The Education Budget—

 What To Expect For The Upcoming School Year

By Larissa Lytwyn

After a particularly difficult budget year, the Board of Education has made changes that, despite some cost increases for both the administration and students’ families, the board says will ensure the town’s same high level of educational quality.

Parking fees will increase from $25 to $65 for the school year. Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff said that pay-to-play fees for sports will also see some cost increases; students that once paid $50 to participate in a sport may now have to shell out between $100 and $200.

“Of course, those costs don’t cover the entire sport itself,” said Dr Pitkoff. “The administration will be paying, too. We’ll all be paying.”

In addition, extracurricular activities not directly school-service or academic related will also be run on a pay-to-participate basis. While this exempts clubs such as Yearbook, the Math Team, and Key Club, groups like the Chess Team will have to pay fees set to be determined by club officers and advisors.

The Discovery Program, a special districtwide program for gifted students, will be held before or after school at times determined by individual schools. “Most school districts have optional enforcement of special programs,” said Dr Pitkoff. With positions to specifically teach Discovery cut, the program’s former instructors will now be teaching regular classes. About a half-dozen regular teachers taking time out of their usual class schedules will run Discovery within the different grade levels. Salaries are yet to be determined; Ms Jackson said that teachers’ unions are still in negotiations.

Though screenings are still being conducted, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Alice Jackson said that, so far, 29 fourth grade, 35 fifth grade, 27 sixth grade, 30 seventh grade, and 26 eighth grades students have been accepted in the 4–8-grade Discovery program. Selection is based on a combination of factors, including IQ testing or the demonstration of prolific talent in the arts, mathematics, or other, similar areas.

“Newtown’s population is growing a lot,” said Dr Pitkoff. “There has been a lot of new construction, a lot of new homes being built.” The town’s growth, he continued, is clearly reflected in the number of this year’s incoming freshmen. “We will be having approximately 105 more freshman than last year,” he said. In addition, there will be about 430 eighth graders graduating next June — ballooning the high school population even further.

“There are about 1,532 kids in the high school right now,” said Dr Pitkoff. “And that number is just increasing.” More than 5,000 students are projected to be in the system this year. Thirty-two new teachers will also begin orientation August 14. The teachers will be covering subjects in chemistry, music, and mathematics. Salaries for teachers are still in negotiations.

“There’s still some discussion to be completed,” said Ms Jackson. Outside of salary determination, discussion has also been active in the area of school start times. Due to budgetary constraints and consolidation, middle school students will be joining high school students’ 7:30 am start day. Sandy Hook, Head O’ Meadow, and Middle Gate elementary students will begin classes at 9:10 am.

Many parents and even members of the Board of Education expressed deep concern over the impact of sleep deprivation on older students, as well as safety concerns of younger ones, standing outside to wait for the early-morning bus in the dark. Dr Pitkoff said that the administration is currently in the process of initiating a Committee on School Start Times this year, a group composed of both school officials and parents.

“I hope that medical experts are also involved in the committee,” said Wendy Leon-Gambetta, a local parent. She believes the involvement of sleep clinicians, social workers, and other, similarly certified, individuals will lend credibility to delaying school start times for older students.

The Committee on School Start Times is not the first of its kind to begin after concern about an issue was widely expressed throughout the community. Dr Pitkoff said that he is expecting to soon receive a final report from the Committee on Climate Control, a parent and administration-run group formed to address temperature needs in district schools.