When it comes to the school budget, the Board of Education has two primary responsibilities.
The first is to present an honest and fiscally responsible budget to the Town. This is the most publicized and often scrutinized step in the process. There are public meetings, where the Board offers public comments and ideas, and then a formal presentation to the Town is held by the Superintendent. This is followed by more public comment at the Town Council budget meetings, and ultimately voted on by the Town and townspeople.
The second important step happens after the Town budget is set. The Board is tasked with adjusting their budget based on the outcome. This year, they were tasked with adjusting for a cut of $700,000 of their requested money. Now whether you agree with this cut or the Boards requested budget is irrelevant to this post. This post is about the actions and reactions of the budget cut.
Below is the recommendation for reductions to the Board of Education 2013-2014 budget, which was presented and approved last Thursday night, May 16thth.
- Eliminate 1.0 Grade 1 position and fill internally from Grade 1 due to a retirement
- Eliminate 1.0 Grade 6-8 LA at NBIS
- Fill 1.0 Grade 6-8 Math at NBIS by transfer
- Eliminate 1.0 Science at NBIS
- Eliminate 1.0 Spanish at NBIS
- Eliminate 1.0 Business at NBHS
- Eliminate NBHS extra course assignments
- Eliminate 1.0 contracted Speech Language at the district level
- Eliminate 1.0 RtI Paraprofessional at TVES through resignation
- Pension adjustment increase
- Diesel fuel savings (price adjustment)
- Oil savings (price adjustment)
- Natural gas saving
- Reduce building discretionary budget
- Reduce Special Education discretionary budget (1.85%)
Are enrollment numbers down? Yes.
Should we reevaluate the teacher/student ratio? Yes.
But simply cutting staff doesn’t solve the problem. We need to look at other options and research ways to save. The Board states that they are the biggest employer in the Town, well then I say we demand they start acting like an employer. In tough times, you don’t simply cut staff. You look at your processes and identify ways to work lean and efficiently.
It takes a minute to go online and search many innovative ways that other school systems are dealing with budget cuts without cutting staff.
It’s disappointing to me that this Board thinks Step 1 (the budget) is more important than Step 2 (the effect on the teachers and students). This statement isn’t based on my opinion, it’s based on their actions.
There needs to be a better working relationship between the Board of Education and the parents of this town, or the past two years will only become the foundation of things to come. We, as parents of children effected by these cuts, are disheartened by the current situation.
For those who know me or don’t, I am running for Board of Education this year. This fact actually kept me from posting this article earlier in the week. I did not want our community to think I was posting this article in order to strengthen my campaign based on the current Boards decisions; quite the opposite in fact. I want the community to understand the process.
If the Board came up with the above recommendations after researching alternative options or gathering public comment, and explained those alternatives prior to the vote- then I would have supported the cuts.
Instead, the Board stated that they simply went to the administrators and asked them to identify where cuts could be made, and even thanked the administration for their hard work after the vote!
It’s the lack of accountability and public collaboration that fuels this post, and not my intent to run for Board of Education.
I encourage parents to come out and attend a Board of Ed meeting- the next one is June 13th. I have heard parents say that they don’t attend because the Board doesn’t listen so it’s pointless. This is not a good reason to stop coming to meetings. The Board cannot be held accountable if complaints are not heard. Get your concerns on record, speak your mind about the budget, or come simply to witness the decision-making.
I appeal to you, parents and/or community members; please attend the next meeting even if you have nothing to say. Your presence in the room will speak for itself.
