Falls Village could see its school costs rise 2.4 percent


FALLS VILLAGE — Next year’s proposed budget for the Lee H. Kellogg School sees a modest rise, but total town spending on education will decrease substantially because of the town’s reduced share of the costs at the regional high school.

Principal Maria Bulson and Board of Education Chairman Andrea Downs told the Board of Finance Monday night, March 12, that they propose to raise spending from $1,672,732 to $1,712,288, or 2.4 percent.

Finance board members questioned Downs about the financial impact of the school’s kindergarten program, which is expected to expand to all-day next year.

Downs said the move to all-day kindergarten will actually save money because of the elimination of an additional afternoon bus run.

Kellogg faculty members Robin Faust and Linda Sloane, who will continue to teach the combined kindergarten and first-grade class, are at the school for the full day anyway and will simply include the kindergartners in the day-long classes.

Bulson said as many as eight kindergartners are expected next year and the school’s total enrollment is expected to hold steady at about 100 students.

However, the town’s total education spending will drop from $2.85 million to $2.7 million, or by 5.2 percent, because of a decrease this year in the number of students from Falls Village attending Housatonic Valley Regional High School.

The public hearing on the proposed town budget (including education) will be April 19 and the town meeting to approve or reject the spending proposal will be May 10.


— Terry Cowgill

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