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CPS Budget: The Numbers

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Make It Make Sense

In an 6-8% inflationary environment, the FinCom and the Select Board wanted the Concord Publish Schools to make do with a 2024 Budget increase of just 3.3%, while the rest of the town got a 6.5% increase.

 

As a percentage of the overall town budget, the CPS 2024 budget is the lowest it's been in 17 years (see below).

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The town proposed and got a 2024 Town Government budget that represents an 6.5+ increase (see below), and yet the published FinCom guideline for the Town Government budget was for only a 5.0% increase (see below).  

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The CPS forecast for the 2024 budget given to the town was for a 4.3% increase. The actual 2024 proposed budget was within 4/10th of 1% or this forecast, at 4.7%.

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The 2024 Minuteman Regional Technical School 2024 budget was up 4.5% (3 new hires, 5% transportation and 8% energy increases) and received unanimous backing by the FinCom.

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About 50 letters were received by the FinCom, all in unanimous support of Dr. Hunter and the proposed CPS budget.

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The town is considering spending $2M on the 250th Anniversary of Concord.

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The town is being awarded $5M+ in federal ARPA funds related to COVID impact and none are currently earmarked for the schools.

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Context: 2024 Town Government Budget

The town is proposing to spend $132M in 2024 and asked for an increase of 6.5%+ for the second biggest expense, the Town Government budget. This is a significant increase but is in-line with inflation (as one might expect)...So why then did the FinCom and Select Board ask CPS to absorb only a 3.3% increase?
 

Revised to a 6.5%+ increase, yet no mention of cuts.

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The FinCom wanted this to be cut down to 3.3%.

Context: 2024 CPS Budget
as a % of the Town's Budget

According to the town budget book, the current budget request represents the LOWEST number in 17 years, as a percentage of the overall town budget.

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This is the lowest percentage in 17 years!

ARPA Funds

From what we can gather, the town of Concord will receive over $5M in relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. $125B of ARPA funds were been specifically earmarked for "K-12 school districts and state education departments. Most of the money is intended to address learning loss suffered by students during pandemic-induced school closures." Source.

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So why are we not allocating ARPA funds for our schools or to help alleviate tax implications?

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Context: 2024 Town Government Budget
Guideline is 5%

According to the FinCom report, the suggested guideline for the Town Government is a 5% increase and yet the 2024 Budget is getting a 6.5%+ increase if you rightly include the $600K carry-over money from 2023 and the opioid settlement.

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Guideline is 5% and yet the 2024 Town Budget contains an 6.5% increase

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