Hollis Brookline Cooperative School District committee approves majority of warrant articles

Most articles before the Hollis Brookline Cooperative School District budget committee got the committee’s blessing at Thursday night’s public hearing, and will appear on the school district warrant with their recommendation. While none of the articles on the warrant drew significant comment or debate, several speakers commended the district’s budget committee and school board for working out the numbers as they did. “That’s why I live here and pay my taxes,” Brookline resident Susan Hay said, adding that she supports increases in the operating budget and contract-related articles in order to attract, and retain, quality teachers and staff. In all, the 5 warrant articles with financial implications call for a total of $20.5 million, including a roughly $500,000, or 2.6 percent, increase in the proposed operating budget and the roughly $405,000 cost of two union contract covered in Articles 4 and 5. As of deadline, the committee hadn’t yet voted whether to recommend the proposed $19.3 million operating budget for fiscal 2013-14. Among the more significant drivers in the budget’s increase is a roughly $300,000, or 10 percent, increase in special education costs and a sharp rise in the district’s contribution to the state retirement system. On a 4-3 vote and after much discussion, the committee is recommending warrant article 5, which calls for $330,000 to cover costs of a recently approved professional staff contract. Committee chairwoman Diane Pauer, who dissented, called the agreement “too rich,” saying she would like to see more sharing of insurance costs and calling the 4 percent raises for some members too high. School board chairman Tom Solon said the one-year contract calls for a 1 percent raise for employees due for step increases in 2014 and a 4 percent raise for those who aren’t due. He said it also includes some lower-cost health care plans, driven by higher copays and other factors. The agreement also provides for the district to pay 100 percent of plans for single employees and 90 percent for two-person and family plans.