Overview of the FY15 SCSB Budget

This year’s budget for the Souhegan Cooperative District reflects many decisions made last year, which the board proposed and the voters supported.

Last year we reached a 2-year agreement with our professional and support staff, presented it as a warrant article, and it was approved.  We are currently in year 1, and the proposed budget for next year (year 2) includes those agreed costs, totaling an additional $118,568.  

Also last year we requested bonding authority to replace the original roof and HVAC roof units on the main building, all of which were original to the building, 20 years old, and failing in various ways.  When we proposed the bond, we anticipated bonding $1,950,000 for 7 years, with annual payments starting at $325,250 for FY15,then declining over time.  We were very fortunate to get quality bids from reputable suppliers which totaled $800,000 less than originally anticipated. For the current year we budgeted $28,031 to cover first year interest costs.  For FY15 we are budgeting $214,223, a year over year increase of $186,192, almost $140,000 less than previously discussed.

Given those two increases, totaling $304,760, the board and administration started the budget process by looking at reductions we could make to offset  these costs and keep the FY 15 budget as low as prudently possible.   Also informing our decision-making was the student population increase.  We had projected an almost flat enrollment this year, and instead were surprised with a net of 14 new students, bringing us from 813 to 827.  We are projecting more growth next year, up to 839 students, just based on the size of the current 8th grade class at AMS.

In the end, incorporating these increases, the proposed budget is increasing by only $140,809, or less than 1%, thanks to strong financial restraint by the administration and board, and the support of the Advisory Finance Committee.  This small increase for FY15 comes after a large reduction in FY14,  so the proposed FY15 budget is still $540,756 less than the FY13 budget.

The subject of cost per pupil frequently arises as we move towards voting day.  While the simple math of "total budget dollars divided by total student population" is commonly cited, the reality is that it's not that simple.  A more valid, commonly accepted measure is the one used by the NH Dept. of Education which adjusts for certain factors that tend to skew the results.  In addition, it is important to note that in an effort to make a fair comparison between schools, the NH Department of Education (DOE) does not include tuition and transportation costs, food service revenue or capital and debt service when calculating cost per pupil, and the DOE website figures tend to be more than a year out of date.  Finally, most districts in NH include elementary and/or middle schools.  Per-pupil averages are less in those grades for a number of reasons, which then in turn skew most averages lower than a pure 9-12 high school.  The Dept of Ed states on their website, “It is appropriate to compare two districts only when they have the same grade range. Even when the grade ranges are identical, only the total figures should be considered comparable because different formulas may have been used to allocate district-wide costs.”  For all these reasons, the simple calculation cannot be used to compare Souhegan’s per-pupil costs to other districts.

To vote on the budget, warrant article, and candidates for School Board, voting will be held on TUESDAY, March 11, 2014.  Amherst residents vote at Souhegan High School, 6AM to 8PM.  Mont Vernon residents vote at the Mont Vernon Village School, 7AM to 7PM.

The Souhegan Cooperative School Board