School Committee Reviews $65 Million Draft Budget

Editor's note: This story was written in part using audio posted on Mywoonsocket.com's "In their own words" page, where a recording of the entire meeting is available.  

The Woonsocket School Committee reviewed a tight $65,347,290 FY14 draft budget Wednesday night based on assumed health insurance savings imposed by Woonsocket Budget Commission.

While presenting the budget, Interim Finance Director Ralph Malafronte noted the document was extremely tight, with few changes over last year's budget. He also noted it was less than last year's $66,643,181 budget. "But that's all tied to some issues that are under negotiation," Malafronte said.

According to the Budget Commission's 5-year plan, insurance savings under a unified system is one element of a multi-faceted plan to bring the city out of financial insolvency within five years. 

Medical insurance for the school department is projected to cost $8,983,629 - a savings of $1,996,124, according to School Committeewoman Anita McGuire-Forcier. 

Dental insurance for the school department is projected to cost $503,742, a savings of $16,659, according to McGuire-Forcier. 

"I think that number's too low," said Committeewoman Eleanor Nadeau. A few members expressed reluctance to back the health insurance switch, since it was only a possibility. "I would say the Budget Commission sees it as more than a maybe," said Committeeman Chris Roberts. Roberts suggested they amend those line items to reflect they were using the Budget Commission's projections, which the Committee approved.

Roberts also suggested a number of increases to line items which the Committee approved:

• Adding 1.5 to 3 percent to the $231,000 line item for coaching and extra curricular activity pay in keeping with a change to school department salaries.

• Adding $99,000 to the $251,000 line item for unemployment payments. Last year, Roberts said, the department paid out $500,000 in unemployment payments, so the suggested line item seemed too tight in that light. 

• Adding $1,934 to the $14,000 postage line item. The cost for postage last year was $15,934, Roberts said, and postage is unlikely to drop next year.

• Adding $203,000 to the $4,597,000 Special Education line item, bringing it up to $4.8 million. Roberts noted again that the previous number left too little room for unanticipated additions to the department's number of special needs students.

• Adding five percent to the line items for:

Natural gas - $336,660 (adding $16,833) to $353,492.

Diesel/gasoline - $50,831 (adding $2,541) to $53,372.

Fuel oil - $359,958 (adding $17,997) to $337,955.

With the exception of the as-yet undetermined coaching pay addition, the changes add $341,305 to the draft budget.

The School Committee will review the draft budget and may make additional changes during their next meeting March 27, where they are expected to vote on a first passage of the document. The School Committee will then meet in a joint session with the Budget Commission and City Council April 1, after which the budget will go before the Budget Commission at the following scheduled meeting.

"Ralph did a wonderful job," putting the draft budget together, McGuire-Forcier said Friday morning.