Contractual raises, health insurance drive 3.89% hike in proposed Manchester school budget [Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.]

Jan. 10—The Board of Education is expected to approve a 2024-25 budget by Feb. 12 and is scheduled to hold at least two "budget workshop" public meetings before approval.

"This is just step one," Geary said.

Geary said $2.5 million of the proposed increase would go to previously negotiated wage increases for staff members across the district, and a projected 12 percent increase in health insurance costs will lead to $1.6 million more in expenses.

"There really isn't a lot you can do about health insurance," Geary said.

Geary said the proposed budget comes with some savings, with a $1.7 million chunk stemming from recent legislation that changes the responsibility placed on districts for magnet schools.

Geary said a recent law caps magnet tuition for 2024-25 at 58 percent of what it cost in the current school year. Another piece of legislation that went into effect last year means that once a district has 4 percent of its school-age population enrolled in magnet schools, the state reimburses $4,400 in expenses for each additional magnet student beyond that.

"If either of those things change, we'll need to ask you for more money, but that's our best estimate based on the current law," Geary told the Board of Education.

Geary said Manchester Public Schools is not funded by the Board of Education budget alone, and many of the district's "innovative and new" projects are covered by grants from the state, the federal government, or private groups. He said one example is the district using grant money to pay for the IXL math practice software, which thus far has demonstrated "significant growth" in proficiency for students between grades 2 and 8.

"The part that's in the (Board of Education) budget is to maintain our schedule structure and class size for grades 2 through 8," Geary said.

Geary said the district will be losing out on the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, a grant program fueled by the pandemic that is set to expire in this summer. He said $4 million in additional expected funds from the state's Alliance District grant will help cover positions and programs previously funded by the relief program.

The Alliance District funding will also help Manchester schools take on new staff members to further goals like improving student achievement and chronic absenteeism, he said.

"People say there's nothing in the budget to improvement achievement. If I put that in the budget to improve achievement, it would be almost a million dollars" and an additional 0.9 percent increase, Geary said.

Comments from members of the Board of Education were light, mostly centered on clarification of certain parts of Geary's presentation.

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Board of Education Secretary Tracy Patterson encouraged members of the public to attend the budget workshops and gain a deeper understanding of the budget, as the meetings will cover each line item in more depth.

"It's certainly a huge undertaking and not one to be taken lightly," Patterson said.

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