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Westport Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon struggled with the idea there could be a large increase in student enrollment next school year when he prepared his 2006-07 school budget proposal.
Landon has proposed a budget that has a 5.4 percent increase, which is $4.2 million, over the current budget. The current budget is $78.8 million, and if approved the school budget would go up to $82.9 million.
Landon said during tonight’s school board meeting that he prepared his proposal based on the normal enrollment projections, which includes adding five teaching positions at Staples High School.
There was a higher than normal enrollment increase this school year, however, he said, and there are projections based on those numbers, which caused him a dilemma.
“I had to look at how to resolve how to deal with another potential large increase while also considering that we may go back to our traditional enrollment increase,” he said.
Instead of including a reserve account of three teachers like past budget proposals, he said, he has presented a plan to have seven teachers in the reserve account.
The teachers would only be hired if they are deemed necessary to off-set unforeseen enrollment increases, he said.
Not only would it help with any potential larger than normal enrollment increases, he said, it would also help keep class sizes down in the elementary schools where some are pushing up against the maximum allowed.
According to the budget documents, the Coleytown Elementary and Saugatuck Elementary third grades are listed at having classes at 24 students, which is one less than what is allowed under class size guidelines.
Board Chairwoman Mary Parmelee said that Landon has tried to reduce or eliminate the reserve teacher account in the past, but the board has not allowed it.
Each year, the reserve has been used, she said, including one year when seven teachers were included in the reserve and nearly all were used.
“It’s so refreshing to see this change,” she said. “It shows that we all have learned from experience.”
The school board will continue discussing the proposed budget during a meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday in the library’s McManus Room.
