MVRHS proposed budget is up 7.36 percent

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Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) has proposed an $18.6 million budget for fiscal year 2019, up 7.38 percent from the current year’s spending plan.

MVRHS Principal Sara Dingledy reviewed the budget at a public hearing earlier this week. The budget is expected to be presented for review and a vote by the MVRHS school committee next Monday at 5 pm in the high school library meeting room.

In her overview, Ms. Dingledy described the 2019 budget as a “responsible, sustainable, and accurate reflection of school costs.” She said the staffing budget lines reflect a projected slight dip in student population, mostly flat service funding, and slight additions to staffing lines for career technical education, special education, and English as a second language.

She noted that the overall proposed budget is impacted by a slight reduction of $24,135 in state funding and $752,000 in charges related to a 15 percent increase in health insurance premiums

and mandated funding for pension and other benefits (OPEB).

On the basis of proposed educational services provided, the 2019 budget increase is 1.76 percent greater than 2018, her analysis showed.

MVRHS has cut two staff teaching positions (English and computer science) for a $192,105 savings, and will realize almost $63,000 in new hire savings (combined with 2018).

The largest additions to the 2019 budget, compared with 2018, come from contracted salary increases (nearly $423,000), health insurance premium increases ($401,349) and OPEB funding ($350,000), totaling $1.176 million of the $1.244 million overall increase.