School Board Needs To

Look At Staffing Levels

To the Editor:

Now that the new budget preparation process is underway, I would like to remind our elected officials once again to take a hard look at staffing levels as they formulate their budgets for presentation to the voters.

Particular attention should be directed by school board members when they receive the proposed school budget for next year. The present economic climate in corporate America is forcing many companies to reexamine their staffing levels and to hold the line on new positions. While this may be the result of pressure from stockholders with bottom line profit as the motive, there is a parallel to our school system and the taxpayers who support it. We are the stockholders in our “educational” company and while profit may not be our goal, the impact of continually rising school taxes impacts the economy of each family in our town.

Before the school board commits their approval to the next budget, they must ensure that each and every paid position in the system is justified. School districts have a tendency to become bloated with staff over the years. It is a slow and seemingly innocuous process whereby new positions and personnel are added and the relative costs seem insignificant in view of the entire budget.

At some point it would be wise for the school board to undertake a close examination of personnel levels in the district and to reassure the taxpayers that while every effort has been made to maintain adequate staffing for the needs of our children, some attention is being directed to consolidate, eliminate, or restructure functions and responsibilities wherever possible.

The largest expense in our school budget is attributed to salaries and benefits for our employees. As I have stated in the past, the problem may not be that our personnel are being paid too much...but that there are too many to pay. Let’s take a close look now and formulate a staffing and hiring plan that will help to ease the burden on the taxpayers, without sacrificing the educational needs of our students.

Our school officials, including the superintendent, administrators and school board members, are bright and perceptive individuals with a great deal of expertise and many resources at their disposal. I am confident that they will work together to address this issue.

George Caracciolo

Schoolhouse Hill Road, Newtown                         November 26, 2004