I asked Brunswick Superintendent Paul Perzanoski about what percentage of the health insurance the school employees pay vs. the taxpayers in the School Budget and his response to the question is below this letter. I think it is time that all school employees are asked to pay more of their share of health insurance to bring them in line with the rest of the working people. At one of the last finance committee meetings the question was asked by a town councilor about school employee salaries and benefits, so I did a little digging.

I also did some backtracking on the last two school year budgets and found some very interesting facts about the employees’ salaries plus their benefits as well as cost per student.

Now the interesting part.

Salaries for 2014-15 were $11,295,611 and their benefits were an additional $3,804,060 for a total package of $15,099,671 that was almost half of the total budget. In 2014-15 the total School Budget was $35,763,587 and for the 2,294 students the breakdown cost per student was $15,590.

Salaries for 2015-16 were $11,748,652 and their benefits were an additional $4,031,571 for a total package of $15,780,223 that was again almost half of the total budget of $36,525,855. For the 2,294 that brought the cost per student up to $15,922.00.

For the 2016-17 Budget the only figures given on the School Budget was a projected student count of 2,333 for a cost of $16,223.97 per student. The projected budget had a requested amount of $37,850,535.00 with the salary and benefits lumped together in that amount as one figure in the amount of $16,370,084 instead of breaking it down as done in the past.

This is the second year out of five years that Social Security COLA were at 0 percent and everyone needs to remember that at least 75 percent of the taxpayers in Brunswick are retirees and many of them are having trouble surviving as everything has gone up but their income. With such large property tax increases each year it is becoming increasingly difficult for the older generation here in town to remain in their homes.

I am hoping that the town council, after listening to the school budget presentation, will send it back to them for cuts. I would also request for a one year pay and benefit freeze not only for the School Department but for the municipal employees as well. I realize that most of the municipal/school employees are on contract but if other towns in Maine and across the country can do it, maybe the town of Brunswick should seriously consider it for one year. Cutting positions are also another way to cut taxes and it appears to always be the municipal side to do so as the school department will not.

Here is hoping that the combined school and municipal budgets can be cut down enough to create no more than a 3 percent property tax increase for the Brunswick taxpayers.

Jean Powers,

Brunswick