For No More Cuts

To the Editor:

Please vote No on Tuesday’s budget. The Legislative Council has cut too deeply. This should not be about a choice between an assistant principal and educational assistants. We need both! Our SAT scores have remained flat for over ten years. Thirteen other districts within our DRG spend more per student. We are below the DRG average and the state average in spending per student. The number of teachers is decreasing faster than enrollment. Our expulsions are increasing, requiring an additional principal. Of 119 high schools in Connecticut, Newtown is one of 21 considered “fully efficient.” If you agree with the above statements, then the only conclusion is to ask the LC to reduce the cut to the school budget.

There are various myths going around and I’d like to dispel a few of them. We are not overpaying for our administrative staff. The last published Strategic School Profile of 2008-2009 indicates our Per Student Administration and Support Services costs in Newtown were $1,106 per student. Our District Regional Group B average was $1,342 per student and the State average was $1,369 per student.

Our Newtown administration is not overstaffed. Of the 20 districts within our DRG B, Newtown had the least number of administrators per student, therefore Newtown is the most efficient district in terms of administrators per student. Newtown has 241 students per administrator, the lowest number of administrators within our DRG.

We do not have an inefficient school system. In the magazine Connecticut Economy Winter 2010 there is an article titled, “Efficiency of CT High School Districts.” In this article, Dr Dennis Heffley, head of the Department of Economics at UConn, attempts to measure which high schools within the state of Connecticut are the most efficient. He identified 21 out of the 119 districts as “fully efficient.” Newtown High School is one of those 21.

The BOE does not hide or find money during the school year, but things do change. As an example, in our current budget the BOE was able to hire more teachers, yet the salary line item is under budget. This occurred because senior, more expensive, teachers left for other districts, which freed up money. Sounds like you can hire two, maybe three starting salary teachers when a senior, more expensive, teacher leaves. When the budget was passed last year the BOE had no way of knowing that these senior, more expensive, teachers were going to leave. But when they did it, seems reasonable to hire more teachers, as long as the BOE stays within the budgeted amount for salary, which they did. Unfortunately, when these circumstances arise, some claim that the BOE is not being honest with the voters.

Please vote No. I do believe we are in a competition with other towns, other states, and other countries because our kids will be in a competition for colleges, jobs, positions, and professions. The one thing that makes a quantifiable difference is education.

Charles Hepp

4 Winter Ridge Road, Sandy Hook                                May 11, 2011