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Guilford superintendent urges voters to back school budget; referendum set for June 16
Summary
Superintendent Paul Freeman and finance staff reviewed May spending and urged the community to support a school budget referendum scheduled for June 16, saying the district's proposed budget now stands about $2 million below the board's earlier approval.
Superintendent Paul Freeman told the Guilford Board of Education on June 8 that the district's school budget now stands roughly $2 million below the figure the board first approved and urged residents to vote in the upcoming referendum on June 16.
Freeman, speaking during the superintendent's report, framed the referendum as the next step in finalizing the school and town budgets. He confirmed graduation will be held June 12 and corrected an earlier date confusion by telling the meeting the referendum is June 16. "It is enormously important for everybody in this community to participate in the referendum," Freeman said, urging parents and supporters to turn out so the district does not anticipate further reductions.
Finance officer Ms. Coggin presented the board with the district's monthly financials. She said May expenditures totaled $5,709,206.41 and that expenditures and encumbrances through the end of May were 84.42% of the budget, compared with 84.61% the prior year. May revenue was $278,971.61, which Ms. Coggin said included $698.86 in non-resident tuition, $2,372.75 in Medicaid reimbursements and $275,900 from the excess cost grant. She reported the excess cost grant reimbursement rate was 66.8% and that the grant's total value is $834,505. The warrant submitted for payment that month was $2,283,447.19.
Board members briefly noted they had continued to receive public emails both supporting the budget and asking for cuts. A board member answered public procedural questions about absentee ballots and said absentee voting can be arranged through the town clerk; early in-person voting is not available, they said.
Freeman and the board asked the public to participate in the town meeting and the referendum process next week; Freeman stressed that passing the referendum would prevent additional reductions as the district finalizes next year's school budget.
The board approved the May financial reports during the meeting. The board later moved into executive session to begin the superintendent's annual evaluation and indicated there would be no further public business after the executive session.
