By Jennifer Connic

The Westport Board of Education has been told that the 2006-07 school budget will not end in a deficit at the end of the fiscal year.

The board Monday night reviewed the quarterly financial report, which covers expenses through March, which shows a $135,225 deficit. School officials released a report Friday showing the deficit (See WestportNow April 6).

“We will manage the budget,” said Nancy Harris, assistant superintendent for business. “We won’t be in a deficit.”

Two uncertain areas of the budget is out-of-district tuition, she said, and the account covering substitutes and interns, which she said is the biggest unknown.

By Jennifer Connic

The Westport Board of Education decided tonight it will not seek restoration of the $500,000 cut from its proposed 2007-08 budget by the Board of Finance.

The $500,000 cut brings the school proposal to $88.7 million, which is a 7.8 percent increase over the current budget. The Board of Education had proposed a $89.2 million 2007-08 operating budget, which is a 8.4 percent increase over the current budget.

The Board of Finance, which meets Wednesday to review restoration requests, suggested school officials take $400,000 of the cut from the insurance reserve fund.

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon said it would remain unclear on the future of the district’s insurance funding, but he would not recommend seeking restoration.

Westport parents tonight will have an opportunity to learn how to take the stress out of the college admission process during a meeting with the admissions dean from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The session will run from 7:30-9 p.m. at Saugatuck Elementary School.

Marilee Jones, admissions dean at MIT, will present “Less Stress, More Success: Taking the Anxiety out of College Admissions.” Tickets are free and are available at all public schools and the United Way office at 489 Post Road East.

The session is sponsored by the Westport Weston United Way and Positive Youth Development.

For more information contact the United Way at (203) 227-1743 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Westport author and columnist Dan Woog was guest speaker Tuesday at the Westport Rotary Club and talked about his research into the history of Staples High School that resulted in a book published in 2005. While there have been a number of missteps by educators over the years at Staples, Woog said the latest renovation and expansion of the high school is efficient and a great additon to the community. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

By Jennifer Connic

School officials are projecting budget increases around 5 percent for the five years beyond the 2007-08 school year.

The Westport Board of Education discussed a five-year budget projection model during its meeting tonight. The school board has a $88.9 million 2007-08 school budget proposal, which is a 8.4 percent increase, that will be reviewed by the Board of Finance next week.

The budget model shows that the school budget will reach $114.2 million in the 2012-2013 fiscal year, and the budget is projected to increase 5.3 percent, 5.2 percent, 5.1 percent, 5.1 percent and 5 percent.

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon said the model was created as a discussion tool during the budget approval process with the finance board and eventually the Representative Town Meeting.

Westport Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon said today that the Westport public schools will be closed for today due to weather conditions. 

All activities for today will be canceled or rescheduled for a later date. 

This evening’s performance of “Edwin Drood,” to be conducted by the Staples Players at Staples High School, has been rescheduled for Sunday at 5 p.m.

Tickets for tonight’s performance will be honored for the same seats on Sunday afternoon, Landon said.

Parents can attend meetings on Monday, March 19 at the various Westport schools about their children who will be entering kindergarten this fall.

Meetings at all schools are scheduled for 9:30-10:30 a.m. Parents should attend the meeting at the school in their district.

To be eligible to enter kindergarten in September, children must turn five years old on or before Jan. 1, 2008.

This fall will be the first year of a new program for kindergartners to attend three full days of school with a shortened day on the remaining two days of the school week.

By Jennifer Connic

A Westport family has filed a federal civil rights case against the Westport school district and the town claiming racial discrimination and denial of needed special education services.

Carla Karlen has filed the case on behalf of her two children against the town, Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon, Pupil Services Director Cynthia Gilchrist and former Coleytown Elementary School Principal Kaye May.

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon said today he had no comment on the case.

The court papers, which were filed today in Town Hall, state that Karlen is African American, her spouse is Caucasian and her children are biracial, and one child has a number of learning disabilities inlcuding Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Auditory Integration Disorder and Erlin Syndrome.