School Board To Outline

Uses For Restored Funds

By Jeff White

The Newtown Board of Education Tuesday night agreed to draft a letter to the Legislative Council outlining what capital projects it will fund with the money that the finance body put back into the school district’s operating budget last month.

It is an effort to show that the school board is acting “in good faith” in following the recommendations of the Legislative Council, Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed said this week. The council March 9 restored $500,000 to the school board’s proposed 2000-01 operating budget, after cutting much of that sum from the district’s health insurance request the night before. The condition: the school district had to agree to use the restored finances to fund $500,000 worth of capital items in its budget.

In its communication sent to the council this week, the school board outlined some budget adjustments it has made to reflect the use of those funds. Six capital projects will draw from the $500,000 figure, from repaving and expanding Head O’ Meadow School’s parking lot to converting the district’s central offices into four middle school classrooms.

The money that the council restored to the school board’s operating budget brought it back up to the $39.95 million mark, an increase of nearly 15 percent over the current spending plan. Dr Reed has said that the additional money would allow the school system to hire new staff members needed for the enrollment boom, and prevent the district from cutting additional programs.

 Although it would appear that the school district received most of what it requested this budget season, Board of Education Chairman Elaine McClure stressed Tuesday night that whatever budget is passed by the town still reflects tough cuts made by the school board.

Referring to school board meetings held earlier this year, when the superintendent’s requested spending plan was initially reviewed, Mrs McClure said, “Practically every item [that the school board cut] was something we needed in the district.” Mrs McClure added that in addition to cutting $1 million from the budget before sending it to the council, the district is still short $220,000 in its health insurance fund due to a freeze it enacted a few months ago.

Some fear that although the council recommended a specific use for the $500,000 it gave back to the school district, the Board of Education ultimately could do anything it wanted with the money. By sending on a detailed list of the projects it intends to fund with the restored funds, Dr Reed has said the district is showing its willingness to work with the council.