By James Lomuscio
Stressing that no cuts would affect class size, teacher jobs or the educational quality of Westport’s schools, the Board of Finance tonight voted unanimously to trim $250,000 from the Board of Education’s proposed $98.6 million operating budget.
Kathy Sharp, head of the teachers’ union, tells the Finance Board: “If you cut tonight, it really means that you’re not supporting the investment in our children.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Finance board member Avi Kaner made the motion for the cut, suggesting that it come from the schools’ requested $950,000 educational information technology budget. In proposing the cut, Kaner said technology costs have consistently dropped since 2007.
Following that vote, the finance board unanimously approved the total school budget—including aid to private and parochial school and debt service—of $112.42 million. It was quickly followed by a unanimous vote approving the total town budget including schools and municipal government at $178.64 million.
The whole meeting took a little more than an hour, making it one of the shortest finance board sessions in recent history.
Prior to the votes, Donald O’Day, school board chairman, stressed that the Board of Education had responded responsibly to the town’s fiscal woes with just a 2.31 percent increase over the current year. He said it was the second lowest increase in the region behind Weston.
“We’ve done our best to keep costs down,” O’Day said, noting there have been adjustments in staffing, programs and bus transportation. “In doing so, we increased class size, but we’re still within our goal.”
Finance board member Tom Lasersohn said he was concerned about increased class size. He said that four years in a row his fourth grade daughter has been in a class of 24.
“Kids are our priority, and I oppose any cut that are education cuts, not administrative cuts,” he said.
Throughout the evening finance board members suggested the need for the schools and the town government to consolidate some services to keep costs down.
“We are acutely aware of how lean this budget is,” said Helen Garten, finance board chairman. “There are other efficiencies that can be acted upon immediately, like joint purchasing between the town and schools.”
Garten also suggested that the schools explore revenue opportunities via facilities rentals on weekends.
“I’m acutely aware that any budget reduction, no mater how small, comes with sacrifice,” she said. “If we don’t address the costs now, we will be paying a greater cost than today.”
Kathy Sharp, president of the Westport Education Association, the teachers’ union, begged that no cuts be made.
“We believe that our board, (Schools Superintendent) Dr. (Elliott) Landon and the administrators have worked very hard to have a lean budget,” she said. “If there are cuts beyond what our board has worked hard to create, then our education will suffer.
“Think of it as an investment in our children’s future,” she added. “To think of it only in costs misses that. If you cut tonight, it really means that you’re not supporting the investment in our children.”
Finance board member Kenneth Wirfel offered his apologizes to the parents and teachers assembled who were concerned about teacher layoffs and rising class enrollment.
“There is no intention to have any cut impact class size or non-tenured personnel,” he said.
In anticipation of a tough budget season, Landon on March 1 sent the town’s 144 non-tenured teachers a letter stating that their contracts would not be renewed at the end of the current school year.
In the same letter, he thanked them for their service and asked them to reapply. The school board voted 6 to 1 Monday night approving Landon’s request for non-renewal.
“I apologize that you have been terribly frightened by this,” said Wirfel, adding that the finance board means “no harm to education in Westport.”
The next step for the school board and the town would be to go before the Board of Finance again on April 6 for restorations and, if unsuccessful, the Representative Town Meeting in May.
