By James Lomuscio

UPDATE Westport’s Board of Finance in a special meeting tonight approved a $15,000 request to hire the town’s external auditor to investigate the Board of Education’s $2 million shortfall for 2013-14.

Board of Education Chair Elaine Whitney tells the Board of Finance tonight her board’s efforts to track down the shortfall will not duplicate those of the town’s. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The request came from the Board of Selectman, and the money will be used to engage McGladrey LLP to provide an analysis of school system budgets from 2011 through projections for 2014.

Prior to the vote, finance board members wanted to make sure that the school board did not replicate the study by hiring McGladrey, too, as the school board’s Health Insurance Fund Review Committee conducts its own study.

Elaine Whitney, school board chairwoman, insisted her board would not duplicate the town’s efforts.

Students at Westport’s Kings Highway Elementary School today began a month-long reading aloud program called “One School, One Book.”

KHS staff members participating in the skit and their characters (l-r) Michael Quiricone (Mario), Linda Johnson (Tucker), Shannon Bolcer( Papa), Sara Guterman (Mama), Susie Da Silva (Harry). (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

The announcement of the name of the book, George Seiden’s “The Cricket in Times Square,” was kept secret until a school assembly today at which staff members performed a short scene from the book.

“The hope is to create a shared reading experience within our community,” said Tracey Carbone, one of the school’s literacy specialists. “It is like forming a great big book club.”

In addition to every family in the elementary school, every employee in the KHS building, including administrators, teachers, support staff and building custodians, will receive a copy of the same book, an announcement said.

Students at Westport’s Kings Highway Elementary School held a special assembly today to launch the school’s month-long reading aloud program called “One School, One Book.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

By James Lomuscio

Westport Board of Education members hunkered down today in the Westport Library McManus Room to pore over School Superintendent Elliott Landon’s $110.96 million proposed operating budget for 2014-16.

School Board Chair Elaine Whitney and Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon go over the budget today at the Westport Library. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The proposed budget represents a 6.51 percent increase. 2.2 percent higher than expected due to a $2 million health insurance shortfall discovered in the 2013-14 budget’s health insurance fund.

“For the first time in 15 years of preparing proposed school budgets for the Westport Public Schools, I have been forced to deal with a budget shortfall in the health insurance account that places great stress on the budget, a shortfall that forces an extraordinarily large increase in projected expenses,” Landon stated in a letter at the beginning of his multi-page budget binder outlining next year’s proposed budget.

For next year, in addition to an insurance shortfall of $1.48 million, Landon recommends an insurance margin of $742,600 based on input from the school system’s insurance consultant Segal & Co. “to protect against future, unanticipated expenditures.

The Westport Board of Selectmen today approved a contract with auditing firm McGladrey LLP to conduct an analysis of the Board of Education’s health insurance fund which is blamed for causing a $2 million shortfall in the school system’s $104 million budget for 2013-14.

In a special 22-minute meeting, the board authorized the analysis subject to the Board of Finance appropriating $15,000 for the study.

First Selectman Jim Marpe said he asked Selectman Helen Garten to oversee the study on behalf of the Board of Selectmen. She said it would be conducted in three phases – reconciliation of the current fiscal year figures, then a review going back to 2011, and finally a review of internal controls and oversight issues and coming up with a final report.

She said a preliminary report on each phase would be done as the work is completed and shared with the Board of Education, Board of Finance, and Board of Selectmen.

The Westport Board of Edcuation today conducted its annual detailed public review of its proposed 2014-15 operating budget. The session was held in the McManus Room of the Westport Library. Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon said earlier this week that his proposed 2014-15 operating budget has a 6.5 percent increase due to a $2 million health insurance shortfall instead of what should have been a 4.3 percent jump. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

By James Lomuscio

With a lot of numbers crunching, the Westport Board of Education’s Health Insurance Fund Review Committee today held its first meeting at Town Hall to dig deeper into the cause of the $2 million shortfall in the school system’s $104 million budget for 2013-14.

The Board of Education’s Health Insurance Fund Review Committee met for more than two hours today. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Present at the meeting were school board members Brett Aronow, who chairs the subcommittee, Paul Block and Karen Kleine, as well as Elio Longo, business administrator for the school system. Aronow noted that the fifth member, a citizen representative, has yet to be chosen.

During the hour-and-a-half meeting, Longo pored over health insurance revenues, expenses and variances, all them pointing to exorbitant and unanticipated insurance claims for 2013, about $1.3 million,

“There have been unanticipated expenses, and unfortunately we now find ourselves in a situation where the expenses and costs exceed the budget,” said Aronow. “Our purpose is to review the healthcare fund and to improve operational management.

By James Lomuscio

Westport’s Board of Finance tonight voted unanimously to recommend the town hire independent auditor McGladrey LLP to investigate what caused the Board of Education’s $2 million shortfall in its 2013-14 budget of $104 million.

Board of Education Chair Elaine Whitney addresses the Board of Finance tonight. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

McGladrey’s analysis costing $15,000 is expected to be done over 30 days before the school board submits its 2014-15 proposed budget to the finance board.

John Pincavage, finance board chairman, put forth the motion, which had not been on the Board of Finance agenda, and it did not take long for Elaine Whitney, school board chairwoman who was in the audience, to object.

Whitney stressed it was the Board of Education’s “fiduciary responsibility” to conduct the inquiry with McGladrey and not to be left out of the loop.

By James Lomuscio

Westport’s Board of Education tonight voted unanimously to establish a Health Insurance Fund Review Committee to determine the cause of a nearly $2 million current budget shortfall and to develop safeguards so it does not happen again.

Board of Education Chair Elaine Whitney explains the workings of the committee as Vice Chair Jeannie Smith listens. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The insurance shortfall in the school system’s current $104 million budget, attributed to former Assistant Superintendent of Business Nancy Harris and discovered over the past several months by her replacement Elio Longo, has been a major blow to the school board with ramifications affecting next year’s budget.

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon noted that his proposed 2014-15 operating budget to be presented to the school board on Friday has a 6.5 percent increase due to the blunder instead of what should have been a 4.3 percent jump.

The review committee will made up of three school board members, Paul Block, Karen Kleine, and Brett Aronow, who will serve as chairwoman, as well as Longo and a citizen volunteer to be chosen by Elaine Whitney, school board chairwoman.

UPDATE A broken sprinkler pipe caused “extensive damage” and forced closure of Westport’s Greens Farms Elementary School today and will keep it closed Tuesday.

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon told the Board of Education tonight water damage was “extensive” at Greens Farms Elementary School. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Superintendent of Schools Elliott Landon told a Board of Education meeting tonight that school officials were alerted to the problem by a motion detector that went off at about 2 a.m. today. He said water froze and burst a sprinkler pipe.

“There was extensive damage to one major wing of the building,” he said. “Extensive work was done throughout the day today beginning early this morning essentially to pull the place apart—walls, ceilings, ceiling tiles, insulation, all of which has to be moved and destroyed.”

He added :“Because there is so much work that has to be done and so many people going in and out of that building that it’s our belief that the safety and security of the kids is best served by closing again tomorrow. We’re certain we will open Wednesday. Staff will be in tomorrow preparing for Wednesday so we should be in good shape.”