Westport Superintendent of Schools Elliott Landon Monday night will present a revised list of recommended reductions to meet the $450,000 cut made by town funding bodies to the Board of Education’s proposed 2004-2005 $75.6 million operating budget.
In a memo to the board in advance of the meeting, Landon said his recommendations were modified from ones he made in earlier memos of March 22 and April 12.
The biggest change from the last memo concerns a proposed $165,000 cut for three elementary reserve teacher positions. The recommendation came under intense criticism by some members at a subsequent board meeting.
Instead, Landon’s new proposed cuts include a secretarial position at Staples High School for a savings of $38,000, a technology assistant part-time position for a savings of $17,500, and $50,000 in preventative maintenance.
He is also proposing a $33,475 cut in supplies (up from $7,500 in his last memo), a $48,525 reduction in furniture (up from $23,500 in his last memo), and a $36,000 cut in the subsidy to Continuing Education.
The $50,000 benefits cut recommended in his last memo was reduced to $30,000.
Remaining the same from his last memo were cuts of $125,000 for an assistant superintendent’s position and $48,000 associated with leasing trucks for the maintenance department.
Instead, the schools, with the Finance Board’s approval, will purchase the trucks.
In his memo, Landon said while each of the items is of benefit to the school system, “it is my belief that their removal will have the least damaging effect upon students and programs.”
