Superintendent: rising insurance costs, enrollment changes and contractual obligations will drive school budget

Valerie Moreno, superintendent of Andover Elementary School, told the Board of Finance at a joint charter meeting that the school faces budget pressure from enrollment increases, required minimum spending rules and a large expected increase in health insurance costs.

Moreno said the town’s required minimum budget calculation (referred to in the meeting as the state “ED 12” minimum budget requirement) and the school’s enrollment growth — particularly in pre-kindergarten — mean the district cannot treat a one-size-fits-all spending target the same as the town’s. “This is a town budget. It’s everybody,” Moreno said, arguing the Board of Education must be able to answer specific questions about its line items and be present for budget hearings.

Why it matters: Moreno warned that the combination of contractual salary obligations, a large expected jump in consortium health premiums and minimum-state spending rules will consume much of any baseline increase and leave little room for…