On Monday, April 23rd, 2018, the Board of Education for the Ridgefield Public Schools approved additional budget reductions for fiscal year 2018-19 to align with the requirements set by the Ridgefield Board of Finance.
The BOE approved school budget totals $95 million and reflects a 2.55% increase over this year. This budget will now go before the community for vote at the Annual Town Meeting on May 7th for inclusion in the overall Town Budget Referendum tentatively set for May 15th.
The increase of 2.55% vs. the 3.73% requested was met by a combination of reductions in anticipated health care costs resulting from ongoing negotiations with the current provider plus $532,155 in reductions across all schools and multiple departments. Athletics was reduced by $18,000 (to be offset with other Athletic Funds), curriculum and instruction by $38,350, facility projects by $39,210, special education by $68,611, technology by $102,984, school budgets by $50,000, new staff by $144,000, and $71,000 in the “other” category that includes furniture and memberships. The complete list with explanations is available on the district website at www.ridgefield.org in the news section.
All budget items were rated from low to high risk and final reductions focused on those determined to be of the least risk to the classroom experience and reviewed against the BOE Budget Priorities and the Strategic Coherence Plan.
“The district leadership team is confident we can make this budget work for our students and provide the engaging, relevant and personalized learning experience we aspire to every day,” said Acting Superintendent Dr. Robert Miller. “Our commitment to Ridgefield’s public school students, our staff and faculty, and this community is reflected in this budget and we look forward to presenting it at the Annual Town Meeting on May 7th.”
The current budget document will be updated to reflect these changes and posted on the Ridgefield Public School website next week for public review.
The $18,000 reduction in the operating budget will be offset by use of the Athletic Fund Balance purchase the equipment and supplies that were proposed in the budget.
Curriculum and Instruction
The $38,350 reduction includes clerical assistance, mileage, supplies and materials, books and resources, conferences, curriculum writing, and substitute teachers.
Faculty Projects
The $39,210 reduction in facility projects include repairs of low to medium risk projects. $
Special Education
The $68,611 includes reductions in legal fees, materials, protocols/testing kits, and mileage. These are all low and medium risks that would not go unfunded if a need arose during the school year.
Technology
The $102,984 includes a reduction in paper, supplies, contract negotiations, education technology subscription (Read Naturally), technology staff training, the Medicaid module, School Start Time communications, and a School Start Time speaker.
School Budgets
The $50,000 is a reduction from each elementary school and middle school by $5,000 and the high school by $10,000. These reductions may be supplies, conferences, consulting, or other school based budget resources.
New Staff
The $144,000 reduction is the withdrawal of the two new Psychologists from the budget request. While the need to continue to improve the ways we support our students is important to our mission, the leadership team believes deferring these positions is a necessary reduction in the context of other choices.
Other
The $71,000 reduction includes the District Management Council ($3,500) and furniture replacement ($67,500).
View the complete report here.