Next year’s school budget retains full-day kindergarten, along with the music and business programs at the high school.
It also includes two technology teachers who were slated to be laid off from the Bradley and Irving schools.
The Derby Board of Education made the moves to the applause of parents and school staff present during a four-hour meeting Thursday at Derby Middle School.
At 10:49 p.m., the school board unanimously adopted a 2010-2011 budget totaling $17.7 million.
The approved budget was roughly $850,000 less than what school district officials requested from the Derby tax board.
Last night’s meeting was the second this week where Superintendent Stephen Tracy and the school board tried to figure out how to shuffle money around to balance the budget.
Click the video to hear Tracy summarize the meetings held this week.
On Tuesday, Tracy put a bunch of items on the chopping block, the least popular of which were the elimination of all-day kindergarten at Bradley and Irving and the elimination of the music program in the high school.
Supporters of both programs came out in force this week, urging the school board to look for cuts elsewhere.
It worked.
The school board, thanks to lower-than-expected electric costs and unemployment insurance, were able to carry over $60,000 from this year’s budget into next year’s budget.
They took the $60,000 and, after several football huddle-like conferences, changed their plans to hire a full-time nurse for the middle school (one nurse currently cares for both the high school and middle school).
Instead, the board allocated cash for a part-time nurse, which saved them $25,000. Then they took $5,000 from a professional development (teacher training) account.
Math: $60,000 plus $25,000 plus $5,000 equals parents happy that full-day kindergarten has just been restored.
Click the bottom video to see the reaction from the crowd.
School board members made similar money dances to restore the music and business programs. The jobs of two technology teachers were also saved.
However, the moves were not without consequences. The district’s maintenance account took a big hit. Another custodian will likely lose his or her job — and classrooms at the middle and schools will not be cleaned every day.
The maintenance account was so depleted, school board member Kim Kreiger said the board must start holding meetings at City Hall instead of the middle school so that the district can save money.
Derby Middle School will also be losing a reading teacher, according to district officials.
T’s a shame that the Derby Teachers’ Union failed to provide any give-backs’ on their union-mandated, annual teachers’ raises, helping to cause teacher layoffs’ and program cuts. I worked on the Derby Middle School Building Committee, to get the Middle School passed, but in retrospect, would not do so, if I knew GREED, would prevail in Derby, during a severe National recession, that was not expected, at that time. Unfortunately, the Derby Teachers’ Union, would not realistically tighten, their belts, like Derby taxpayers,
are being forced to do.
Note: School officials have said several times during this year’s budget process that the teacher’s union took a zero-percent raise after their last negotiation.
As the chief spokesman for the backward Republican point of view, Stanley continues to spew inaccurate statements. He is just trying to deflect criticism of Tony Staferi’s administration and their complete disregard for the education of our school children. The only reason they SUPPOSEDLY were in favor of the Middle School was to gain support with school parents. Let’s not forget that the Derby Republican Town Committee voted to oppose the Middle School Project. And now, this Republican administration is not funding the operation of the school that has their names all over the plaque. Let’s not forget that Tony raised taxes this year AND did not fund education.
I wonder if Stanley is giving back some of his entitlements to help the Country’s deficit. Sir,how much of your social security, medicare and prescription benefits have you given back to the government.
IDOC 2000 can be cocky with comments, since he or she hides their identity. No one received a Social Security cost of living increase, this year, to give back, which is ridiculous, as SS
is not funded by the Derby City Treasury. However, a “no name writer,” can be rediculous , without offering any remedy to the acute Derby School Budget problem. I hope you had fun, IDOC 2000.
Sick of Nonsense, “a closet writer,” shows himself to be FULL OF NONSENSE himself, “by not having the intestinal fortitude” to use a real name.
The writer portrays self to be “a gutless wonder” by attacking real people, “in literally hiding, behind a woman’s skirt!”
No subject response is due, to a writer, who is apparently “Sick from Nonsense!”
TO: “SICK OF NONSENSE:
“USE A REAL NAME, WHEN YOU ATTACK REAL PEOPLE.”
OTHERWISE “YOU ARE THE NONSENSE, THAT YOU ARE SICK ABOUT!
SUGGEST “YOU GET A LIFE,” AND THEN YOU WILL GAIN A REAL NAME!
“An estimated 50 million Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will receive their one-time $250 economic stimulus check starting in early May”. I’ll ask you again Stan, are you planning on giving back any portion of your entitlements to help with the federal deficit?
David W. Joel