Falls Village grapples with ways to pay for tuition surge in 2011-12

FALLS VILLAGE — The Board of Finance took on the good news and the bad news during the regular monthly meeting Monday, Dec. 13.

The bad news is the increase in high school tuition. Falls Village sent 53 students to Housatonic Valley Regional High School this year, up from 36 the previous year.

The cost is something of a moving target at this point, but estimates are that the increase will add between $315,000 and $330,000 to the town’s share of the Region One budget. The increase in tution from the 2010-11 school year to the 2011-12 school year could go from a little over $706,000 to over $1 million, according to projections compiled in October by Region One Business Manager Sam Herrick.

The Falls Village Board of Education met with members of the finance board last week to discuss the budget increase. Finance Co-chairman George Elling said the meeting was productive “but we don’t know how everything is going to go.�

Elling prepared a handout listing the options for meeting the tuition increase — and the problems with each one.

For instance, taking the increase out of the budget for the Lee H. Kellogg School would almost certainly require reductions in staff.

“That’s not a one-to-one savings,� noted Elling, because the effect of any layoffs are offset to some extent by unemployment compensation.

It is also an approach that will meet with opposition from some parents.

The increase could be covered by raising property taxes. This is a tactic that is rarely met with universal joy; Elling noted that raising taxes in an economic downturn is likely to be unpopular.

There seems to be general agreement that the municipal budget is about as tight as it can be. First Selectman Pat Mechare was on record this fall, well before the advent of budget season, as saying that there is not much — if any — room for cuts in town spending without a significant impact on services. Finance board members John Allyn and Kent Allyn have made similar statements.

Which leaves the town’s unreserved general fund.

Auditor Mike Zemaitis was on hand at the meeting with draft copies of the audited town financial report. His generally favorable assessment of the town’s finances noted that the general fund is equal to nearly 20 percent of the budgeted appropriations for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

In the world of municipal finance, having 10 percent of budgeted appropriations on hand is considered the minimum for a prudent reserve. “Ten percent is the bar they want you to meet� for bond issues, Zemaitis said.

However, Elling’s handout mentioned other big ticket, near-future items the town must plan for,  including the new firehouse and repairs to the Water Street iron bridge.

And using the unreserved general fund to pay the Region One tab would be a one-year solution at best.

The good news Monday evening was Zemaitis’ statement that he has “no significant deficiencies to report to the state.�

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