Facing $1 Million School Cut, Landon Steels for Cutbacks

By James Lomuscio

Westport Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon is recommending the Board of Education seek full restoration of the $1 million cut by the Board of Finance from its 2010-11 budget.
Elliott Landon: “No low hanging fruit.” Dave Matlow/WN file photo

But he has prepared a series of staff and program reductions in case the request is denied and not reversed by the Representative Town Meeting (RTM).

Landon outlined his reasons for the restoration request as well as details of the reductions in letters to the Board of Education in advance of its Monday meeting.

“The reductions that I will be recommending to you are not easy ones to make,” Landon said.

But he said the proposed cutbacks must be considered within the context of this year’s “huge reductions” in staff that would be necessitated by the Board of Finance action, which will not be final until the RTM considers the budget next month.

The RTM can restore funds cut from the municipal and Board of Education budgets by vote of 70 percent of its members present and voting.

“In other words, there is no low hanging fruit anywhere to be found,” said Landon.

“Therefore, as unpleasant as these reductions appear to be, they have the unanimous support of the building principals and central office administrators.”

Landon is proposing increasing the class size break points for all elementary school grade levels; eliminating a part-time guidance counselor and new computer teaching position at Staples; eliminating one reserve teaching position, and reducing the school system’s secretarial staff by three more positions than the two originally proposed.

Other recommendations include eliminating two paraprofessional positions at Staples, all bus monitor positions, reducing funding for restorative maintenance, building projects, and contracted maintenance, and reducing expenditures for extracurricular activities, interscholastic sports and athletic program support.

“Were it not for the burden being placed upon us by the action of the Board of Finance, I never would recommend that the items described immediately above be considered for reduction or elimination,”  he said.

The Board of Finance will meet Wednesday to consider restoration requests from First Selectman Gordon F. Joseloff and the Board of Education.

The municipal requests will be considered beginning at 6 p.m. with the education portion scheduled for 9 p.m.