NEWINGTON - The Board of Education has voted unanimously (7-0) to pass along a requested 3.1 percent budget increase to the Town Council for consideration.

       The proposal totals $72.3 million, with the addition of funding to cover maintenance work left out of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Committee recommendation, and the addition of a second high school STEM academy instructor.

       The Board voted to add the STEM teacher-a $90,000 line item to staff Newington High School’s aerospace academy-at a previous meeting. The original budget-a Superintendent proposed 2.9 percent increase-included a position for the biomedical STEM instructor approved last year, but it has not yet been filled due to financial constraints.

       â€�"I appreciate the fact we were trying to be fiscally responsible, and the two motions we decided on I think are responsible,” said Board member Cindy Stamm during the meeting.

       The STEM teacher was a top priority for Board members, who cited the district’s investment in both middle school level academy programs, which are expected to feed into the curriculum to be offered within the new infrastructure at the high school.

       The district would not only waste those efforts, but cost itself more in future years in the way of magnet school tuition for those that seek similar opportunities elsewhere, Board members have said.

       As for the maintenance, the Board had been hoping for two $150,000 line items- to replace the district’s HVAC system, and a school roof. A portion of the additional $350,000 in the request would fall under general maintenance, but those projects would be prioritized within that area, Superintendent of Schools Bill Collins said.

       Within the proposed operating budget is $870,000 for general repairs-or 40 percent of what the district has spent for that purpose this year, according to Board member Josh Shulman

       â€�"To think we’re going to get by on $870,000, the math just doesn’t work out,” Shulman said.

       Shulman said that he hoped to get those maintenance line items â€�"one way or another”-either through CIP or the operating budget. When the Board first placed such projects into CIP-part of a budget negotiation move a few years ago-Collins has referred to as a â€�"doughnut hole”.

       The term’s been used to illustrate recurring expenditures that did not fall into the operating budget, and therefore, would not have guaranteed coverage in later years as part of a minimum baseline for funding, Shulman told the Board during the meeting.

       Collins said that the hole would effectively be closed if the request is funded in full.

       Toward the end of the meeting, Board member Emily Guion raised the issue of whether or not to add two middle school social workers to the request.

       â€�"It’s hard because I don’t want to ask to put more money in, but I also want to be responsible to the students and all of their families,” Guion said.

       The two positions-collectively-would cost additional $140,000.

       Stamm floated the idea of going with one, but the Board opted ultimately to assess the level of need in order to prepare a more informed request for the positions in future years.

       Board Chair Nancy Petronio cited a lengthy research process the district underwent in order to gather enough information to present its World Language program expansion proposal to the Council.

       â€�"We know it’s a need, but I think knowing how much of a need, is a smart idea,” Petronio said.

       The Board will present the budget proposal on March 6.