting, Regional School District #13 Superintendent Sue Viccaro presented a proposed budget for the 2012-13 school year to the Board of Education, administrators and members of the public that includes a net increase of 4.24 percent and changes kindergarten from half-day to full-day. During her presentation, Viccaro emphasized that
most of this increase is not due to all-day kindergarten, which would largely be accomplished by replacing retiring elementary school positions with kindergarten positions. According to the presentation, without all-day kindergarten “the budget could be reduced by $150,000 based on the savings from three positions being eliminated, bringing the budget increase to 3.7 percent.�
an increase of the total budget from $33,009,935 for school year 2011-12 to a proposed figure of $34,410,378.
Most of the proposed increase comes from salaries and benefits such as health and unemployment insurance. These costs, which are set by contract, account for 75 percent of the proposed increase.
The capital improvement line of the proposed budget is
The 4.24 percent reflects
See School, page 31
Middlefield budget proposal Sam Baker scores winning shot By Christine Foster Special to the Town Times For Middlefield First Selectman Jon Brayshaw, a stable, boring budget is a good thing. The 2012-13 budget proposal submitted to the town finance board March 1 is the seventh Brayshaw has worked on during his tenure at the helm of the town government. Each has had expenditures right around $4 million annually. This year the proposed grand total is $4.2 million. “We want there not to be any shock,� Brayshaw said. “We try to keep things on an even playing field.� Joseph Geruch, the town’s
financial director, who worked out the details of the budget proposal, said the town worked very hard to keep the tax burden about the same for homeowners. Despite a grand list reassessment that lowered the town’s average valuation from $192,500 to $165,400,the taxes on an average home will be nearly identical to last year — $5,364. This coming year some of the most significant increases are in the area of infrastructure. Bridges, roads and storm basins that need attention will be getting it, Brayshaw says. The budget proposal for the capital/nonSee Budget, page 21
At a March 7 game against H-K, Coginchaug was down by two when senior Sam Baker scored a basket that tied the game. He got fouled with .9 seconds left in the game and made the game-winning shot. The victory sends the boys onto the quarter finals. Photo by John Baker
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