School Officials Lukewarm On Budget As It Heads To Hearing

By Steve Bigham

The Board of Education this week has given a lukewarm endorsement to the proposed town budget that goes to a public hearing in the middle school auditorium next Tuesday at 7:30 pm.

Two weeks ago, the council reduced the proposed school board budget by $200,000 in its effort to keep the tax rate increase from going through the roof. Disappointed school supporters say the “cut” will mean even higher class sizes next year at Newtown Middle School, as well as Sandy Hook and Middle Gate elementary schools.

As it still stands, the school board is due to receive $42.4 million, which represents an increase of 7.5 percent over the current school budget.

 “We certainly do not want to see the budget defeated. Still, the board entertains the hope that the council may – in its deliberations – find some additional resources,” noted Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed this week. “I certainly have made it clear to [school supporters] that it is in the best interest of the school system that the budget and the 5/6 school get passed. The reality of this is if this is the best we can get, then we need to support it.”

The schools’ chief said history has shown that budgets do not get money added to them after they have been defeated. His advice to parents is to support the budget while, at the same time, asking for special consideration in the hopes that some funding might be restored. That is the most effective way to lobby, he added.

This week, Board of Education Chairman Elaine McClure read a statement which expressed the board’s frustration with the council’s decision.

“The Board of Education was disappointed with the Legislative Council’s cut of $200,000,” she said. “There is simply no wiggle room in the education budget and this reduction will negatively impact classrooms and class sizes throughout the district, specifically in our ability to hire much needed teachers.”

After some hesitation earlier in the week, Mrs McClure contacted The Bee Thursday morning to say the school board would support the proposed budget.

The Board of Education is holding out hope that it may receive some outside funding, including a class size reduction grant, to offset the $200,000 cut.

Earlier this month, the council affirmed the Board of Ed’s fears when it voted, 8-4, to cut $200,000 out of the proposed school budget. It was later learned that one of the votes against the cut was made because the council member felt a larger cut needed to be made. The move dropped the school board’s proposed increase to $42,413,850 or 7.5 percent, precisely the increase limit the council had requested.

The decision was met by dejection from those who attended the meeting. They left feeling their efforts to convince the council to avoid the cut were for naught. The school board had hoped its comments along with those by a handful of school officials might convince council members of just how important the $200,000 was. The school board had already trimmed $600,000 from the proposal. Any further cuts would force the district to eliminate new teaching positions.

“I understand that a $200,000 out of a $42 million budget doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is,” said Mrs McClure.

Principals Judy Gallo (Middle Gate), Donna Pagé (Sandy Hook), and Diane Sherlock (Middle School) all gave arguments on how a $200,000 cut would affect class sizes at their schools. At Middle Gate Elementary, it means one less second grade teacher and larger classes for the existing teachers to handle. It is the same story in the fifth grade at Sandy Hook, while the middle school may have to endure larger class sizes in the sixth and seventh grades.

School Business Director Ron Bienkowski reminded the council that the school budget is driven by student growth and increased costs – nothing more.

“It’s a status quo budget. There are no initiatives,” he said.

“We’re at the point of diminishing returns,” added Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed. “I believe that what the Board of Education has asked for it sincerely needs. There is no fluff in this budget.”

Voices from the public echoed those sentiments.

However, as it stood, the budget represented an eight percent increase and that was one half of a percent too high, according to the council. The council members took little time in deliberating.

“Last year, we gave the Board of Education what they wanted and it crashed at the referendum,” council member Melissa Pilchard said. “We have to do what the taxpayers want and not just what the people in this room want at this time. It’s up to the Board of Education to decide whether you get the teachers or whether you don’t get the teachers.”

Council member and finance committee chairman John Kortze urged taxpayers to focus some attention on what is in the budget rather than what is not.

The school board is still hoping the council will agree to fund $700,000 worth of capital items in debt service. However, that is unlikely since the council has already made it clear that it does not want to add to this account, which is already up more than a $1 million due to the payment of the first installment for the 5/6 school and Fairfield Hills borrowing package.

The Tuesday evening public hearing on the proposed $72.6 million town budget for 2001-2002 begins at 7:30 pm in the middle school auditorium. A second hearing will take place Saturday at 9 am at the same location. The budget represents a 2.3 mill increase (or a 7.8 percent hike in property taxes).

The Board of Selectmen portion of the budget – $30.2 million – will go to fund town services and debt service. That budget is up 7 percent, which is mainly due to a debt service jump from $7 million to $8.2 million. The added money will be used to pay the first installment of a 20-year bonding issue for the construction of a 5/6 school and the purchase of Fairfield Hills. The town has not yet approved either project. A town meeting to vote on both proposals is tentatively slated for June.