Westport’s Board of Education tonight approved a proposed $118,913,712 operating budget for 2018-19, a $4,536,366 or 3.97 percent increase over the current year.
The board approved budget is a $256,490 decrease from Schools Superintendent Colleen Palmer’s proposed $119,170,202 budget.
In hammering out the budget, Palmer and the school board admitted they had little room for cutting due to increased medical claims trending unfavorably for the district. All cuts had to be judicious, they said, so as not negatively affect what goes on in the classroom.
Among the decreases carved out were: a $70,000 cut from building projects offset by office reconfiguration; $37,600 trimmed for daily substitute teachers; $100,000 from teacher regular education; and extracurricular curriculum stipend cuts.
The new budget, however, does provide for two full-time equivalent positions at Staples High School and $37,600 for permanent substitute teachers.
The budget will now head to the Board of Finance and the Representative Town Meeting for final approval.
— James Lomuscio
