The Brighton Area School District is expected to increase its year-end fund equity from last year’s $1.5 million to $4 million at the end of the fiscal year on June 30th.

The Board of Education discussed both the amended budget for the current year and the projected budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year at its meeting Monday night. The projected spending plan for the 17-18 fiscal year is just under $70 million, according to Assistant Superintendent Maria Gistinger. She tells WHMI that the budget is geared to give the school district a healthy fund balance of $6 million at the end of next year.

Superintendent Greg Gray tells WHMI that Gistinger is a financial whiz whose projected fund balance for the current year was nearly 100% correct, which he calls remarkable, when districts don’t even know exactly how much money they’ll be getting from the state when the budgets are made. The budget for next year was a discussion item and will be formally adopted at the next meeting on June 26th.

Meanwhile, the board also approved a new contract with the Brighton Area Schools Administrator Association. Included in the bargaining group are a dozen building level administrators, among them lead principals, grade level principals and elementary principals. Also included in the group are department directors, specifically those of technology, athletics, operations, community education and student nutrition. The contract – which runs through June 30, 2020 – contains no increase in either salary or benefits. The board is also in contract talks with the Brighton Education Association, which represents about 300 district teachers.

The board met Monday night in closed session – as it has done for the past several meetings – to discuss negotiations with the BEA. Superintendent Gray says the teachers have two years to go on their current contract, but have an annual salary reopener clause in their contract. The board also has an existing contract with another union: BESPA – the Brighton Education Support Personnel Association – which has two years to run but which also contains a wage reopener provision. Historically, the district hasn’t entered into serious discussions with BESPA until the teachers’ contract has been settled. (TT)