BYFIELD — The Triton Regional School Committee Wednesday night approved a $36 million tentative budget for fiscal 2013 that will require an almost 5 percent increase in the overall net assessment for the three towns in the district.
Rowley will see the highest percentage increase in its assessment at 6.21 percent, which is nearly double the 3.36 percent increase the town received last year.
Salisbury's assessment of $7,818,030 represents an increase of 5.21 percent, while Newbury's assessment of $7,650,365 represents an increase of 3.71 percent. Rowley's share of the budget is $6,474,442.
The tentative $35,999,989 budget, which is an increase of $1.2 million, or 3.56 percent, over last year's budget, reflects the increased cost of delivering level services for the 2012-2013 school year, officials said.
The budget does not include any facility or capital improvement projects, which would have added another $1.7 million to the total.
Still, the budget raised concerns from town officials, who said they were uncertain how they would fund the increase.
"Speaking as a selectman, parent and taxpayer, this increase (in assessment to the towns) is excessive, and the town of Rowley just cannot afford it," Rowley Selectman Dick Cummings said. "If this budget were to pass as is, it would devastate the services in the town of Rowley."
Newbury Selectmen Chairman Joe Story said he would be reviewing the budget further with Town Administrator Tracy Blais, but said he didn't know how the town could afford the requested amount without an override.
Triton Assistant Superintendent Brian Forget pointed to several factors for the assessment increases.
First, while the minimum contributions required by the state have increased, the Chapter 70 amount funded by the state has decreased by $10 million since 2001, requiring the towns to absorb much more of the school costs.
Additionally, while there are other ways to distribute the costs, per the tri-town agreement for Triton, the assessment amounts are computed using the state methodology formula, which is beyond the district's control.
In response to Rowley School Committee member Lane Bourn's question as to why his town's assessment is so high, Forget said it could be because the state has determined Rowley has more capacity to pay, due to its lower tax rate and the fact that the community has held property values better than others in the state.
Superintendent Christopher Farmer added that a published analysis by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, which indicated that state funding of public schools was shortchanging special education and health insurance funding, has resulted in a reduction in the proportion of total spending on teaching and learning and a transfer of costs to local taxpayers.
In 2011, all three towns paid out more than 50 percent of their general funds for educational costs, with Rowley paying out the highest at 59.5 percent, followed by Newbury at 52.5 percent and Salisbury at 51 percent.
The district ranks fifth of area schools in per-pupil spending at $11,503 per student. Wenham is highest, spending $14,219 per pupil, with Georgetown at the bottom, with $9,148 spent per student, according to 2011 numbers.
School Committee Chairwoman Dina Sullivan said the tentative approved budget was the result of many hours of discussion and deliberation by school principals and school site councils, district administration and School Committee.
"It reflects the immediate educational needs of the students in our district," she said. "The committee recognizes the assessments to the towns will not be easily met."
Sullivan said she looks forward to hearing from the public at the budget hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 29, at 7 p.m. in the Triton High School library.
Key to savings in the budget are changes in health insurance, which are expected to result in no increase in costs, although dental insurance is expected to rise 8 percent.
Additions to the budget include the addition of two fifth-grade teachers, one at Pine Grove School in Rowley and one at Newbury Elementary School, to keep class sizes low; the addition of a middle school adjustment counselor; contracted increases for the high school athletic program; the addition of a freshman softball team; additional funding for supplies; funding to equalize per capita spending across all elementary schools; and funding for key professional development on districtwide initiatives.
Newbury School Committee member Robin Williams congratulated the efforts of those who put the 47-page budget together, encouraging town officials and parents to read every page of the document, as it "tells a story and is not just number-crunching."
Feedback from the public hearing will be reviewed by the School Committee on Wednesday, March 7, and a final budget will be presented and voted on at the Wednesday, March 14, School Committee meeting. Final assessment numbers will then be passed to the towns. All meetings begin at 7 p.m. in the high school library.
The details of the tentative approved budget are available at www.trsd.net.
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