School Board: Increase kept to a minimum

As the chair of the Springfield School Board, I encourage our citizens to support our school budget. The administration, the board and the Budget Advisory Committee worked hard over several months to create the most affordable budget
http://rutlandherald.com/article/20140211/OPINION02/702119979

Published February 11, 2014 in the Rutland Herald Increase kept to a minimum As the chair of the Springfield School Board, I encourage our citizens to support our school budget. The administration, the board and the Budget Advisory Committee worked hard over several months to create the most affordable budget. The board and Budget Advisory Committee met with principals and administrators to talk with them about their specific budget. The total budget at that time was $29,037,338, or a 3.2 percent increase. While all board and committee teams agreed that the requests were reasonable and showed restraint, changes in the residential property tax rate and other variables showed that tax rates would increase dramatically. At that time, Superintendent Zachary McLaughlin warned of the changes and asked the board to give a stated, rather than implied, reduction amount that administrators would make. The board set a reduction amount of $900,000. The administration has exceeded the goal and more due to an additional $59,050 increase in our contribution to the River Valley Technical Center budget. The Springfield school budget you will vote on totals $27,425,582. This is an $8,633 increase over last year which is a 0.029 percent increase. Springfielders value education and our children. Our children are our future, and education is their future. Please support this important vote. JEANICE GARFIELD (Chairwoman, School Board) Springfield