Parents Express Concern, Possible Solutions To Education Budget Cuts

By Larissa Lytwyn

More than 50 parents and students came to the Board of Education meeting on June 3 to express concern over –– and suggest alternatives to –– the potential impact of a $1.291 million budget cut on such services as bus transportation, the district’s Discovery Program, and the use of the high school pool.

Business Director Ron Bienkowski told the board that although the district would save more than $300,000 through a higher than expected staff turnover and by locking in lower fuel and diesel oil contract prices, that savings would be cut to only $84,088 because of $160,933 in additional special education services and $55,000 in electricity charges at the new Reed Intermediate School.

In grappling with where to cut costs, the board faced parent opposition over a proposal to combine the middle and high school bus routes. Under the proposed plan both high school and middle school students would begin their day at 7:35 am. Reed School students would travel to school later with St Rose Elementary School students and two private schools, yet to be named.

While parents have expressed concern over both sleep deprivation and students having free afternoons while both parents work full-time, Health Director Judith Blanchard said that there was no documented correlation between student misbehavior and any specific time of day.

“Students need to have their free time filled with positive activities,” she said. “Older students can be role models for younger middle school students.”

Board of Education Secretary Margaret Hull said that Newtown Middle School Principal Diane Sherlock would not support the proposed bus time change if extracurricular activities were cut. “If someone says something that will change my mind, I will consider it,” said Mrs Hull, who is concerned that the change will further deprive students of sleep. “But I have read numerous articles suggesting that students ‘click in’ [mentally] at 9:30 am.”

Dr Deborah Waldman, who specializes in sleep disorders, is also concerned about the effect of early rising times on middle school students. “I am also concerned that having more free time in the afternoons can lead some to be prone to misadventures,” she said. “There may be undue influence from the older group on the younger one.”

The following day, Transportation Director Mary Kelly said that many high school upperclassmen drive themselves and younger siblings to school. “As a result,” she said, “there are usually less than 15 students on a bus that can seat 65 or more.” She also noted that most school bus behavior problems occur among middle school students.

In Defense Of Discovery

The majority of parents attending the meeting came in support of salvaging the popular Discovery Program for gifted middle school students from being cut. “Your mission is that all children can and will learn well,” said Denise Kaiser, whose children are involved in the program. “They have special needs, too. They have special gifts.”

Tom McWarren, of Newtown, an educator in an outside district, believes that the Discovery Program’s influence on local education is far reaching. “The very presence of the Discovery Program elevates the achievement potential of the midlevel students,” he said. “It uplifts the entire community.”

Mary Atkinson, a coach of the Newtown Torpedoes swim team, believes that the swimming program must also remain a vital part of the community. “The pool is only open six months out of the year and costs $80,000 to operate,” she said. “Other towns have pools that are open 11 months out of the year and cost a lot less. If properly managed, the pool can even generate funds.”

Joseph Borst, a former band parent whose daughter was valedictorian of her 1981 NHS class, reflected on the marching band’s inclusion in school curriculum. The program is now extracurricular and in danger of being cut, and Mr Borst said that parents needed to take a greater role in the band’s survival. “We used to raise our own money and the parents would buy all the uniforms,” he said.

Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff said that the board would consider the public’s comments and reconvene Tuesday, June 10, to decide where to cut the budget. That meeting will be at 7:30 pm in Canaan House at 4 Fairfield Circle South.