Date: Fri 07-Jun-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Reed-school-budget-cuts

Full Text:

Superintendent Proposes Cuts For Reduced School Budget

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

For the first time, funding for the Newtown Middle School baseball and

softball teams was included in the 1996-97 school budget. When it passed in

April, middle school sports enthusiasts rejoiced.

But the $5,000 allocated for the teams may be eliminated from the budget as

school officials have scrambled to cut $250,000 from next year's spending

plan.

In February, the Legislative Council told the Board of Education to cut its

bottom line budget proposal by a quarter of a million dollars. It was

Superintendent of Schools John Reed's responsibility to determine where the

specific cuts would be made.

The Board of Education will vote on the proposed adjustments at its regular

meeting Tuesday night.

The superintendent said cutting programs from the budget is never easy, but is

an unavoidable part of his job.

"I'm not one to feel sorry for myself or the school system. I get paid to deal

with reality and the reality is that $250,000 is a significant amount of money

to cut," he explained.

For the past two years, the baseball/softball programs at the middle school

were funded through private donations.

Also cuts to two new coaching positions at the high school worth $3,900 have

been proposed. One is a freshmen baseball coaching position and the other is

for a field hockey coach.

The school system said it would take care of nearly a third of the reduction

by trimming medical insurance premiums by $50,000.

The principals' budgets would be cut at all six schools at a savings of nearly

$33,000. The principal's budget gives each of the school administrators money

that he or she is authorized to distribute to various approved accounts within

their schools.

In addition, $30,000 would be cut for building improvements to doors and trims

and $27,500 would be taken from current allocations to offset next year's

budget from the 1995-96 budget.

The central office also proposed a hiring freeze on a part-time gifted and

talented position worth $17,500, a reduction in Spanish and physical education

teaching positions for a $10,000 savings.

The original budget had requested expanded hours for an educational assistant

and a Sandy Hook School library clerk. Both could be cut, as could a part-time

English Department post at the high school, at a savings of over $21,000.

Another $7,000 would be cut from transportation and $8,000 for continuing

education.

A plan to replace middle school science tables will delayed to save $7,000 and

a reduction in office and instructional supplies will trim another $7,000.

Final action on life, property and liability insurance cuts, at a savings of

$15,000, will be discussed at school board meetings this summer.