School Budget Has No Fat

To the Editor:

As the budget process in Newtown continues, I am heartened by the way the education subcommittee of the Legislative Council has been engaged with the Newtown Board of Education. At Tuesday night’s meeting, the education subcommittee passed a motion to reduce the Board of Education’s budget by approximately $994,000, with $800,000 of that to come from the Health Insurance Reserve fund. The Subcommittee motion passed with the condition that the Legislative Council put in writing an agreement that the Board of Education can come back to the Legislative Council for that money should it be needed.

While taking the money from the reserve is somewhat risky, this type of cut to the budget request would not affect the Newtown students. By the time this letter is printed, the Legislative Council will have met and decided its fate. I can only pray that the whole council will agree with this approach and understand that any other cuts to the Board of Education budget will seriously affect our children’s education.

Further cuts to the board’s budget request either will need to come from the technology budget or will need to come from staffing. Either instance causes us to move backwards in the education of our children. We are a technology driven society. The workforce and colleges demand that our children can utilize technology. We have district guidelines for classroom sizes that foster the ability of all children to learn. We need to abide by those standards and demands. The Board of Education’s budget request has no fat in it. Hopefully the Legislative Council will allow the taxpayers of this town decide if we are willing to pay the price for quality education. I say we are and we will.

Sincerely,

Deborah M. Hoffmann

60 Elm Drive, Newtown                                              March 8, 2000