School Board Review

Anticipates A Tough Budget Season

By Martha Coville

The Board of Education reviewed Superintendent Janet Robinson’s proposed budget for the 2008-2009 school year, but has not yet taken approved or rejected specific line items. The board discussed budget allocations for each of Newtown’s seven public schools on Thursday, January 31. On Tuesday, February 5, board memebers discussed the curriculum, transportation, and special education budgets.

Dr Robinson’s budget proposes a 6.74 percent increase over last year’s school spending plan. When she presented her budget to the Board of Education, she named technology and curriculum as the principal budget drivers. She proposes increasing funding for technology and curriculum by 50.78 percent. “Technology and curriculum are really blended together in the budget because they belong together,” she said.

Dr Robinson prioritized curriculum needs over staffing needs. Principals across the district requested  additional faculty and staff in their budgets. Dr Robinson included only seven of the requested 24 new staff members in her budget. “To make sure that we brought forward a passable budget, we made some very difficult decisions,” she said.

 But Dr Robinson said, “I really want to speak to the area of curriculum development. I know we made  some tough decisions and there were some staff we wanted to have.” But, she said, “Curriculum spending has been slashed in the past,” and she wants to make it the major focus of her budget this year.

Her curriculum and technology budget is designed to ensure equity of access to computers among students and teachers across the districts. Although Sandy Hook and Hawley Schools enjoy updated technology, Middle Gate and Head O’ Meadow are stuck with outdated technology. Their computers will not run newer programs, such as online practice tests for state testing. Many are simply broken.

Board member Lillian Bittman said that spending for computer and technology equipment has been inconsistent in recent years, and was slashed in the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 budgets. “You see the dips from two years ago,” she said, “And I think we’re paying more for them now.”

Assistant Superintendent Linda Gejda said, “One of the things that Dr Robinson has been talking about is getting us up to the point where we’re not just playing catch up. An acquisition and planning process is needed,” she said, so that the district can factor in the cost of updating and “consistent replacement” of technology as part of the “total cost of ownership.”

Ms Bittman said that the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) cited lack of access to technology when they placed Newtown High School on warning status. She asked, “Do the technology dollars going to the high school satisfy what NEASC is asking for?” Dr Robinson said, “I think in two years, yes. I don’t think we’re there yet.”

The curriculum budget focuses on basic student needs such as textbooks. Assistant Superintendent Linda Gejda said, “One of the big items in this budget is textbooks. Nowadays, a textbook is very rarely just a book. It comes with CDs, or an online license” for accessing information on the Internet. Dr Gejda said the district will need to purchase social studies textbooks because the Connecticut State Legislature now requires instruction in Connecticut state history. The budget also includes funds for French, Spanish, sociology, statistics, and language arts books, for a 36 percent increase in spending on textbooks.

Dr Robinson also proposes to increase spending on staff and program development by 36 percent. Staff development includes summer workshops in specific content areas, and new teacher training. 

Board member Kathy Fetchick said that “the technology budget is really large, but some of these things are really important. If you fall behind with technology, it can take a while to catch up.” However, she also said she was interested in seeing more information on “what is equity of access.” She said Dr Robinson has promised to bring a specific breakdown of technology spending to the board’s February 7 meeting.

Ms Fetchick said that Dr Robinson “has really done a great job,” assembling the budget, which was begun by former superintendent Evan Pitkoff and Interim Superintendent Thomas Jokubaitis. But, “My feeling,” Ms Fetchick said, “is that it’s a difficult budget season, and we need to be mindful of the taxpayers.” Especially because the Board of Education will be asking for money for the proposed high school expansion, it “needs to make some reductions, and it’s going to be difficult to find places to cut.”

The Board of Education was scheduled to meet at 6:30 pm on Thursday, February 7, in the Reed School Library. The meeting was to include an “interactive public participation,” in which board members respond directly to questions posed by residents. Adoption of the budget was also on the agenda.

The Board of Education will also meet on Tuesday, February 12, at 7:30 pm, in the Reed School Library.