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Article 1 – School Budget

Shall the District vote to raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant article and other operations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant or as amended by vote of the first session, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $9,932,939? Should this article be defeated, the operating budget shall be $9,966,039 which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the school district, or by law, or the governing body may hold one special meeting in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only.

School Board Recommends Approval
Budget Committee Recommends Approval by a vote of 7 yes - 5 no

Note: Warrant Article #1 (operating budget article) does not include separate warrant articles #2, #3.

Commentary: This budget includes over $300,000 in various grants. Due to the "gross budgeting" requirement from the state, grants must be included in the total even though they will be paid back via the grant. This also means that the tax rate has to increase to cover the up-front costs of the grants.

Last year's budget was $9,760,080.00, which means a $173,000 increase. If you divide the proposed budget by the December school enrollment of 644, you get an average cost of $15,424.00 per student. Special Education, that unfunded federal mandate, keeps costs high. Tuition vouchers, anyone?

Despite the year over year increase, it is still better to vote FOR this budget because the default budget will cost $33,000 more.

Recommendation: Yes

Article 2 – Four-year pay increase

Shall the District vote to raise and appropriate the cost items set forth in the collective bargaining agreement reached between the Allenstown School Board and the Allenstown Teachers Association for the 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 fiscal years which calls for the following increases in salaries and benefits:

And further raise and appropriate the sum of $56,542 for the 2011/12 fiscal year, such sum representing the additional costs attributable to the increase in salaries and benefits over those of the appropriation at current staffing levels paid in the prior fiscal year?

Note: Pursuant to RSA 273-A:12, if approved, the terms of this collective bargaining agreement, including the pay plan, but excluding cost of living increases, will continue in force and effect until a new agreement is executed.

School Board Recommends Approval
Budget Committee DOES NOT Recommend Approval by a vote of 5 yes - 7 no

Commentary: With a budget approaching $10 million and with the economy still struggling to improve, it does not make sense to agree to pay increases, especially for four years. It is worth noting that the teachers will be paying a larger percentage of their health insurance as shown above. But the umemployed and underemployed will not appreciate the burden of higher taxes to give raises to people who have jobs.

¹ Percentage increase: The raise as a percentage goes up nearly every year. Thus the dollar amount increases nearly every year.

² Employee insurance: The percentage of the cost of insurance that teachers pay goes up in two steps from 20% this school year to 25% and then 30%. The missing information is the actual dollar amount that teachers will pay for their insurance each year.

A few days before the election, School Board Chairman Tom Irzyk supplied some details to a few dozen taxpayers after being questioned by some budget committee members. His calculations state that "The total estimated savings for health insurance for the new 4-year contract would be $91,170." He also pointed out savings from a cut in sick days. "Regarding the reduction in sick time from 15 days to 13 day. There is a potential estimated savings of $25,324. So the total estimated potential savings to the town of this new 4 year contract is $141,818.00."

If you take the total cost of raises over four years ($297,695) and subtract the savings for the town (141,818), there seems to be a net cost to the town of $155,877.

Recommendation: It would be better to negotiate for a one year contract like everyone else has to deal with. Four years of guaranteed raises is not what taxpayers can afford in this poor economy.

Article 3 – Transact other business that may legally come before said meeting.

Commentary: This sounds harmless enough but voters need to attend the Feb. 5th meeting and make sure this "other business" does not include extra spending.

2011 Election Links