Citing difficult economic times, Westport Superintendent of Schools Elliott Landon tonight proposed a $96.4 million budget for 2009-2010, a 2.51 percent increase over the current year.
Elliott Landon: “A delicate balancing act.” Dave Matlow/WN file photo
“It was a delicate balancing act,” Landon told a meeting of the Board of Education.
He said the proposal reflects a 15.4 reduction in staff members, including 3.4 administrative positions, 5.0 teaching positions, 10.0 paraprofessional positions, 1.0 secretarial positions, and 4.0 bus driver positions.
He said elimination of four bus drivers for a savings of $211,000 would be achieved by moving up the start times by half an hour of Coleytown Elementary School and Coleytown Middle School.
Landon said his proposed staff and program changes would result in $1,226,457 in savings.
“Difficult economic times such as these require those responsible for providing vital government services do everything possible to preserve essential programs within a framework of cost control and reduction,” Landon said in a introductory message in his budget proposal.
Landon said he had heard comments from the Board of Finance and Representative Town Meeting and believed his budget “seemed to me to be in perfectly tune with their requests” and “appeared to be an acceptable number.”
Last year, Landon proposed a 7.3 percent increase in his initial January presentation. Eventually, that figure was cut to 5.15 percent by time of final approval by the funding bodies.
The Board of Education will meet with the Board of Finance in an all-day session Friday at the Westport Public Library to discuss the proposed budget.
Mr. Landon has gracefully decided to not be in touch with what is happening in our society today. Would it be too much to force Mr. Landon to come in with a budget that has no increase from last year and perhaps he could become a hero if he had the political will to offer up a decrease.
Executives really show their leadership abilities during tough times, evidently Mr. Landon thinks it’s business as usual.
Tom Bloch
Ditto on that Tom.
It amazes me that Mr. Landon could not “hold the fort” on this one! I find it hard to believe that our school system will not survive a no increase budget. It seems strange that at a time when every business is slashing budgets just to survive… we as taxpayers must accept a school budget increase. This is nothing short of irresponsible! Go back to the budget drawing board Mr. Landon and get creative!
Everyone knows that I’m no fan of Dr L, but given the contractual obligations on salaries, this is a fairly serious set of cuts. The first step that most employers take is to freeze wages, but he does not have that option. Any other suggestions?
Dan, as far as I’m concerned Mr. Landon is the CEO of the school district and it is his responsibility to use all of his assets in the most efficient way. The taxpayers of this Town are all suffering some degree of economic duress and at the very least Mr. Landon can ease some of the pain by telling his managers to budget to last years levels. The employees of the school district get contractual raises while the taxpayers who pay the freight are having a difficult time dealing with the economic realities that are being thrown at them. I’m sure there is still plenty of low hanging fruit that Mr. Landon could pick so he could come in with a flat budget. If Mr. Landon can’t do it there is probably someone else who can.
Tom Bloch
Mr. Loffredo, I agree with you wholeheartedly the school system is the crown jewel of the Town and one of the many reasons people decide to move to and live in Westport. I really embrace your first sentence, “the BOE needs to try harder”. I think they have to try harder and smarter.
I really think that there have been so many good years and a budget that seemed to be a bottomless pit that the management of the educational system has become lazy in practicing any type of financial discipline. In fact I don’t believe that they really know how to run an organization with diminished financial resources concurrent with delivering an exceptional education ot our children.
If Mr. Landon et. al. can’t find another 2.5% in expense reduction then he needs to take Budgeting 101 for the first time.
Tom Bloch
David, At the end of the day the Town elects it’s officials. If enough pressure was brought to bear on the Board of Finance, which approves the education budgets, then change would happen. The budgeting process and outcome has about as much transparency as a sheet of toilet paper. Town officials will react to pressure from the public. The problem is the pressure is very fragmented. The day will come when enough people will stand up and bring the house down and then and only then will change occur.
I don’t have children in the school system but I think it’s deplorable to have young children waking up before the chickens do, so they can attend school.
Tom Bloch
100% correct Tom…let’s start by pulling and renegotiating outside service vendor contracts, as well as sit down with leaders of local utilities to talk about pilot programs. Sounds like a Masterminding session of professionals that do this sort of thing for a living is necessary to guide those who are lost in this type of process.
Rich, you are really preaching to the converted. Our only saving grace here is hoping the Board of Finance has the courage to do the right thing from a business point of view and protect the tax payers.
I think the only way we can yield some influence here is to make ourselves heard at the Board of Finance meetings. We need to fill the auditorium with a bunch of pissed off tax payers.
Tom Bloch