Westport’s Representative Town Meeting (RTM) tonight unanimously approved a $118,250,464 Board of Education operating budget for 2019-20, a 1.79% increase over the current academic year.
That amount, plus aid to private and parochial schools and debt service brings next year’s the total education budget to $128,341,889.
The school budget coupled with the municipal budget approved Monday, makes the Westport’s total 2019-20 budget $210,812,563, which the RTM unanimously approved.
Prior to the vote on the operating budget, Board of Education Chairman Mark Mathias said the district was able to reduce the percentage increase from last year’s 3.26% increase by several key factors.
They included: operating seven schools instead of eight with the temporary closing of Coleytown Middle School because of mold problems; reductions in full time employees due to enrollment declines; and a drawdown of reserves, such as $465,000 taken from the school system’s cafeteria account.
—James Lomuscio
