$1 Million Cut In Ed Budget Angers Parents

By Steve Bigham

The Legislative Council Wednesday night voted 7-5 in favor of what amounts to a $1 million cut to the proposed Board of Education budget. The move angered a large group of school supporters who were on hand to urge the council not to make such a move.

Others say the cut really is not that drastic, calling it more like a $200,000 reduction, taking into account provisions for capital funding and health insurance. It all depends on how you look at it, noted Finance Director Ben Spragg. Important to note is that the budget can still be re-opened next week and many council members believe some money will be restored.

Voting in favor of the new bottom line Tuesday were Don Studley, Joe Borst, Doug Brennan, Tim Holian, Ruby Johnson, Brian White and Will Rodgers.

Those voting against the new budget figure were Pierre Rochman, Melissa Pilchard, Dan Rosenthal, Peggy Baiad and John Kortze.

The council’s decision lowers the school board’s budget to $39.5 million – an increase of 12.3 percent over the current budget, but still far less than what Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed says is needed to run a sound school system.

“The net on this means that $622,000 will have to be cut from the budget and we’ll likely have to remove the remaining amount of new staff,” Dr Reed acknowledged. “This leaves little reason for people to support the budget.”

School officials were able to squeeze $332,000 of self-funded health insurance savings out of TR Paul, the firm that administers the district’s benefits program, to offset the remaining cut. But there does not appear to be anywhere else to cut. New teaching positions will have to be cut, according to the superintendent.

“I wasn’t kidding when I said that anything less than full funding of our budget would represent a step back and have a negative impact on the school system,” said Dr Reed, who had an additional $1 million cut from his budget by the school board last month.

The council’s education subcommittee presented the school cuts, recommending that $800,000 be cut from the school board’s self-funded health insurance account. Its chairman, Joe Borst, stated that his committee’s motion was contingent upon the council ensuring that the town at year’s end replenishes any shortage of money in this account. But Mr Borst’s fellow council members refused, saying they can not obligate a future council to such a request.

The council proceeded to vote in favor of the $39.5 million budget, which does include $500,000 for school capital projects. Education subcommittee member Brian White had recommended that the $500,000 be funded outside the operating budget in the town’s capital non-recurring account. This would have eased the school board’s burden. However, other council members were concerned that such a move would only postpone these big costs until next year.

Dr Reed said he hopes hundreds of school supporters come out next Tuesday to urge the council to reopen the school budget. Only those members who voted in the majority are eligible to move that the issue be reopened. All seven of them will likely be receiving phone calls this weekend.

“We’re headed down a road that will have a cumulative negative impact on the town,” he said, referring to the council’s recent actions as “frugal.”

Equally troubling for the schools chief is that he will enter the new fiscal year without a reserve health insurance account.

Prior to the vote, school Business Manager Ron Bienkowski informed the council of the $332,000 in health insurance savings. School supporters were hoping that would be enough to satisfy the council’s tax rate concerns. But their hopes were soon dashed.

“[The school board] gave them $330,000 and they took a million,” said an angered Joe Hemingway as discouraged parents talked outside the high school lecture hall following the meeting.

Mr Hemingway, an outspoken school supporter, said he and others did not have a problem with the education subcommittee’s $800,000 cut, as long as there was a provision to make up any shortage.

“They refused and went a step further,” he said. “When someone said they couldn’t make any promises, they just cut it, period.”

 But council vice chairman Melissa Pilchard takes a different stance. She voted against the school budget plan because she felt more should have been cut. And she expressed her feelings just before the vote. For the third time this budget season, the response from the crowd to Mrs Pilchard’s comments was less than favorable.

“Don’t worry,” Mrs Pilchard baited. “This is my last year. I’m not running again.”

The announcement drew applause from partisan school supporters. Council chairman Pierre Rochman banged the gavel in response, demanding that order be restored.

At 11:15 pm, Mr Borst tried unsuccessfully to re-open the budget discussion in an effort to add $200,000 to the school district’s self-funded health insurance.

Earlier in the meeting, several residents spoke out in opposition to further cuts, saying the town’s well being hangs in the balance. Board of Education first-term member Lisa Schwartz, a former council member, urged the council to think twice before cutting.

“A year ago, I sat where you all sat,” she said. “The numbers I saw in the budget have been replaced by human beings… Be careful not to lose sight of the spirit that drives this community.”

School board member Margaret Hull reminded the council that 739 new students have enrolled in Newtown schools since 1998 – 264 in this past year alone. But, she said, the increase in the budget has little to do with increased enrollment. Most of the increases are “fixed costs.”

Newtown’s PTA seems willing to pay the price for good public education. Rather than emphasizing how hard parents have to work to support their children’s education, members note that in this booming economy the sacrifice doesn’t seem that great. One parent pointed out that he would support a higher budget even if it means buying one less compact disc per month.

School supporters say they are frustrated that next week’s “important” meeting is being held during school vacation. They urge all parents not on vacation to show up. Next Tuesday’s meeting will take place in the middle school auditorium at 7:30 pm.