http://rutlandherald.com/article/20130918/NEWS02/709189929
Published September 18, 2013 in the Rutland Herald Springfield school spending comes in more than $150K over budget By Christian Avard Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield School District is spending more money than they anticipated this fiscal year. Director of Fiscal Services Steven Hier said at Monday’s School Board meeting the district is spending $150,674 more than the $27.5 million budget that voters passed in April. Hier attributed the extra expenses to four main areas: tuition costs, retiree benefits, occupational therapy and behavioral services costs. “It’s not good,” Hier said Monday. More than $111,719 of extra spending went toward a student who required out-of-district special education. Special education administrators made the decision at the end of the 2012-2013 school year. Hier said it was an unanticipated expense, but the school district agreed with special education administrators that the student would benefit from a new learning environment. “We didn’t know about it at budget time. Otherwise we would have budgeted for that,” Hier said. Scott Adnams, who was serving his final meeting as School Board chairman, asked whether the student will return to the school district the following year. Director of Special Services Sarah Vogel said the out-of-district placements are for a temporary period of time and that students will eventually return to the school district. “It’s a huge decision to make. It’s like a balancing act of what’s going to be in the best interest of district and student. We want it to be as short of a period as we can,” Vogel said. Despite the spending deficit, Hier said the school district is expecting $70,875 back in revenues, mostly in reimbursements by the state for special education costs. But even with the reimbursement it would still leave the school district with a net deficit of $79,799. Hier said there are other avenues the district will consider to deal with the deficit and they will wait and see what will work best by Town Meeting Day. “It’s still early in the year and anything can happen,” Hier said. “This month we’ll reconcile what we budgeted for health insurance toward the people we hired including support staff salaries and enrollment in the Gateway program and occupation development programs and see where they are. We spent over $3 million in health insurance and maybe there could be savings in that area as well.” The School Board did not make a decision on how to address the remaining money. The district’s finances will be discussed in further detail at the next School Board meeting.
You know what? I wish I could spend more money then I had, that way I could buy that new car I want, fix the roof on my house, replace my septic tank and send my kids to college. The issue is I don't have the money. Why can't government, or the school board do the same thing?
ReplyDeleteActually, most of us DO spend more money than we have; we use credit cards, take out auto loans, college loans and mortgages. . . It's called "consumer confidence." The lenders have confidence that we will repay them. There is a 60% probability that you are doing what you accuse the school of doing.
Deleteyour gonna have to fix the side walks befor you get another dime from me,why should my kid walk in the road on the way to school,OH YEA the town wont fix them
ReplyDeleteIf I give you a dime, will you buy a new space bar?
DeleteThe sidewalks are not and should not be a school district problem. If you have an issue with the sidewalk, I suggest you call the town manager.
DeleteIs this the first notice for us tax payers to get ready for a really nice big property tax hike......again. can't wait my taxes aren't quite enough yet. Maybe I can start selling drugs to cover the extra taxes im going to be paying. doesn't seem to be much of a penalty if you get caught doing it anyways!!!
ReplyDeleteThis means the same thing that it has meant every other time it has happened- they have to make up the shortfall out of the current budget somewhere. They can't raise taxes now. This has happened before and it will happen again, Sheeple. Don't let the Rutland Herald scare you.
ReplyDeleteThis is less than a one percent variance. Nothing to be alarmed about. But it "sells" news for the purveyors of nonstories like this one. Nothing to see here folks... Move along to another website, please...
ReplyDeleteI had to reread this several times to confirm I wasn't hallucinating. >$111,719 was spent on 1 sped with the justification of, "would benefit from a new learning environment." Would benefit? JHFC, what student wouldn't benefit from $111,719??? Keep in mind, this is on top of the $17,703 AVERAGE cost per student already budgeted. So, this kid cost me and every other chump paying taxes here, over $130K!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou have to question the common sense of this action. $130K would put a gifted, low income student thru 4 years of medical school. So what do we have to show for it now?
A sped who will never amount to anything! We are spending too much money on kids who will never do anything more than sell drugs to other kids or breed another set of welfare recipients. Maybe we need to spend our tax dollars on kids who will do something to this dying town?!?
DeleteYou can thank the federal government for that one. Nothing can be done about it on the local level.
DeleteLook. you all really need to know how this scenario is twisted and understand the manipulation and spin being put forth. Now, first let me point out that the amount that the school cut FROM the budget was 150K. Funny that they over spent that same amount. What is and will happen just as I said when the budget was announced this spring BEFORE the vote, was that they would cut and then overspend and come next budget process, that amount will then be added in to justify the school budget going up and hopefully the sheeple won't question it. You are being manipulated.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I DO NOT FOR A NEW YORK MINUTE believe the story about 111K for one student and the school didn't know about it. The Special ed process is so detailed and planned out there is no way possible that they didn't know. They either did that on purpose and will bring the child back to where ever with their new budget amount now in place next year. However, this is not the first nor second nor third time that the SPED director has made big mistakes. She should be replaced with a competent individual. If you believe that your taxes wont go up next year then you belong with the rest of the sheeple and uneducated in this town. History repeats itself. Go back through past years and look at the excuses and what happened afterwards...
What you are missing 10:37 is that there is no benefit to the district running short. They have to make up the shortfall from somewhere in this years budget. Rather than a benefit this is going to be a headache for some people. They will have to find something to cut now. As for next year...will this kid be still be there? Who knows? Someone else may move to town. Someone may leave.
DeleteYour whole theory that there is some grand conspiracy going on here to raise taxes by the school district smells like tin foil hats.
"The longest standing principal makes great changes," blah, blah, blah... The administration and school board is doing a bang up job...
ReplyDelete