Westport Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon has outlined his recommended budget reductions necessitated by $1.4 million in Board of Finance-imposed budget cuts.
Elliott Landon: “Moved by ‘cries of the children.’” Dave Matlow/WN file photo
At the same time, he announced he intends to restore the popular Collab course at Staples High School whose budget-related cancellation had sparked an outcry from students and parents. (See WestportNow April 9, 2009)
In a memo to the Board of Education in advance of its Monday meeting, Landon referred to “dramatic cuts” in the amount of $1.4.million made by the Board of Finance and upheld by the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) at its meeting on Tuesday.
“In preparing this list, I have tried to keep my public promise to the Board of Education and the Westport community….that I would do all that was possible to ensure that any reductions I might propose would not significantly impact the programs and services that we provide to the children who attend our schools now, or in the future,” he said.
Landon said he was “moved by the ’cries of the children’ as they rallied on the steps of Town Hall and at the RTM meeting on May 5.”
Landon said he had prioritized his proposed reductions in order of decreasing importance with the last item one reducing the reserve teacher line by 0.6, meaning “we will be able to restore Collaborative Team” at Staples.
“The arguments of students and parents on behalf of this program were most persuasive,” Landon wrote.
He also said, “Of the highest priority for restoration is the funding for the extracurricular and interscholastic sports activities that are so important for the well-being of our students.”
The superintendent said in order to achieve the reductions without impacting programs, he will make use of federal stimulus funds, cost savings generated by a one-year no-cost contract extension by custodians, and diesel fuel savings.
Landon said it is possible that the school system will “reap significant savings through our very restrictive, no additional cost of any kind, retirement incentive that we have offered to all our employees.”
He said he has placed the matter on Monday’s agenda with the expectation that the board’s final vote on reductions will come at its May 18 meeting. By that time, whatever savings may be generated through the retirement incentive will be known, he said.
