The Westport Board of Education tonight approved revised budget allocations for meeting the $1.4 million reduction by town funding bodies in its requested 2009-10 budget increase.
The approved budget of just under $94.6 million is a .57 percent increase over the current year.
In two hours of discussion before their vote, board members heard that four employees had accepted the district’s separation incentive program resulting in $100,000 in savings. It was earlier told that 10 employees were eligible for the program.
They also were told that while no funds have been budgeted for salary increases for about 40 nonunion personnel, $90,000 has been set aside as an “incentive pool” for distribution to these employees.
The funds would be distributed at the discretion of the schools superintendent and his senior staff.
Since about $121,000 had originally been set aside for nonunion increases, the $90,000 pool would mean a savings of $31,000 in this category, said Donald O’Day, board chair.
He said salaries for Superintendent Elliott Landon and his senior staff would be decided in June, as had been the board’s practice.
The question of whether nonunion education personnel would be subject to wage freezes was raised after First Selectman Gordon F. Joseloff said he had imposed a wage freeze on town nonunion personnel.
The board decided to make $157,000 in changes to Landon’s recommended budget reductions discussed at last week’s meeting.
The changes meant restoration of funding for such things as extracurricular activities ($25,000); interscholastic programs ($25,000); student athletics ($34,000); acoustic ceiling tiles ($15,000); duct installation ($30,000), and Staples repointing and Long Lots flashing ($28,000).
