Vermont Business Magazine Burlington School District (BSD) on Wednesday released its proposed line item budget for fiscal year 2020, as well as a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document related to the budget proposal. All told, the proposed budget represents a 4.36 percent increase from last year which the District estimates will have a tax impact of a 4.86 percent increase for residents paying taxes based on their property values. The total budget is for $88,706,132, on which voters will decide on Town Meeting Day March 5.
The BSD said in a statement that it is encouraging community members to visit www.bsdvt.org to view the documents and a complete list of budget reductions and additions, and learn more about the plan forward for fiscal year 2020.
“For the past several years we have published these documents as a way to show the taxpayers exactly how the district operates,” said Superintendent Obeng. “These documents give a clear, transparent picture of how BSD plans to bring in and distribute resources in a manner which will help us accomplish our strategic plan goals, close the achievement gap in our district, and raise the bar for all of our students.” Obeng noted previous year budgets remain online in case anyone wants to compare budgets side by side, or just get a reminder of the District’s goals.
“The proposed budget includes a number of strategic additions as well as more than $800,000 worth of reductions from central office and operations, where for the past five years we have made the difficult decision to trim in order to divert resources to instructional goals,” said Obeng. He mentioned that additions include continued support of Pre-K programming, resources to better implement Restorative Practices, additional social workers in elementary schools, and a strategic, data-driven decision to hire para-educators for a number of our Kindergarten classrooms. Reductions include a mix of non-instructional staff positions, the conclusion of some one-time projects, and realizing savings by using more in-house equipment and personnel.
According to an FAQ that can be found in full on its Website, the BSD said that the proposed budget equates to spending $16,064.66 per equalized pupil. This projected spending per equalized pupil is 6.31% higher than spending for the current year.
The tax rate on those who pay on the basis of their property value is estimated to increase 4.86%. The tax rate onthose who pay on the basis of their income is estimated to increase 0.43%.
Taxes on a $250,000 home will go up $225 per year, or about $18.75 a month.
Due to increased general fund costs (wages, insurance, inflation, etc.) and increased debt service, the BSD would have had to cut $2.2 million in programmatic spending to have level funded this year’s budget.
Burlington School District (BSD) is a pre-k-12 public school system of about 4,000 students in Burlington, VT. BSD’s mission is to graduate students who: value different cultures, engage with the community, communicate effectively, think creatively, skillfully solve problems, and achieve at their highest academic, intellectual, and personal potential.
Source: Burlington School District 2.20.2019