Budget Dates In Proposed Charter Concern Board Of Ed

By Tanjua Damon

The Newtown Board of Education received a Charter Revision Lesson 101 Tuesday night from Charter Revision chairman Bill Sheluck, which drew questions from several board members.

The six-member board invited Mr Sheluck to its business meeting October 10 to have him explain the proposed charter changes and the impact they may have on the Board of Education as well as the school district.

The biggest impact on the Board of Education if the voters approve the charter questions in November is the timing of the school district’s budget submission to the proposed Board of Finance.

The way that the proposed charter is set up, the Board of Education would have to submit its budget no later than January 24 to the Board of Finance. The Legislative Council has to adopt a budget not later than the third Wednesday in April. Then the budget will be brought to a referendum on the fourth Tuesday in May. If the budget does not pass at the first referendum, a second referendum would be held no earlier than 10 days and no later than 14 days following the date the proposed budget is filed to the town clerk.

The timetable causes problems for the school district because the hiring market for teachers is competitive and the district has a majority of its hiring in place in April and May. Plus the district also has to go out for bid for summer projects before June. A town meeting would be held if a second referendum failed to provide approval for the budget.

“To say I’m concerned about the date is probably an understatement,” Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed said. “From running an organization, I can tell you we’re in a major competition in hiring people. It may be good for the revenue issue. But when I look at this we need to get the budget done a month earlier.”

Mr Sheluck explained to the school board that if the proposed Board of Finance comes into being, adding its budget review to the process requires additional time for them to look at the budget before sending it to the Legislative Council and the voters.

“We are looking for a more balance of power in government,” Mr Sheluck said. “And also provide for more effective financial management.”

School board chairman Elaine McClure told Mr Sheluck that the Board of Education was never asked for input on the charter process and how the changes in dates might affect the board.

“The Board of Education was never asked for input,” Mrs McClure said. “It was never asked to see if the date would fit with the Board of Education budget.”

Business Director Ron Bienkowski responded that the way the current budget process is now, the school district already has to estimate many areas like oil and electricity, but if the proposed charter changes are approved, it would cause for even more estimating to be done in the school budget.

“We have to make estimates on the budget now,” Mr Bienkowski said. “You don’t want to spend all the effort in putting bids together if you don’t know you are going to have the money.”

 “In order to put a budget together I have to know what the bottom line is,” Dr Reed added. “Our challenge is going to be to get engaged and stay engaged.”

The Board of Education would have less time than the other two bodies – Board of Finance and the Legislative Council – to prepare and organize a budget under the proposed revisions to the charter.

“I’m definitely alarmed by seeing the dates. This year is especially difficult,” Mrs McClure said. “I think this is something the Board of Education needs to look at. I believe we are looking at serious problems. We operate on a shoestring budget.”

Board members had many questions about the proposed creation of a Board of Finance and how it would operate.

“The rationale for everything we recommend is in that final report. Our recommendation for adding an independent Board of Finance to the process has raised questions of adding another layer of government,” Mr Sheluck said. “It provides a body that will work more closely with the board and find the educational needs best for the town.”

Mr Sheluck said that with the Board of Finance, more work will be done before the actual budget process of figuring out what is needed and what the town can afford. It would be less like the “fire drill” process that it is now.

“A lot more work will already have been done,” he said. “Just having that body can help that interaction; we didn’t think that body is present today.”

Mr Sheluck explained to the board that 37 other towns have governments similar to Newtown. Of the 37, two-thirds have a council and a Board of Finance.

The Board of Education will discuss the matter again at a special meeting on Thursday, October 18.