Date: Fri 06-Mar-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

budget-council-Borst-school

Full Text:

Panel Shuffles Proposed School Expenditures Between Accounts

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The Legislative Council's education committee has recommended that $230,000 be

cut from the Board of Education's proposed operating budget for 1998-99.

The committee, which met last Thursday night, also recommended that an

additional $776,000 be taken out of the school's budget and funded through the

town's capital and non-recurring improvement expenditure account, a reserve

fund.

This, according to committee chairman Joe Borst, would trim the Board of

Education budget to $31,754,880, a 6.7 percent increase over the current

budget. The school board had originally proposed a budget showing an increase

of more than ten percent.

The education committee approved the plan, 3-1, with Mr Borst, Lisa Schwartz

and Brian White voting in favor of it. The recommendation now heads to the

full council for its consideration.

"What we're attempting to do as much as we can is assist the Board of

Education in making sure its programs are adequately funded," Mr Borst

explained. "At the same time, the budget must also be palatable to the

taxpayers."

Karen Blawie cast the lone dissenting vote, pointing out that the increase is

really more like 9.3 percent, since money from the capital and non-recurring

account still comes out of the taxpayers' pockets.

"I say that, in effect, that's what you have. Although you have transferred

some out of the operating budget, it's still taxpayers' money," she said.

The reserve fund Mrs Blawie referred to is normally used to fund capital

projects and equipment, but in recent years, the council has been putting

money into it earmarked for tax reduction in anticipation of financially tough

years. A year ago, the council kept taxes down by funding $1 million through

the account.

"My concern is the future effect," Mrs Blawie said. "My concern is that we'll

already be behind the eight ball next year because the revenue won't be

there."

The town received more than $1 million in interest revenue from all the funds

accumulated when it floated a bond for capital projects last year. That money

is not expected to be there a year from now.

Council chairman Pierre Rochman said he was disappointed in the recommendation

of the education committee, calling it a "relatively small cut."

"It doesn't make sense to make cuts of that size," he said this week. "You

either make significant cuts or no cuts at all, but to make cosmetic cuts

doesn't really help the financial picture one bit."

Mr Rochman said the council needs to look down the line, fully aware of the

possibility that the town may need to build another elementary school.

Another $550,000

The Board of Education also requested an additional $550,000 to update the

Head O' Meadow School kindergarten classrooms, an expense that would be funded

outside of its operating budget -- in the capital improvement plan. This was

also given the endorsement of the education committee. Mrs Blawie also opposed

this move.

If you really want to look at the bottom line, Mrs Blawie said, you could say

the education committee actually raised the increase from 10.1 percent to

nearly 12 percent because it agreed to add $550,000 to the capital improvement

plan. That money was never part of the proposed operating budget.

If the council approves the committee's recommendation, the Board of Education

will then have to decide where to make the cuts. The council usually agrees

with the subcommittee or sometimes makes further cuts.

Last year's Board of Education proposal represented a 4.7 percent increase

after a $200,000 cut by the council.

The $776,000 that was recommended to be funded in the capital and

non-recurring improvement expenditure account included $364,000 for building

and site improvements and $411,492 for new technology.

The Legislative Council has no line item authority over the Board of Education

budget.