Interim Superintendent Proposes 5.54% Education Budget Increase

Interim Superintendent John Ramos has proposed a $76.6 million education budget for the coming fiscal year, a 5.54 percent increase over last year's spending plan.

The proposed 2013-14 budget includes increases to cover teacher salaries, employee benefits, and transportation. The added transportation spending pays for eight additional school buses needed to accommodate redistricting.

The budget also adds computer classes for middle school students and a teacher to help students homebound due to medical problems. The budget eliminates the researcher grants job in the central office.

The proposed budget of $76,667,146 represents an increase of 5.54 percent over last year's total of $72,645,500. Groton has provided zero budget increases for education for the last three years.

To continue this for a fourth year would require significant cuts, according to a list provided by Ramos. He came up with the list of potential cuts at the request of the school board.

Among the possible cuts: 16 teachers across nearly every subject area, the International Baccalaureate program at Fitch High School, paraprofessionals and cuts to the high school athletics and activites budget.

Major increases in the proposed budget include the following:

• Contractual pay raises: $996,551

• Health insurance costs: $928,308

• Transportation: $666,381

• Tuitions: $461,538

• Funding to cover previous grant: $350,000

• Legal costs: $300,000