I am writing to update you on the budget development process for the 2022-2023 school year. Last night, by a 3-2 vote, the Committee on Appropriations (COA) voted to allocate $59,735,181 to Barrington Schools for next year. In doing so, the COA rejected the proposal the Barrington School Committee submitted on March 7th for $60,275,372 million, which included projected costs of operating the school district next year. Please find our entire budget proposal attached here. All of the budget presentations and supporting documentation can be found here.
It is important to understand that with the COA's recommended budget, the Barrington Public Schools cannot implement many of the districts priorities for FY23 (highlighted here) and cannot fully maintain the programs and services currently provided. The COA’s recommendation provides an additional $621,523 from local funding, or a 1.3% increase. Therefore, if the current COA recommendation is not increased, we will be forced to identify approximately $540,191 in reductions from programs and services for next year.
We realize that members of our school community have numerous questions about which cuts the administration will propose for the School Committee’s consideration. We are exploring various options across the board, with a goal of minimizing the impact on teaching and learning to the extent possible. However, in order to meet all state and federal mandates, as well as our contractual obligations, we will have to make difficult decisions to account for the shortfall in expected local funding.
Please note the following upcoming steps in the budget deliberation process:
The School Committee will be meeting: Thursday, April 28, 6:30pm, Barrington Middle School.
The COA recommendation will be presented to the public at the Budget Hearing: Wednesday, May 11th at 7:00 pm at the Barrington Middle School.
Residents will vote on the COA’s final recommendations on the Town and School Budget at the Town Financial Meeting: Wednesday, May 25th at 7:00 pm, Barrington High School Auditorium.
Thank you for your continued patience and support. We will continue to work diligently to secure the financial resources needed to provide an outstanding education to the students of our community.
Sincerely,
Michael Messore