BRISTOLVILLE SCHOOLS Increasing expenses paint a bleak picture

Health insurance costs rose 41 percent.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
BRISTOLVILLE -- Rising insurance costs and increased utility expenses for running a new middle school building contributed to Bristol schools' bleak financial picture.
The state auditor's office declared the district in fiscal emergency last month citing a projected deficit by the end of this year.
The district's new middle school building opened for the 2001-02 school year.
"We doubled the building size and went to all-day kindergarten," said Superintendent Rocco Nero at a meeting Monday of the district's financial oversight commission.
Looking at costs
The cost of adding two kindergarten teachers in the 2000-01 year was $80,000 annually. The district's cost for adding new math and science curriculum was $45,000. That was done to meet the state-mandated requirements for additional math and science courses.
Electric and heating costs during the 1999-2000 school year, before the new middle school opened, totaled $53,379 and $29,179, respectively. In the 2001-02 year, electric increased to $130,340 and heating costs rose to $49,254.
To maintain the larger building, the district also hired three custodians, at a $99,000 cost.
Health insurance costs rose 41 percent for the 16-school district consortium.
Nero said that only one insurance company bid to provide the insurance plan.
Funding from the state also was decreased, he said.
Trying to save
To cut costs, the district didn't replace an elementary teacher in the 2001-02 school year, didn't replace a middle school teacher and a maintenance worker in the 2002-03 school year, and reduced from full to part time the cafeteria supervisor that same year.
So far this year, the district reduced an administrative assistance position at Farmington Elementary and reduced the hours for a technology supervisor and other personnel. Cafeteria prices and workbook fees also were increased and a $7.50 pupil fee was reinstated.
The commission was appointed to oversee district finances and develop a plan to get the district operating in the black. It has until March to develop a plan.
The district did receive some good news, however.
The state is lending Bristol schools $785,000 to keep it solvent this school year.
Without comment, the State Controlling Board approved releasing the money Monday to the school system to be paid back to the state over the next two fiscal years.