Amherst School District Budget Clears Deliberative Session

No changes were made at the Amherst School District deliberative session on Saturday.

The Amherst School Board has proposed a lower operating budget this year at $24,278,572, which is .25 percent ($61,172) less than the previous year. The default budget has been calculated at $23,940,012.

Cuts to the budget, including a reduction in staff, are in response to declining enrollment in the school district. A total of 98 fewer students are projected next year and the board has decided to cut 14.1 professional and support staff. This is alongside a planned increase in class sizes from 20-22 students in grades 3-8.

Some in attendance at Saturday’s deliberative session wondered if the budget could be lowered further. A question came up as to why Amhest has a higher cost per student compared to nearby schools, such as Hollis and Bedford, who provide an “excellent education” at a lower cost.

SAU 39 Business Administrator Betty Shankel said that it is hard to compare these schools “apples to apples” because each school is at different stages and have different agreements with school personnel. For example, the Bedford School District is catching up to increasing enrollment, while Amherst is trying to lower costs in response to declining enrollment.

The Amherst School District Ways & Means Committee supports the school board’s budget.

School board member Jim Manning said that the new math curriculum, technology investments and necessary repairs will be some important items affected if the operating budget is voted down.

Another item of note on the school district's warrant is the proposal to add the estimated tax impact of budgets and warrant articles on future ballots.