Warrant Article Number 2 asks if voters will approve funding a bond for the purpose of adding an addition and a gym on
to the Lamprey River Elementary School. If this is approved, the
portables will be removed and ample space will be available for special
education needs, guidance offices, physical education classes, and the
nurse's office. The "temporary" portables will be gone and will no
longer be an expense (rental fees and maintenance issues). The bond
amount requested is $8,250,000.
The Building Committee used a needs assessment to determine the following reasons to ask for this bond: overcrowding, lack of special education areas, physical education held in classrooms, inadequate nursing facilities, closet spaces for guidance, and drop-off and pick-up issues. Add to this that LRES is built in a flood plain. This plan calls for flood proofing the original building with a FEMA approved dry flood proofing material. The new addition will be built away from the flood plain and in accordance with the town regulations.
The Building Committee used a needs assessment to determine the following reasons to ask for this bond: overcrowding, lack of special education areas, physical education held in classrooms, inadequate nursing facilities, closet spaces for guidance, and drop-off and pick-up issues. Add to this that LRES is built in a flood plain. This plan calls for flood proofing the original building with a FEMA approved dry flood proofing material. The new addition will be built away from the flood plain and in accordance with the town regulations.
Warrant Article Number 3 is for the Raymond School District’s Operating Budget. This is the money raised each year to pay
salaries and benefits, purchase supplies and books, and buy everything else
from food to heating oil to electricity!
The Operating Budget for the 2016-2017 school year has been approved by
the School Board and the Budget Committee at $23,285,667.
.
.
This huge
number comes after much work on the part of the Principals, the Facilities
Director, Food Service Director, Special Education Director, Technology Director,
the Superintendent, our School Board, the Budget Committee, and our Business
Administrator, Ron Brickett, who begins the process by calculating the cost of
the district employees. This includes
all employees from administrators to teachers to special education aides to
kitchen help to custodians. Our schools
are a business and all of these wonderful employees help us to be successful.
Next, we look at expenses for the
coming year. For the 2016-2017 year our largest "bill" is contractual obligations- those things we must pay due to
contracts we have signed. This includes
such things as transportation costs; student tuitions for both special
education students and those who attend the Seacoast School of Technology;
and rising health insurance costs. We also have to take our best “guess” about
the cost of oil (hopefully, staying down), electricity, insurances, and unanticipated emergencies (think about shoveling snow off the school roofs last year). When all the increases were
added together it came to $477,161! After
making cuts and adjustments of more than $326,732, the budget that is proposed is an increase
of $150,429 over the current year’s budget.
This is never easy: putting a price on our students’
education. But it is a reality and must
be done in a sensitive, caring, and thoughtful manner while taking into account
the taxpayers. In 2015-2016 our average
cost per student has dropped below the state average. We put much time, energy and effort into
creating this budget and believe it is a budget that will accomplish what we
set out to do: provide the best
educational experiences possible for our students while being careful about the
concerns of our citizens.
Thank you for reading about these items. I will discuss Warrant Articles 4 and 6 next week- just in time for the Deliberative Session!
Thank you for reading about these items. I will discuss Warrant Articles 4 and 6 next week- just in time for the Deliberative Session!
