By James Lomuscio
Westport Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon said today that while he is relieved the Board of Education finally approved his proposed $100.5 million budget for 2012-13 with only $313,000 in cuts Monday night, he is worried what other town bodies might trim. 
Elliott Landon: “I’m fearful that this is only the beginning.” Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
He also expressed concern that $230,000 of the school board’s reduction will come from the elimination of five secretarial positions.
“They just said cut five, and we’ve already cut six secretarial positions since 2009-10,” he said, adding that school secretaries are invaluable to parents and students alike. “That’s 11 positions, and we’ve cut secretaries prior to 2009-10.
“Based on the parental reaction to these cuts, there is a fear that parents will not get the services to which they have become accustomed,” he added.
At previous school board budget hearings, principals from various schools have stressed that the secretaries do more than answer phones, but represent the face of the school, the first line of contact parents and students have. School secretaries also provide critical scheduling of important school events, principals said.
Instead of cutting secretarial positions, Landon had recommended eliminating sixth grade French at the two middle schools and cutting back physical education time by one half-hour in the fifth grade, 20 minutes in the fourth grade and 10 minutes from first through third grades.
He also suggested cutting general music education classes from fifth grade classes where students are already enrolled in band and orchestra. For those students, such a class the would be redundant, he said.
The school board disagreed. Its cuts to Landon’s proposed budget reduce the increase over the current year from 2.51 to 2.17 percent.
“I’m fearful that this is only the beginning,” said Landon, “and that the Board of Finance and the Representative Town Meeting might do major damage with further substantial reductions beyond what the Board of Education has done.”
I totally agree as well. I can’t see how we are proceeding with this nursing home when the town is already under a debilitating debt load and we are considering making cuts to education. The education system is what draws people to this town, I wish the bureauracracy would remember that. I’m sure there’s fat to be cut but it’s not in the teaching (including music, art and p.e.).
I think this nursing home deal is just an ego trip for our first selectman. And as for being taxpayer subsidized, I don’t remember having a say in it.
Even though I am pleased the BoE have maintained P.E and French in the current curriculum, I am not pleased about the recommended cuts to the staff or the proposed increase in classroom size.
I believe our BoE and Superintendent have already reduced cost and consolidated systems as best they can over the past two budgets and at this point we are severely compromising the standards of our school system. We have already increased class size, reduced staff and put off essential building maintenance among other cost saving measures.
I strongly feel the BoE, Superintendent Landon and school administrators have made great progress in examining expenses and trimming the budget over the past two years, but any further cuts will definitely have an adverse affect on our highly distinguished and respected school system.
What makes this even more disturbing is the fact Westport is giving away town land valued around 20+ million dollars so they can build a taxpayer subsidized nursing home on it. You mean we don
I agree with you John, 100%; I have kids in the school system and they had increased class sizes this year. They can really experiences the difference; while the teachers are excellent; the kids don’t get the attention they really need. And,if they are struggling in any way, they just fall through the cracks. Its a fact of life that expenses go up; surely there is a way to manage the increased costs without diluting the quality of the kids’ education. Enough is enough!!