The School Board’s Dilemma:

Support The Budget Or Not?

By Eliza Hallabeck

Meeting for the first time since the Legislative Council passed the school district’s budget as recommended by the Board of Finance, Board of Education members on Tuesday, April 13, were divided on recommending the public to vote Yes or No to the referendum on April 27.

“I guess we will have to leave here tonight with the public making up its own mind on how to vote,” said school board Chair Lillian Bittman. “I wish there was a relief valve in advisory questions.”

The Legislative Council was scheduled to deliberate adding advisory questions to the ballot the following night, Wednesday, April 14, but due to a 45-day submission deadline, the questions could not be added to the ballot. (See related story.)

Board members responded positively to Ms Bittman, questioning whether members of the Legislative Council’s Education Subcommittee should be invited to attend school board meetings to discuss possible areas for savings in the school budget, in response to a motion made by Legislative Council member Gary Davis during the Legislative Council’s meeting on Wednesday, April 7.

Mr Davis moved to restore $760,000 to the education budget at the April 7 meeting, with the qualification the school board meet with the Legislative Council’s Education Subcommittee to look for possible cost savings, which would be returned to the general fund to reduce taxes. The motion failed 3 to 9, after an amendment that the amount be changed to $250,000.

Despite not receiving the money, Ms Bittman said she had agreed to the idea of her board working with the Education Subcommittee.

School board member David Nanavaty said finding any further savings in the school board’s budget will be done by the district’s central office.

Mr Davis’s motion at the Legislative Council meeting makes sense, Mr Nanavaty said, but it failed.

“I think it was horrendous what was done to the school budget,” Mr Nanavaty said after announcing he will be voting No on the referendum. He hopes, he said, the public will show up en masse to support adding money back to the budget at future Legislative Council meetings if the budget fails.

While three board members did not say whether they would vote a Yes or No to the town’s budget, Ms Bittman and board Vice Chair Kathy Fetchick said they will be voting Yes to pass the budget, while Mr Nanavaty and Mr Gaines said they would be voting No to turn down the budget.

“No matter what happens,” board member William Hart said, “we are going to have to make substantial cuts.”

Mr Hart said he does not yet know how he will vote at the referendum, but does not see how a Yes vote is a viable option.

Board member Christopher Lagana said there is no easy decision to make.

“I obviously don’t support the cuts,” said Ms Bittman. She said voting No could mean facing further cuts than the $2.5 million reduction to the school district’s proposed increase. Voting Yes this year, she said, does not mean the voter is in support of the budget, but, “it means you are in fear of additional cuts.”

Ms Fetchick said she would be worried and concerned with suggesting a No vote on the referendum.

“To take on more cuts would be too much for the district,” said Ms Fetchick.

After spending five years compiling voter data, Ms Fetchick said, “What we found is there are consistently 2,000 to 2,500 No voters for each election, and when the vote went down, did not pass, it was always by this little bit.”

Mr Gaines pointed out that the assumption is if the referendum fails, then cuts will be made to the school side of the budget and not to the town side.

“How can those without blood bleed more?” Mr Gaines asked.

Capital Projects

Other topics covered during the school board’s meeting included an update on the Newtown High School expansion and renovation project and approving education specifications for the Newtown Middle School roof.

What Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson called “a little setback” on the high school expansion project occurred when a chiller machine for the high school was delivered by truck from Ohio. The truck was turning on Oakview Road when a speeding car forced the truck to make a hurried turn, knocking the chiller, according to Dr Robinson. A new chiller, which will go on the expansion’s roof, will be delivered.

The education specifications were approved unanimously by the school board to go to be moved forward in the process to the state level.

Reed Intermediate School fifth grade teacher Jill Bontatibus Beaudry spoke for herself and her fellow Reed teachers present at the meeting. She said the cuts proposed in the budget will most likely force scheduling changes that will compromise the district.

Teachers are the district’s strength, Ms Beaudry said.

“Cutting teachers,” Ms Beaudry said, “will effect every child. These students cannot get back these two years. Please support us in educating and nurturing Newtown’s children, so we can inspire all students to excel.”

After speaking for the teachers present from Reed, Ms Beaudry continued to say, speaking for herself, that her colleagues change students’ lives.

Referring to her colleagues by first names only, she said Karen gets students involved in community service, Jim has his students write and learn poetry, Kelly provides PowerPoint presentations that allow all students taking math to be challenged, Sarah does a grammar boot camp with students, and more.

‘A Terrible Blow’

Legislative Council Education Subcommittee member Kevin Fitzgerald also spoke during public participation, saying he was speaking as a concerned parent and citizen.

“You were dealt a terrible blow last week, when the Legislative Council, of which I am a member, approved draconian cuts to needed education funds,” Mr Fitzgerald said. “In fact, we have all been dealt a terrible blow. With the town side of the budget remaining unscathed, one has to question where Newtown’s priorities lie.”

As the school board grapples with its future decisions, Mr Fitzgerald asked the members to make their priorities clear despite not being able to make decisions until the referendum passes.

Resident Eric Paradis said he attends many meetings, and he has come up with one reason as to why the cuts to the school district’s budget passed both the Board of Finance and the Legislative Council; a lack of understanding.

Talking with the other boards in town, Mr Paradis said, could help other town officials see things from an education perspective.

After public participation the school board went into executive session to discuss negotiations and personnel.