Lower School Budget Request Possible

Public comment session, Jan. 15. Weston Today photo

Possible adjustments to the Weston school district’s operating budget request may result in a lower increase than first expected, although several pending factors will have to cooperate.

Health insurance is still the major driver of higher costs, but alternatives may exist to mitigate the impact of rate increases.

At the Board of Education meeting on January 21, Finance Director Phillip Cross said it may be possible to trim the initial budget request by nearly $800,000, which would bring the increase down from 4.75 percent to about 3.4 percent.

Most of the change depends on whether health insurance rates would prompt the district to switch coverage and return to the State Partnership Plan.

Mr. Cross made clear that he is not yet recommending the change, as quotes from the district’s current provider and other carriers have not yet arrived. Also pending is official indication of State Partnership Plan rates.

Other factors

Mr. Cross said the possible move to the partnership plan might also enable the district to request a larger draw from the Town’s reserve for post-employment benefits (other than pensions) because retirees would pay higher premiums. The Board of Finance must approve such draws, and Mr. Cross noted that the board has previously advised against planning for them.

The lower budget estimates also anticipate the district saving more than first thought on salary differentials from employee turnover and coverage by Family and Medical Leave. Mr. Cross said the district’s experience in recent years is that more has been saved than was projected in budgets.

One negative

Mr. Cross said one factor that may work against the district right away, next year, and beyond is a “preliminary estimate” from the state of how much the town will receive from Excess Cost grants.

Those grants are partial reimbursements for educating students who require special services at a cost more than 4½ times the district’s average per-pupil spend in the prior year.

Mr. Cross said the town currently receives reimbursement of 68 percent of those costs, but early word says the rate is about to drop to 59 percent. He said this will add $210,000 to the budget.