By James Lomuscio
After two Board of Finance denials for funds to hire two middle school resource officers (SROs) this fall, Westport’s Board of Education early today voted 6 to 1 to ask to get the matter back on the finance board’s agenda.
The irony is the school board doesn’t expect finance board approval this time, even though the requested amount is significantly lower — $185,000 using police overtime.
It’s all about process, they said. The Board of Education hopes to take the expected denial to the Representative Town Meeting (RTM), so the legislative body can overturn it.
Convoluted yes, but school board members after nearly three hours of discussions with members of the public, RTM members and finance board member Lee Caney decided it was the only way to move forward.
The reason the school board did not go before the RTM after the second denial was that its new plan to use police overtime was not what the finance board had denied. Ergo, the RTM could not overturn via a supermajority something the Board of Finance had not denied.
To get on the Board of Finance agenda, the Board of Education first has to get a green light First Selectman Jim Marpe. Tonight’s vote was to ask Marpe to do just that.
Initially, Schools Superintendent Colleen Palmer had asked the board to vote on funding the two SROs out of this year’s operating budget. As the school year begins today, Staples High School will be the only town school with an SRO, which will be funded via the salary of a DARE officer, a position which has been phased out.
“Every legitimate attempt was made, but those avenues have been closed off,” said Palmer about her proposal to fund “this pilot year out of the budget.”
She said the money would come from downsizing two positions into one after the district’s director of academic services earning $192,000 had resigned.
“There are enough funds,” Palmer said about the unexpected shift in staff, “if the board would like to pursue it.”
She received no support from board members who said SROs, who are police officers, are town employees, and as such should be funded by the town.
“I don’t think the Board of Education should fund the SROs; the town should,” said board member Karen Klein. “I feel it should go back to the funding bodies. I feel very strongly we shouldn’t fund it.”
Other board members agreed, adding that once such a program was in place, it would be expected to remain with the Board of Education, not the town, picking up the tab.
“I will not retreat from my request to the board for this year,” Palmer said. “I’m talking about the safety and security of our students. I need to continue to put SROs in this year.
“I can’t live with myself if something happens,” she added.
In the end, process won, and Palmer seemed resigned to going back to the Board of Finance.
