The Westport Board of Finance tonight cut $250,000 from the proposed 2008-09 school operating budget.
The 4-2 vote was on party lines with the four Democrats in favor and two Republicans, Charles Haberstroh and Ed Iannone, opposed. The third Republican member, Avi Kaner, was absent.
The cut brings the education proposal to $94 million, which is a 5.7 percent increase over the current budget. The Board of Education had proposed a $94.3 million 2008-09 operating budget, which is a 6.02 percent increase over the current budget.
The finance board cut a nominal $4,500 from the proposed municipal budget of $59.5 million to take into account a reduced computer request in the Parks and Recreation Department budget.
The municipal operating budget is a 3.8 percent increase over last year.
The Board of Education will have the opportunity to seek restoration at an April 9 final budget hearing.
This is unbelievable, a strong school system is the cornerstone to a successful and prosperous Westport. If you ask any family, why did you choose Westport, they will answer, the schools. And this is especially outrageous when you consider our First Selectmen and his cohorts want to create a social utopia with our tax dollars on public land. Please can someone explain to me how we have money for people living outside of Westport, yet we cannot fund our schools adequately.
I am not sure if the previous comment is serious or sardonically joking.
Westport’s teacher salaries—especially across the mid-range—are at least 1% and as much as 10% lower than surrounding communities. You can see this for yourself by Googling “teacher salary” for towns such as Weston, Norwalk, Redding, Darien… and comparing them to the teacher salary posted on the Westport Schools web page.
I’m not sure what part of my comments you may think I’m kidding about, but I’ll be more than happy to clarify.
Money for our schools: Good
Our tax money for persons living outside of Westport: Bad
Watching Democratic Nominees fighting to the end: Priceless
In my first post when I said, persons living outside of Westport, I was referring to workforce housing on Baron’s South. I believe spending money on our schools is always worthwhile. That doesn’t mean giving the school board a blank check, but spend the money wisely. However, the school budget was cut by $250K the same time our leadership wants to spend our money on taxpayer subsidized workforce housing for those living outside of Westport. My argument is, how can they justify cutting the budget for schools and then turn around and fund municipal housing for people that currently live outside of Westport.
I should have been clearer, but figured everyone already knew I’m strongly against workforce housing with tax dollars on open space land that wasn’t purchased or intended for that purpose.
I was sleep deprived, I misspoke.
If you are against workforce housing, but you really want to keep the quality of the Westport schools as high as it has been during the past thirty plus years that I have taught and lived in Westport, you might want to consider arguing for salaries for Westport teachers that keep the best teachers in Westport.
Perhaps with yours and others’ efforts teachers’ salaries could be raised to the point where teachers could once again afford to buy houses in Westport.
Currently quite a few excellent Westport teachers have been and are being lured to other districts by significantly higher salary offers, healthier working conditions, and less demanding commutes.
Just spending money guarantees neither excellence in our children’s education nor appreciation in the value of our mutual investment in our homes.
Seeing as how many if not most of our teachers live out of town, I would say you are conflicted my friend.