LEICESTER — The Leicester Central School board has voted to adopt a proposed 2010-2011 spending plan of $1,400,086, which represents a decrease of $8,573, or 0.82 percent, in total spending from the current year.
The board met on Jan. 13 to finalize the budget, which will go to a vote on Town Meeting Day in March.
School officials said the drop in proposed spending is due in part to the reconfiguration of the school’s principalship. The co-principals, Carol Eckels and Kate Grodin, will be working on a part-time basis, and neither one will work enough hours to receive health insurance through the school.
“It’s two people job-sharing a part-time position, and it turns out to be cheaper for the school,” Eckels explained.
These administrative cutbacks led to a roughly $7,000 salary reduction, and the health insurance cuts would save an additional $4,224.
Significant increases include a health insurance premium increase of 3 percent and an increase of $4,864 in instruction funding, to $7,040. The additional money would be put toward language instruction for students whose first language is not English.
The net decrease in the spending would result in a decrease of 1 cent in the school education property tax rate, from $1.38 to $1.37, Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union officials said.