Misinformation About Budget Draws Concern From School Officials

By Tanjua Damon

With Newtown’s budget going for approval for a third time, school officials are concerned with misinformation that is circulating around town and they want to set the record straight.

Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff explained that when inaccurate information goes around town, it does not allow people to make informed decisions on whether to vote Yes or No on the $79.4 million 2003–2004 budget that has already been cut because it failed at the polls twice.

“What concerns me is that in writing letters to the editor, some people are putting statements as facts that are simply untrue or distorted,” Dr Pitkoff said. “One of the problems a newspaper faces is they don’t have the wherewithal to check everyone’s statements to see if it is factual or not.”

Some statements that have been made that are untrue include that teachers are receiving and eight percent pay increase, that the Reed Intermediate School cost $56 million to build, and that Newtown High School will have 105 of the 171 new students expected in the district next year.

Teachers are not receiving an eight percent pay increase, according to Dr Pitkoff. The pay increase for the year is four percent. The contract was negotiated before economic times became difficult. The district is beginning new negotiations currently.

“It’s technically a five percent increase, which is offset to a four percent increase because of the payback requirements teachers have for medical benefits,” Dr Pitkoff said.

The confusion may have come from reading the budget book, where the salary line item shows eight percent.

“That percent shows the increase change, not percent of salary increase,” Director of Business Ron Bienkowski said. “There is no place in the budget that shows the percentage of salary people are getting.”

Construction cost for the Reed Intermediate School was $28.6 million, not $56 million as some people have been heard to complain. The state reimbursement for the project is expected to be $9.7 million. Originally the district thought construction of the school would be closer to $33.2 million, but changes were made and bids for the project in 2001 came in lower than expected. The school opened in January to about 850 fifth and sixth graders. The approximate 168,000-square-foot building has 44 classrooms designed for two-teacher teams with a smaller windowed room to have small group discussions or assist students with extra help. The building is shaped like a triangle. The base includes the gymnasium and cafetorium, and administrative offices.

The school district also is not hiring a psychologist for $115,000. A Newtown Middle School principal position is being eliminated to have a special education supervisor that will assist the director of pupil personnel services. The same salary for the supervisor would be equivalent to the salary of an assistant principal of approximately $89,000.

The state’s enrollment projections figure that Newtown should expect 171 new students. It has been stated that the high school alone will have 105 of those students, but that is not accurate, according to Dr Pitkoff. The 105 students expected to begin the year at the high school are a majority of students who have already been in the system.

“The eighth grade class who are going to be freshman are larger than the current twelfth grade class,” Dr Pitkoff said. “Newtown is projected to have 426 ninth graders and 330 seniors next year.”

“We know the population at the high school has been increasing. Each class grades four through eight have over 400 students in them. As these students move up the high school is going to be more crowded.”

The overall town increase of the $79.4 million budget ($30 million for board of selectman, $49.4 million board of education) is a 2.8 percent increase overall expenditure, according to Mr Bienkowski. The Board of Education has a 7.6 percent increase with the annualization of a new school.

“There will be a 4.89 percent tax increase. That’s how much taxes are going up to support this budget,” Mr Bienkowski said. “Reduction is state aid causes this. That’s the only thing that’s changed here. It’s not the budget. It’s revaluation. Taxes would still go up even if the Board of Education had a zero percent increase.”

The district realizes people are going to vote the way they feel is important, but they feel it is pertinent for voters to have accurate information when making that choice. A town meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, at 7:30 pm at Newtown High School unless petitioners obtain approximately 800 signatures to send the vote to referendum.