BOE Chair Calls For Special Budget Session, June 14

Board of Education Chair Debbie Leidlein has called a special meeting for 8 pm Thursday, June 14, to identify the gap in funding between the latest 2012-13 budget proposal and what would be considered a “same services” budget.

Ms Leidlein told The Bee Wednesday afternoon that she plans to provide those amounts including and without full-day kindergarten.

“Superintendent Janet Robinson, the district business manager, and I have met and firmly defined the gap with and without full-day kindergarten,” Ms Leidlein said. “We reached those figures with information provided to me by the superintendent and Mr [Ron] Bienkowski.”

Ms Leidlein said she has called the meeting for the purpose of “making sure everyone has a clear understanding of the numbers, what that gap is, and what we can do to bridge the gap.”

She said she will ask the school board members in attendance to also have a separate discussion on their opinions about the full-day kindergarten plan. She did not indicate whether the meeting will include public participation.

Special meetings do not officially provide for public participation.

Ms Leidlein said the meeting — which is scheduled in the board room at Newtown Municipal Center — will be videotaped, so anyone desiring to view the discussion after the fact can do so before the next budget referendum, scheduled for Tuesday, June 26.

“We’ve analyzed all the numbers up to the minute, and will be providing the public with accurate information Thursday evening,” she said. “At this point I feel comfortable with the numbers provided to me by the administration, and I want to provide that information to the public as soon as possible.”