By James Lomuscio
UPDATE The Westport Board of Education tonight unanimously approved a more than $98.34 million operating budget for the 2011-2012 year—a $2.26 million increase—that will now head to the Board of Finance.
The proposed budget, which represents a 2.36 percent increase over this year, is $415,417 less than the $98.76 million that Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon had originally proposed.
The board trimmed Landon’s initial request by eliminating two staff positions to save $116,000, saving $114,000 on health and medical insurance, and by allocating electricity and technology costs totaling $185,417 to Continuing Education.
The board agreed to the new budget after eight separate line item votes of 7 to 0 on salaries, benefits, supplies, equipment, property and purchase services.
The lion’s share of the budget is in salaries, more than $65.37 million, and benefits, more than $15.4 million. Donald O’Day, school board chairman, noted that these costs “are at or below contractual increases.”
Landon was quick to point out that the staff eliminations would not increase class size, and that the new proposed budget includes money for three reserve teachers.
“And if we don’t need them we will return those funds at the beginning of the year,” said Landon.
Nancy Harris, assistant superintendent for business, noted that the $114,000 insurance savings came from the elimination of the “aggregate, stop-loss insurance.”
Regarding ways to allocate costs to Continuing Education from its $500,000 reserve fund, O’Day said, ““We found ways to sharpen the pencil.” For example, Continuing Education would pay $50,000 toward the cost of electricity it uses, or $82,276 for technology at Staples High School.
“The only things we have charged Continuing Ed are those things that are directly attributed to Continuing Ed,” said Landon. He added that since these funds will come from its reserve, “it will have no impact on their fees.”
O’Day said that in addition to presenting the finance board with next year’s proposed operating budget, “We should go in with our capital budget, a five-year capital budget, as well.”
The board agreed to vote on the five-year capital budget at its Feb. 7 meeting.
