GRANBY — The town’s schools will avoid potential teacher layoffs and other significant cuts to programs after residents at the conclusion of annual Town Meeting Monday agreed to cover a nearly $200,000 budget gap.
A two-thirds majority of the 211 residents in attendance at the Granby Junior Senior High School gymnasium voted to transfer $185,638 from the general purpose stabilization account to increase the school budget from $7.72 million to $7.91 million. The vote passed by eight votes, 149-62.
School Committee Chairman Emre Evren made the motion to use money from the account, which had the backing of the Finance Committee.
Without this extra money, Evren explained that one teacher at the elementary school level and one teacher at the junior and senior high school level would be cut, along with reduced instrumental music and elimination of junior varsity sports clubs.
The school budget, which is $527,394, or 7.1 percent higher, than current $7.38 million budget, is part of a $17.26 million municipal operating budget for fiscal 2019.
Even though the school budget is already $943,467 more than the state-mandated minimum, Evren said this minimum spending doesn’t take into account the educational needs in Granby. In addition, special education costs continue to rise.
Unlike last year, when using stabilization money was more contentious and was not supported by the Finance Committee, town officials said this year they worked as a team to bring together a plan for the schools.
“There was great collaboration in the budget process this year,” Evren said.
Select Board Chairman Stephen Chojnacki described a “positive dialogue” between his board, the School Committee and Finance Committee toward resolving the school’s continued budget challenges.
“We have to educate our students, and it comes at a high cost,” Chojnacki said.
The work of the three committees included continuing to use a formula that provides the school $305,797 annually, available as the result of a Proposition 2½ override passed 14 years ago, and identifying an additional $200,000 from the town’s general revenues to assist transition.
“That was difficult to do, but we thought an essential thing that needed to happen,” Chojnacki said.
That $200,000 was found by Town Administrator Christopher Martin through a careful examination of the municipal budget.
In addition, Chojnacki said the town is investing in a grant writer whose work will benefit all town departments.
“We feel we are missing out on some of the federal and state grants that need to be looked at through a professional eye,” Chojnacki said.
Finance Committee Chairman John Libera Jr. said though the town budget is balanced and not dependent on an override, residential taxes are continuing to be burdened by the spending, with little commercial development to offset this.
“It’s no secret financial pressures are increasing,” Libera said.
Many in attendance, including several school staff, applauded when the school budget was approved, though some residents objected to how it was done.
“I feel the school will have to give a little bit in and give up the $185,000,” said Richard Domeracki of Batchelor Street.
Others noted the large expense the town is bearing for health insurance for retired teachers, which is in excess of $400,000.
Martin said the Select Board has instructed him to look at ways to reduce this, possibly by lowering the town’s contributions, which currently are at 85 to 90 percent of costs.
Evren said school officials are more confident in budget planning going forward. He said enrollment is stabilizing and the dramatic enrollment declines appear to be over, with more Granby residents having their children attend the public schools. There are also grants that will allow more students to participate in certain programs, such as one that focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.
In addition to the operating budget, Town Meeting also adopted enterprise funds, including $403,112 to run the solid waste department, which pays for the curbside collection of household trash, $305,137 to run the ambulance department, and $266,457 to run the sewer department
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
