School Board Again Examines Budget Options

By Eliza Hallabeck

For the third meeting in a row, the Board of Education deliberated budget options it could use to implement full-day kindergarten in the school district while working within its proposed $68.5 million budget, scheduled to go before voters in the town’s fourth referendum on June 26.

Board of Education Chair Debbie Leidlein said she spoke with Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson and Business Director Ronald Bienkowski before the Tuesday, June 19, meeting regarding potential budget adjustments, and she presented those adjustments at the meeting. As passed by the school board, those adjustments leave roughly $25,000 to be found within the board’s budget, either through cuts or adjustments, to cover the cost of full-day kindergarten, as estimated by BOE member Keith Alexander at the meeting.

After going over the list of options, Ms Leidlein asked her board if it would still consider supporting full-day kindergarten. While members voiced concern about the budget being tight, all still said they support implementing full-day kindergarten.

Board member William Hart said that while he is concerned cuts have been made in the budget assuming good scenarios, he feels full-day kindergarten is the best choice for the district.

Saying there has never been a “fat” budget while he was on the board, board member Richard Gaines said there have been expenditures that did not end up happening, leaving wiggle room.

“Leeway? There’s no way,” said Mr Gaines, regarding the proposed spending package for 2012-13 with full-day kindergarten being implemented.

The Board of Education passed some of the proposed budget adjustments during its meeting, including changes to the transportation tiers for schools that will have Reed Intermediate School students riding with St Rose of Lima School students and Hawley Elementary School starting its day at the same time as the other elementary school’s in town, which is roughly an hour change for Hawley. The change in transportation reduced the proposed budget expenditures by $199,588, according to a document shared during the meeting.

In an email sent home to Hawley parents from the school on Wednesday, June 20, explained, “Last night the BOE decided on the hours of 9:05 to 3:32 for Hawley School starting 2012-13. This is the third tier of busing and puts us in line with all three of the other elementary schools in Newtown. Education Connection was made aware of the decision this morning. If any of you are in need of contacting them their phone number is 1-800-852-4314.”

Other potential reductions not decided on by the school board include removing $4,200 for the Newtown Middle School Moving Up Ceremony, held to mark eighth grade graduation, and reducing different accounts, like money designated for unemployment, by $20,000.

To help create and finalize some of the budget adjustments, Ms Leidlein said she spoke to elementary school principals and further distinguished where teaching positions are needed and not needed for the 2012-13 academic year.

One potential budget reduction listed at past Board of Education meetings was removing the director of music position, and having Director of Music Michelle Hiscavitch return to teach in a classroom, a move that would bump the most recently hired music teacher in the district from a position. That option, Ms Leidlein said, is no longer being considered, at this time.

On Thursday, June 14, a special meeting was held for the school board to discuss its budget, and during that meeting two documents were shared that highlighted what a “same services” budget would look like with and without full-day kindergarten. Those documents listed a budget shortfall of $517,868 if full-day kindergarten is implemented in the 2012-13 school year, and a budget shortfall of $120,177 if full-day kindergarten is not implemented. The budget options discussed this week reduced the shortfall if full-day kindergarten is implemented to roughly $25,000.

Also during the meeting, the school board voted to not extend a new contract agreement to the superintendent, and voted to have Dr Robinson’s current salary and benefits maintained.

Audio from the meeting is available with this story at www.newtownbee.com.