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The Board of Education met Tuesday to decide on budget adjustments to account for the $4.6 million in reductions other town boards made to its budget request this spring. About $3.6 million were accounted for in better-than-expected projections for health-care costs and pension contributions, leaving $1 million that needed to be accounted for in other ways.
Superintendent David Title proposed a list of changes earlier this month. His ideas included program cuts, raising fees, reducing central office staff and cutting back on new computers and maintenance projects.
The Board of Education decided to cut its spending on new technology by an extra $106,000 to make up for the cost of two programs up for elimination: the middle school gifted program and swimming classes for special education students. The board’s original budget included money to upgrade the gifted program, but after Tuesday’s decision its funding will stay at its current level.
“I implore the staff to look at this program and find ways to improve it with the money you already have,” board vice-chair Pamela Iacono said Tuesday. “Because I don’t think we’re doing the best that we can.”
A similar plan to keep a fifth-grade music classes intact was rejected. Board member Perry Liu moved to make up the $30,000 cost of the class out of the board’s Business Services budget, which includes some central office staff members and outside contractors. The motion failed by a 3-6 vote.
Title’s proposal also included some new or increased fees. Students who play sports that involve off-site rental fees for practices (ice hockey, skiing, bowling, gymnastics, swimming and sailing) will have to pay a fee to the school. The district will also charge organizations that use schools for events to cover custodians’ overtime. High school parking fees will also increase next fall.
Board members Jennifer Maxon Kennelly and John Convertito both proposed changes to the athletic rental fee. Kennelly suggested a 2 percent cut to electricity, to be made up by instructing staff to keep lights and computers off when not in use. Convertito suggested making the fee a flat $25 to every student for each sport, to treat all athletes the same regardless of sport. Both motions failed by 4-5 votes.
Parents at the meeting criticized the board not only for the cuts made Tuesday, but also for its decision-making process. The school board decided to delay public comment on the budget until right before the final vote, after all of the adjustments had already been made.
“All the people who turned out, and who really care are really not getting any valid or fair input,” resident Neal Fink said. “Because essentially the decision in the process has already been done.”
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