Appropriations member: More budget trouble looming

In 2006, the school department reportedly spent $21 million on salaries and benefits and about $13 million on all other costs.

But by 2016, those figures had shifted — the school department reportedly spent $41 million on salaries and benefits and just $9.6 million on all other costs. 

That trend, said Barrington Committee on Appropriations member Chad Mollica, is unsustainable and needs immediate attention. He added that he is not confident Barrington school administrators have any intentions of dealing with the issue.

"To date, we have seen no concrete ideas on how to address the structural problems," Mr. Mollica said. 

It is not just the growing amount of money dedicated to salaries and benefits in the school department that concerns Mr. Mollica. The longtime resident said the increased spending trend is not mimicked in other areas. In fact, he provided data that showed the median sale price for homes in Barrington has been stagnant over the last 10 years — $416,500 in 2006 and $415,000 in 2016. 

The state's median income, he added, has not increased as schools' salaries and benefits costs have — the state's median income was $60,910 in 2006, and $58,073 in 2015. 

Mr. Mollica, who has pushed to level-fund the school budget this year, said the Barrington school department's top administrators need to address this funding issue immediately. He said changes could be made to save money with healthcare benefits as well as with the district's current pay structure for educators.