Date: Fri 23-Jan-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

school-budget

Full Text:

Board Reviews $3.1 Million School Spending Plan

BY MICHELE HOGAN

Superintendent of Schools John Reed has proposed a $32.9-million budget for

the 1998-98 fiscal year, a 10.45 percent increase from last year.

"Where is 3.1 million going to get us?" asked John Kortze, chairman of the

Legislative Council's finance committee, during the Board of Education's

January 20 budget meeting.

Dr Reed explained that the largest part of the budget increase, almost $2

million, is for salaries.

Equipment, mostly computers, will cost approximately $400,000 more; improved

instructional supplies, "off-years testing" (basic testing for students in

grade levels not tested by the Connecticut Mastery Test) and workbooks, etc.,

$143,000 more; electricity and fuel oil, $120,000 more.

Salaries

Of the $2-million increase in the budget due to salaries, just over $1 million

is for teachers. This is made up of $611,000 in teacher salary increases

required by the teacher's contract and another $441,000 budgeted for 12.6 new

teaching positions.

Increased special education teaching staff, totalling $232,000; support staff

(custodians, educational assistants, technology staff); and a provision for

salary adjustments for support staff whose contracts are currently under

negotiation make up most of the rest of the increases in the salary portion of

the budget.

This budget submission is based on an enrollment forecast of 4,422, which is a

3.8 percent increase over 1997-98.

New teachers will be needed at all three school levels, but most of 12.6 new

positions will be at the middle- and high-school level. Dr Reed wrote,

"Basically, most of the new positions are intended to maintain existing

class-size practices. The guidelines we attempt to follow are: 20 or less in

grades K-2 and 20-25 in grades 3-8. ... Many classes at the high school have

23-26 students."

Hawley Lead Teacher

The Board of Education discussed Dr Reed's budget item of $35,000 for a lead

teacher for Hawley School.

Currently, Sandy Hook School is the only elementary school in the district

with a lead teacher.

Dr Reed said that the Board of Education had made "a legal commitment five or

six years ago to provide assistants to principals. The principals have been

very professional. We need to continue to phase-in lead teachers, until we

have a lead teacher in every school, over the next few years."

Board of Education member Charles Nanavaty asked if it would be possible to

rotate a lead teacher among the schools.

Dr Reed responded that Sandy Hook School has a higher enrollment than the

other elementary schools and the highest projected enrollment growth. He said

that the lead teacher there is "very much needed."

Dr Reed expressed support for Linda Siciliano, principal of Hawley School, in

her request to be next in line for a lead teacher.

Dr Reed wrote in his budget that lead teachers are less expensive than

assistant principals. Their role is similar to that of assistant principals:

They provide the principals more time to problem-solve with teachers and

parents; to develop policy and school improvement plans; and for

administrative duties required in a large elementary school.

The increased knowledge and versatility gained by the lead teacher is also a

potential benefit to the school system in future years.

"We talked about lead teachers when the schools were at 400 [pupils]. Now,

they are 500 to 600, and we are still talking," said Amy Dent, school board

chairman.

At Peggy Ulrich-Nims' request, the board will collect and review data from

other comparable elementary schools regarding lead teachers.

Technology

New technology, primarily computers, are proposed for all school levels. A

language lab and 50 computer systems at the high school is budgeted at

$194,000. The middle school is slated $48,600 for new computers. This

equipment would allow teachers to use the new computer infrastructure that the

school recently set up through the use of a $110,000 state grant.

Requests for computers in elementary schools include $44,600 for 16 multimedia

machines at Hawley School. Each third- to fifth-grade classroom would get two,

and each K-2 classroom would get one with two additional portable computers

and peripherals.

Technology needs will be discussed in detail in upcoming meetings.

Spending & Taxes

This new budget proposal shows a 10.45 percent increase over the current

budget of $29.7 million.

Last year, the budget increased 5.19 percent over the year before.

In his summary statement, Dr Reed wrote that "to the casual observer, the 5.19

percent increase in the 1997-98 operating budget could be deemed very

significant, perhaps even excessive; however, according to a report by

consultant Joseph Schwartz, because enrollment over the same period increased

by 4.6 percent, the result was a nominal per-pupil spending increase of only

0.6 percent."

Dr Reed stated in his report that the "trends previously reported continue: 1)

Per pupil spending adjusted for inflation declined, this year; and 2)

Education spending as a percentage of total town spending declined, this year,

while enrollment grew for the eighth straight year."

Dr Reed also commented on a general trend toward decreased state aid to school

districts. Newtown has seen state aid reduced from 24 percent in 1990-91 to

13.3 percent in 1997-98. If the 1988 statutes had not been changed, then

Newtown would have received almost $6 million more in state funding for

education in the 1996-97 budget alone.

Dr Reed presented comparative data, showing that Newtown's per pupil spending

of $6,743 in the 1996-97 year placed Newtown at the bottom of the list for

per-pupil expenditures in three comparisons -- bottom of the 22 districts in

Fairfield County; bottom of the 18 districts in Educational Reference Group B;

and bottom of list of the nine school districts geographically contingent to

Newtown. (This is the most recent comparative per-pupil costs available.)

John Kortze commented that "as a taxpayer, I want to know how my taxes went

up, not so much per-pupil expenses."

Dr Reed said, "We don't have a magic number for per-pupil expenditure."

At the end of his presentation, Dr Reed said, "You have never heard me say

this before, but, if we don't do these things [major budget recommendations],

I expect there would be a negative impact on the kids."

During the meetings public participation, Pat Barrett, PTA president at Middle

Gate School, said, "I agree with Dr Reed. We are a well-oiled machine. ...

Nobody wants their taxes to go up, but we have to weigh what is important and

what isn't."