SOUTH DEERFIELD — Frontier Regional School Committee will hold a public hearing seeking comments on its $10,716,945 draft budget Wednesday at the school at 6 p.m.
Following the hearing, the 11-member School Committee is expected to vote on the draft.
“A great deal of time and effort went into producing this budget. And while it disappoints me that we could not introduce any new initiatives, the budget will enable us to keep level services to our students,” Union 38 Superintendent Lynn Carey said Tuesday.
The draft, for fiscal year 2018, projects an increase of $311,859, or 3 percent, over the current year’s spending. It requests $7,581,824 from the four towns in the Union 38 district, a 3.79 percent increase. Of that, Conway is projected to fund $1,275,043; Deerfield, $3,645,579; Sunderland, $1,731,437; and Whately, $928,783.
The remaining budget will be funded by $2,815,735 from Chapter 70 funds; $157,050 of excess and deficiency funds; $107,677 from regional transportation; and $54,641 from revolving transportation.
Increase in staffing costs and health insurance along with a continued loss of revenue are the main drivers behind the increase, according to an information sheet provided with the draft budget. The increase “is due to a wage increase of 2.5 percent, step increases, additions to the longevity schedule and a new stipend for teaching Advanced Placement classes.”
The draft projects that 671 students will attend the school, with 140 in special education. If the budget is approved Wednesday, it will go up for approval in the four towns at their town meetings.