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On Monday the SAD 44 School Board approved a proposed FY’20 school budget to send to voters next month. Bethel Citizen photo by Alisoni Aloisio
- Bethel, 7.55%
- Greenwood, 5.18%
- Newry .87%
- Woodstock, 7.99%.
- An increase in the contingency account of $194,513. Teacher contracts are still under negotiation and the contingency would be used to cover increased salaries.
- Special education transportation cost increases of $63,582, due an increased need for drivers and monitors to transport students out of district and homeless students.
- A $20,000 increase to the Capital Improvement plan to refinish the Telstar track, which is required every seven years.
- A Pre-kindergarten program cost increase of $40,000, because grant funding for the relatively new program runs out this year.
- Region 9 vocational budget increase of $33,817, as determined by that school’s separate board.$7,000 for architect fees for a possible transportation garage project.
- Addition of a Grade 5 teacher at Crescent Park School, returning CPS to having three classrooms at all grade levels K-5. Reductions in staff had been made to two grade levels in previous years when enrollment numbers dropped, but those numbers are up and the teacher appears to be necessary.
- Expansion of the elementary art program from a .8 position to a full time position for $11,348, providing services to students particularly talented in the arts.
- Addition of .4 educational technician position at the Woodstock Elementary School for $9,000 to cover the library.
- Addition of a .4 social worker position for $24,707 at the elementary level, providing a full time position at CPS and a new part-time position at WES. Murphy said there is an increasing need statewide for such services.
- An increase of $15,000 to look at options for managing the hot lunch program. Murphy said community members had requested consideration of improving the quality, and noted also that as in other districts, the program typically loses money each year.
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