Two weeks after the Board of Aldermen approved a $63.1 million budget for the Shelton school district, the Board of Education Thursday discussed the effects of the budget.
While the approved spending plan represents a $95,000 increase over current spending, school officials had requested $66.5 million in order to meet all their financial obligations.
With the approved budget, about 140 jobs will be eliminated.
But with the addition of $1.2 million in unemployment costs budgeted by aldermen, the schools were able to salvage 14 positions.
Finance Director Al Cameron said the additional money allowed the school district to restore 14.2 of the 47.8 positions that were slated for cutting. An additional 100.5 positions were not renewed.
Of the jobs retained, 10.2 were teaching positions that cost more than $544,000 and three were administrators, who will be paid more than $360,000.
The administrators included the athletic director and the headmaster positions at Shelton High School and Shelton Intermediate School.
Board Chairman Timothy Walsh said the board voted to move forward with matters, but admitted making the choice was “very tough for us.”
“It still ends up with the loss of jobs for many people. When you lose teachers, you lose programming and the kids are the ones who suffer when that happens,” he said.
There was no decision made Thursday on a potential “Pay to Play” plan for sports and activities in Shelton.
But it’s one of the ways the board is looking to save money. Another option Board of Education officials are considering is more negotiations with unions.
In their two-hour long discussion, board members also questioned whether the city could close an elementary school or postpone opening the new Perry Hill 5 – 6 School in September.
The ideas were rejected.
Whatever savings can be found, through possible negotiations with teachers unions or instituting pay-for-play, will be put toward restoring lost jobs, the board decided.
The Board of Education voted to accept the budget and move ahead planning based on the figure supplied.
