What a difference a year makes.
A public hearing on the proposed $111.9 million 2011 – 2012 Shelton budget Tuesday was much different than last year’s packed and often desperate-sounding public hearing and public comments.
The dominant topic Tuesday was education spending — just as it had been a year ago, when the schools were facing major layoffs.
But Tuesday, the tone was more upbeat. The Board of Education appears to be headed toward at least a level budget next year. And it may get some extra money to be able to bring back some school counselors and media specialists the district lost last year.
“This year we are in a very different place,” said Shelton schools Director of Finance Al Cameron during the public hearing.
Mayor Mark Lauretti and the Board of Apportionment and Taxation have supported measures to get the Board of Education the money it requested for 2011 – 2012.
Now, the school district just needs final clearance from the Board of Aldermen, which has the final say on the bottom line.
About 50 people attended the hearing Tuesday and urged the Board of Aldermen to fully fund the school budget — citing the need for school counselors and media specialists.
Board of Education Details
The Board of Education originally requested $64.7 million. Since January, the board has revised that request to $64.4 million.
It’s a $1.36 million increase over the current funding. But the district says if the city again covers unemployment costs — as it did last year — then it will only need an additional $962,000.
Lauretti, in his budget proposal, gave a $600,000 increase to the schools.
Now, the Board of Education is hoping to get about $400,000 in unused unemployment costs from 2010 – 2011 to use toward its 2011 – 2012 budget.
The Board of Apportionment and Taxation supported the transfer when it passed the budget along to the Board of Aldermen last month.
Now it’s up to the Board of Aldermen to make the final decision.
The total budget proposal represents a tax rate decrease from the current 18.61 mills to 18.57 mills.
Comments
All but three comments were in support of funding the schools at the requested level.
Two people spoke about the city’s fund balance, and one person — Ron Pavluvcik — spoke in general about his belief that schools are already funded enough.
The rest of the speakers were school counselors, principals, Board of Education members and teachers.
Beverly Belden, the principal at Elizabeth Shelton School, said the elementary schools are hurting with fewer school counselors.
She said the elementary school counselors help students learn the building blocks of coping with problems, such as making friends and divorce.
“There’s no way these two women can have the impact they need to address the issues children today have,” Belden said. “This is not something frivolous we’re asking for.”
Members of the parent group Y.E.S. also showed up at the meeting. Group organizer Jennifer Recker spoke, saying that the group remains active even if city leaders don’t see them in large groups at meetings anymore.
That’s because the parents became frustrated that their pleas had no impact last year, so they now spend their time volunteering at after-school events for their children, Recker said.
Superintendent Freeman Burr also spoke. Burr and Cameron said the district has been more transparent about its budget this year, and has spent hours explaining the proposal to the community in different forums.
The full proposal is available online, and at the bottom of this article. And the district has posted videos on its website showing its budget presentation narrated by Burr.
