The School District will hold its Deliberative Session Friday evening, Feb. 5 to act on the fiscal year 2017 Warrant, including the School Board’s proposed $70.7 million budget.
Deliberative Session is at 7 p.m. in the Londonderry High School cafeteria. The National Honor Society will provide babysitting services from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Rooms 219 and 221.
Residents who attend Deliberative Session may vote to amend a warrant article, including the dollar amount, as long as the amendment doesn’t change the intent of the article.
The total local education tax rate if the Board’s proposed FY17 Operating Budget and all Warrant Articles pass is $13.82 per thousand. For a $300,000 home, that means a local education property tax bill of $4,146.
Combined with the State education property tax rate of $2.20 per thousand, the total education property tax bill for a home valued at $300,000 would be $4,806.
The FY17 Warrant includes:
- Article 1: To elect school district officials. This will be voted on by secret ballot at the March 8 election.
- Article 2: To raise and appropriate as an operating budget for the FY2016-2017 school year, not including appropriations by special warrant articles, the School Board’s amended budget of $70,778,003 (estimated tax impact is $13.60) or the Default Budget of $70,932,073 (estimated tax impact is $13.65). The School Board and Budget Committee recommend Article 2, each with a 5-0 vote.
- Article 3: To accept and receive federal grants and other funds to support the school lunch program and federal projects; further to raise and appropriate such funds in a special revenue fund – school lunch program, $1,546,577; and federal projects, $1,389,000; for an estimated total appropriation of $2,935,577. The funds are self-supporting through local, state or federal revenue sources. There is no tax impact. The School Board and Budget Committee each recommend Article 3 unanimously.
- Article 4 (Special Article): To raise and appropriate $500,000 for the School Buildings Maintenance Expendable Trust Fund, previously established and approved at the March 1995 School District Meeting. The funds would be used for major one-time capital costs for District facilities, including a digital camera upgrade for video security at a cost of $30,000; an emergency generator at a cost of $65,000; field improvements at a cost of $160,000; and LED lighting retrofits at a cost of $40,000. The tax impact is $.14 cents. The School Board and Budget Committee each recommend Article 4 unanimously.
- Article 5 (Special Article): To raise and appropriate $100,000 for the School District Equipment Capital Reserve Fund, established in 2013 to provide funds to procure essential small equipment for classrooms, offices, technology and buildings and grounds. The sum is to come from the June 30, 2016 fund balance available for transfer on July 1, 2016. There is no tax impact. The School Board and Budget Committee each recommend Article 5 unanimously.
- Article 6: To raise and appropriate $300,000 to fund necessary costs to improve the School District’s network infrastructure, including wireless capabilities to address the curriculum and administrative needs of the School District. The appropriation would be non-lapsing until all necessary infrastructure improvements are completed or by June 2020, whichever is sooner. The estimated tax impact is $.08 cents. The School Board and Budget Committee each recommend Article 6 unanimously.
- Article 7: To amend the Londonderry School District Charter to remove the quorum requirement for amendments at the School District Meeting by amending relevant sections of the Charter.
Voting for all town and school officials and all official ballot warrant articles will take place by secret ballot on Tuesday, March 8 between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the Londonderry High School gym.