The Amagansett School Board last week reviewed a second draft of next year's school budget, which is proposed at $11.9 million, up from this year's $11.37 million. If the district moves forward with the version presented, the year-over-year spending increase would be 4.7 percent.
The draft budget, a copy of which was provided in response to a Freedom of Information request, takes into account expenses related to the increasing number of students expected to enroll. It includes contractual pay raises for teachers and proposes raises for bus drivers and other employees. It also includes a projected 10-percent increase in the cost of health insurance.
"It's a moving target until the budget is finalized. . . . Those numbers could change," Kristen Peterson, the school board president, said at a meeting on Feb. 2.
Amagansett also anticipates adding a separate ballot proposition to establish a new capital reserve account. Such a move requires voter approval. In a memo to the board and superintendent, Thomas Mager, the district treasurer, said that "by establishing this type of reserve fund, the district can save for larger-scale projects, as opposed to borrowing, and save money on interest in the long run." More information will be forthcoming, he said in the memo.
The board will discuss the budget again at its next meeting, on March 2 at 5 p.m.