‘Another Exciting Month’—

School Board Hears Monthly Financial Report

By Eliza Hallabeck

The Board of Education juggled a number of topics during its meeting on Tuesday, March 15. The board heard updates on the high school expansion, the 2011-12 school budget, and on the district’s monthly financial report for February. 

“I know I said this last month,” said Director of Business Ron Bienkowski during his monthly financial report to the board, “but it truly was another exciting month in the business office with everything that happened.”

The biggest component of the financially active month, Mr Bienkowski said, was the receipt of part of Newtown’s expected amount for the Excess Cost Grant, a state reimbursement for some costs related to special education.

The district budgeted a 75 percent reimbursement amount for the Excess Cost Grant, but the amount reimbursed ended up being 80 percent of Newtown’s costs. The five percent difference, as Board of Education Chair William Hart pointed out later during the meeting, gave Newtown help during a tight month. While the district has received roughly $1.2 million of the expected Excess Cost Grant reimbursement, Mr Bienkowski said the district is expecting to receive a further $366,000 through the grant. 

Costs associated with snow removal and three new special education students in the district have increased expected expenditures, leaving the budget tight, according to Mr Bienkowski.

 The net projected balance is just over $33,000. Both Board of Education Secretary Andrew Buzzi and member David Nanavaty expressed concern over the balance.

Mr Bienkowski said he is prepared to wait a month or more, watching the balance, before “blowing the sirens” to hold expenditures in accounts like supplies. Holding accounts now, he explained, may leave a surplus at the end of the fiscal year that may spark concern from the community about overbudgeting, despite the amount coming from spending halts. 

Mr Buzzi noted more than $4 million associated with anticipated obligations that could offer some flexibility. In response to Mr Buzzi, Mr Hart noted that only a part of the anticipated $4 million is discretionary.

Earlier in the meeting, Mr Hart also reminded the school board that the district’s 2011-12 budget was going before the Legislative Council the following night, Wednesday, March 16, and the school board is expected to meet with the Legislative Council’s Education Subcommittee March 21 and 28. Following the subcommittee’s meetings with the school board, the subcommittee will then deliver its recommendation on the 2011-12 school budget to the full Legislative Council.

Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson reported the Newtown High School expansion project is continuing to review punch list items, and the renovation portion of the project is continuing as anticipated. Some complications around scheduled work for the renovation revolve around workers not being able to use the space while students are attending school. Dr Robinson also said she hopes an open house can be scheduled in May for anyone who has been involved in the project. No news on the school’s greenhouse project was shared with the board.

Dr Robinson also expressed excitement about the high school receiving notice roughly two weeks ago that the New England Association of School and Colleges (NEASC) lifted the high school’s long-standing warning status. The high school, she said, is now fully accredited.

“Not only did they lift the warning,” said Dr Robinson, “but they had five commendations.”

Those commendations included the completion of the NHS expansion, the enhancement of the ninth grade transition experience, and the implementation of the monthly half-day school days to hold professional learning communities for faculty.

Mr Hart expressed his congratulations to the town for backing the high school expansion project, which led in part to the warning status being lifted.

Both Mr Hart and Dr Robinson have been visiting PTA meetings around the district to discuss the 2011-12 budget. Mr Hart said this week the pair attended both a Reed Intermediate School PTA meeting and a Head O’ Meadow PTA meeting.

“There was certainly quite a bit of discussion at the Reed PTA,” said Mr Hart, “and we will hopefully address the issues that they brought forward.”