Commentary

A Budget For A Stable And Dynamic Future

By John R. Reed

For 19 years, I have frequently stated that you don’t necessarily solve problems by spending more money. Many challenges that school systems face can be addressed by making better decisions. During this period our expenditure level as defined by the current net per pupil expenditure statistic published by the State of Connecticut has fallen from 78th to 160th out of 169 towns in Connecticut. Clearly the school system has demonstrated it is very prudent in minimizing per pupil expenditures compared to other school systems. Hopefully, this gives credibility to the idea that further reductions to the budget I requested from the Board of Education will be detrimental to our students. They will join the over $1,075,000 in postponements already made by the Board of Education, which will have to be added one year from now. We will be digging a deep financial hole from which it will be increasingly difficult to extract ourselves.

I hope to promote public understanding of the proposed budget by addressing three areas of information. The first is helping our citizens understand the special circumstances that are responsible for the significant Board of Education budget increase adopted by the Legislative Council. Other objectives of this communication include placing this proposed budget increase in context with increases in recent years, and providing insight about implications of further reductions to this budget.

Four goals, which are essential to maintain and to improve educational quality and meet essential needs, guided the development of this budget. Those goals include the following:

Provide reasonable resources, including space, necessary to provide a quality instructional program in a safe environment for all students.

Within the confines of available space, work to come close to fulfilling the board’s guidelines of 20 students in K, 1, and 2, and 20 to 25 in grades 3 through 12.

Have working conditions that will ensure the Newtown school system will be able to compete successfully for highly-qualified educators and support staff.

Implement our Comprehensive Technology Plan so our students and staff may have the benefit of technology to ensure greater success for our students.

Several factors made the attainment of these goals particularly challenging this year. Growth in student population has fostered the need for space and ultimately staff to service the 6 percent, or 284 more students, projected for this fall.

In addition, our enrollment has risen steadily from 3,428 students at the beginning of the decade to 4,716 this year; 5,000 students are expected this fall. The budget contains $406,402 to provide the space to meet this expanding enrollment. This sum includes $86,702 for the leasing of four portable classrooms. In order to use three classrooms in the lower level of the Hawley School, a $125,000 sprinkler system and $18,000 to put the rooms in appropriate condition for students are needed. There is $21,000 to upgrade lighting in the Middle School auditorium so it can serve as a classroom. $155,700 is included to convert the area used by Central Office into classrooms for Middle School students and relocate the Central Office.

Of course, when you have seven additional classrooms, you have to equip them with everything from desks to books, which will cost $75,086. The increasing student population requires the addition of one additional bus at a cost of $48,000 and one more midday kindergarten route at a cost of $15,000.

When the students arrive at school, we need additional staff to teach them. The budget provides for five elementary and three secondary teachers, at a cost for salary and fringe benefits of $392,712. That is one regular classroom position for every 35 projected new students. To meet expanded enrollment needs, part-time positions are included in art, music, P.E., and library media services which, in total, equal the equivalent of 1.4 positions at a cost of $56,812. In order to give our guidance counselors a reasonable opportunity to provide support to our students, there is a new counselor planned for the High School, which will enable us to have a ratio of 1 to 240 students and one Middle School counselor resulting in a ratio of one counselor to 300 students. The cost for these two new guidance counselors is $98,178.

Also included are a .5 nursing position to maintain our present level of services to students at a cost of $17,613, one $10,765 educational trainer to provide services to students who have autism, and two coaching positions to maintain our level of opportunity for extra curricular activities at the High School, costing $5,382. Finally, the significant growth at Sandy Hook School with a targeted population of 770 students has caused the board to transition from a lead teacher position to an assistant principal position to provide the expected supervision and evaluation of staff members. This will cost $29,331.

Our growth has also caused us to include a custodial position in the budget at a cost for salaries and benefits of $40,887.

It might be helpful to pause and place these costs related to population growth in perspective to the total budget increase. They total $1,196,168, which is approximately one dollar in every four of the requested increase.

There are two other aspects of the Board of Education budget which are important to explain this budget increase. The first deals with the $1,000,966 which is added to our health insurance budget. This adjustment does not provide for any expansion of benefits, but rather it is driven by our claims. It is not so much an issue of more claims per employee, but the seriousness of the illnesses, which have led to higher average claims. The self-insured program, which has normally saved the town money, is like a banking account and, unfortunately, we have needed to make more withdrawals than we have made deposits. Of that $1,000,966, approximately $113,000 covers the cost of projected new staff and $84,000 is included to replenish the reserve account which helps us deal with the normal fluctuations of claims. If we were able to fund our health insurance at a more normal growth rate of 12 percent over current expectations, we would have only required an expenditure of $296,777.

Periodically, after consultation with the Legislative Council, the Board of Education has used the lease purchase method for procuring hardware and related components to continue to implement our technology plan. It has been understood for two years that there would be no funds remaining from the lease purchase program for the 2000-20001 school year and that any hardware purchases would require new funds. Currently, $308,415 is planned for such equipment purchases.

Were the unique expenditures for health insurance and technology not necessary and they were compiled with the previously discussed enrollments/space/staffing needs, the budget increase would have been approximately $2,208,772 less than presently requested.

It is necessary to pick your words carefully when speculating about what would occur should this Board of Education budget be reduced. The action of the Board of Education in eliminating $1,075,554 from the budget I requested provides significant insight about where the board would turn for any future reductions in the budget. When the board made its reduction to the budget it eliminated 7.2 teaching positions as well as 5.85 support positions. There was a consensus on the board that any further reductions would come from the remaining new positions and/or expenditures for technology. The remaining new positions contain five regular elementary positions and one high school teacher in each of the following area: math, science, and English, as well as one guidance counselor. The Middle School has one teaching position plus one guidance counselor. Full time support positions include a custodian, a maintenance worker, and a technology technician.

When the Council adopted the Board of Education budget another variable was added which could be considered for possible reduction to the Board of Education. That centers on several capital improvement projects which the Council decided to include in the Board of education’s operating budget. Those projects totaling $500,000 are as follows:

HOM Repave and Expand Rear Parking Lot – $95,000

SH Expand Parking, Drainage and ADA Compliance – $55,000

MG Repave and Expand Parking – $55,000

MS Repave and Expand Parking – $35,000

MS Convert BOE Space to Four Classrooms – $125,000

MS Fire Code Update – $135,000

I have watched the school system reach a point where the hard work and dedication of our staff cannot compensate for unreasonable and insufficient funding. For those who simply cannot afford a tax increase, your opposition to the town budget is understood and appreciated. For those who could afford an increase, please realize that this overall budget increase is not only impacted by the immediate school needs but other important items such as the town’s purchasing and operation of Fairfield Hills, additional playing fields, and expenditures related to the design and construction of the new 5/6 school. As you reflect on this complex budget tapestry, please view the budget in the context of time and realize that in recent years, the increases to the tax rate have been modest ones averaging about one mill. Please accept the fact that, over the years, good fiscal management by the Legislative Council and Board of Education have saved significant dollars. I encourage you to think of this as a prudent adjustment to provide a reasonable level of spending as a continued investment in the children and property values in Newtown.

In order to provide opportunities for individuals to address questions, I will be available in the Board of Education Conference Room in the Newtown Middle School on Saturday, April 22, 2000, from 9 am until noon, and Monday evening, April 24, between the hours of 7 and 9 pm. People may find it convenient to visit with representatives of the district at that time or may call 426-7621. If you don’t receive immediate attention you should leave a recorded question. We will make every effort to respond promptly.

(John R. Reed is Superintendent of Schools for Newtown.)