Region 12 Studies the Dollars and Sense

Susan Tuz

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Anthony Amato received a round of applause from the audience Monday at the Region 12 Board of Education meeting.

Amato, a member of the region's Long-Range Planning Committee, presented an economic evaluation of six options for the district's schools being considered by the committee. His background is strategic planning, business development and operations management, and he holds an MBA in finance and operations from Columbia University. "Seeing how the numbers were coming at people, I thought it best to aggregate the financial information so it was understandable for everyone," he said.

The options ranged from staying with the present four facilities, with repairs done, to building a new pre-K to grade 12 school on the Shepaug Valley Middle/High School campus straddling the Washington/Roxbury line.

Using the present 2012-13 schools budget as his base, he projected two factors from the budget to 10 years -- salaries and benefits, and preparations and maintenance.

The analysis was kept constant between options by using capital planning and financial planning factors over a period of 20 to 25 years, which would cover the life of anticipated bonding.

Amato's evaluation was reviewed by Board of Finance chairmen from the region's three towns and agreed upon.

Under capital planning -- which considers construction costs for each option compared to cost savings over the length of a bond -- Amato found "most economically practical" the options including renovation of the core of the Shepaug facility, with two new wings holding grades pre-K to 12; and building a new pre-K to grade 12 building, without central office, included on the Shepaug campus. Cost savings for the latter plan is projected at $6.2 million for a 23-year bond.

Under financial planning considerations, those two options were also found to be "affordable" when bonded out for 21 to 30 years.

Amato is scheduled to appear Monday, June 17, at the next Board of Education meeting to answer questions from board members.

The date when an option would be chosen by the board to go before voters in a fall referendum is still being determined.