2012-03-ATM-SPTM-AC-rpt - Laserfiche WebLink

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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE REPORT TO THE MARCH 2012 ATM & STM Fiscal Year Debt Service Tax Impact 2021 $2,053,000 $159 2022 $1,999,000 $155 2023 $1,945,000 $151 Notes: (1) The debt service was estimated assuming a 4% interest loan of $27,025,000 (total cost less Massachusetts School Building Authority reimbursement) payable over 20 years. (2) The tax impact is the portion of the debt service that would be seen on the tax bill of the owner of a residence with an assessed value of $697,000 in FY2011. Additional information may be found on the Lexington Public Schools web site at http: / /lps.lexingtonma.org/ (click on "Facilities" in the "Administration" pull -down menu). Renderings and other material may be found at http://www.estabrookschoolbuildingproject.com/. The Board of Selectmen has taken under advisement the recommendations of the Estabrook School ad hoc Access Task Force regarding work on the roads and intersections in the Estabrook area. Any appropriations for that work will be covered under Article 12(n) during the Annual Town Meeting. The Committee recommends approval of this request (9 -0). — ANNUAL TOWN MEETING — Article 4: Appropriate FY2013 Operating Budget Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation See Below See motion Approve (9 -0) Each major section of this request is discussed separately below. Funds Funding Program 1100: Lexington Public Schools Requested Source $76,628,356 See motion The School Committee has voted to recommend an FY2013 appropriation of $76,628,356. This request represents an increase of $3,483,471 or 4.76% above the FY2012 appropriation. Under the School Committee's guidance, the budget represents a level service budget and a supplemental request to address high priority needs within the school department by adding staff in selected areas. The budget also eliminates full -day kindergarten fees and music fees and includes a one -time request of $229,024 outside the Town's revenue allocation model: $79,024 to partially fund the elimination of full - day kindergarten fees and $150,000 to reduce transportation costs for Estabrook students by 50% during the first year of the new school's construction. The primary drivers underlying budget increases are: 1) increased personnel costs (6.3 %) from salary and step increases that are mandated by negotiated contracts with various bargaining units in addition to 18.1 FTE's newly reflected in the budget request (See "Staffing" below); and 2) continued increases in special education costs mitigated in part by cost saving strategies previously implemented by the school department. To compare the FY2013 request with the appropriations from recent years one also needs to