FY08 budget by the numbers
By Sean Sweeney Journal Correspondent

This is the breakdown for the North Middlesex Regional School District's proposed $41.5 million FY-08 budget, which was adopted by the School Committee Monday night and needs to be ratified by the towns at town meeting:

+ The Central Office is Townsend is requesting $9,065,390, an increase of 16.1 percent from the FY07 budget. A good chunk of that, a little over $7.5 million, has been earmarked for medical insurance and retirement benefits and has been noted as being shifted from the individual school budgets. The individual schools' Building and Grounds positions have also been shifted to the Central Office, which accounts for a 14.3 percent increase.

+ The Special Education Department is looking for $613,300, a 7.3 percent increase.

+ The Peter Fitzpatrick School in Pepperell has been budgeted at $3,112,664, an 11.2 percent increase. Approximately $500,000 has been set aside in that school's budget to cover new kindergarten teachers and support staff as explained by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Maureen M. Marshall on Monday.

+ The Ashby Elementary School has an anticipated budget of $2,063,607. Nearly $1.1 million of that total - a 5.4 percent increase - is under the line item that covers instructors' salaries as well as supplies, textbooks and miscellaneous items.

+ Spaulding Memorial School in Townsend has a budget of $2,804,562, a 9 percent increase, which also includes the full-day kindergarten program.

+ Squannacook Elementary School in Townsend is budgeted for $2,740,095, a 7.2 percent increase. A 24.1 percent increase in the special education budget for this school is listed as it is expected to have a budget of $122,445 for tuition.

+ Varnum Brook in Pepperell is the only school that has a decrease in its budget, however miniscule. The school is budgeted for a decrease of $20,934 (-0.7 percent) from FY07. Noted in the budget is a 73.9 percent decrease is special education tuition.

+ Hawthorne Brook in Townsend's budget is listed at $3,885,891, a 7.7 percent rise. Included is an 84.2 percent increase in special education tuition.

+ Nissitissit in Pepperell has a budget listed at $3,418,864, an 8.4 percent increase. The special education tuition is listed at $344,414, a 63.8 percent increase.

+ North Middlesex Regional High School is listed at $7,948,685, a 4.5 percent hike. Under the Building Maintenance line item, a 19.3 percent increase to custodial salaries is listed, with a comment that one new custodian is expected to be hired.

+ Transportation is budgeted at $2,978,520, with regular transportation, middle school late buses and high school late buses all level funded. The only increases in the transportation budget come in special education transportation ($1,182,600 - 10.5 percent increase) and buses for the athletic teams ($89,000 - 4.5 percent increase).