Look — we’re not kidding.
Last year we said we’d have to get rid of teachers — and we did.
It wasn’t a bluff.
And now, with the funding level you’re talking about — it’s going to happen again.
That was the message the school district delivered Wednesday during a public hearing on the 2010 – 2011 budget.
The tax board will make its final decision next week.
The school district requested $18.5 million for education next year.
The tax board, right now, is willing to give $17.5.
It’s not enough to cover the bills, schools Superintendent Stephen Tracy said, and it will result in deep cuts to the school district, including the layoffs of nine teachers.
It’s not scare tactics, school officials said — it’s just reality.
Repeating an argument he made Tuesday, Tracy said the district has about $743,000 in unavoidable costs next year.
Those are mandatory costs, he said, including contractual obligations.
Among the big ticket mandatory costs — $90,000 in salary increases, $262,000 in costs to run the new middle school and $320,000 in employee health benefits.
The tax board, however, wants to give the schools a $227,000 increase next year. It’s just not enough, school officials said.
Kimberly Kreiger, a member of the Board of Education, urged the tax board to ignore politics and “be responsible” when it comes to funding education.
Parents and teachers in the audience, meanwhile, told stories about Derby schools not having enough paper for students and students sharing textbooks at the high school.
The overwhelming number of speakers during the 60-minute public hearing urged the board to give more money to the schools.
They worried about teacher layoffs, property values and what would happen if Derby scales back full-day kindergarten.
Several parents said that Derby residents are expecting a tax increase because the city opened a new middle school.
Others said local politicians promised them the new middle school wouldn’t raise taxes.
One resident, John Kowarik, complained Derby teachers were overpaid and that parochial school teachers make less money.
That’s because public school teachers have to be certified, teachers in the audience said.
Tracy, meanwhile, also presented six alternatives to the tax board, hoping they would give more money to schools.
Click here to read the handout Tracy gave city officials.
Click the replay button to read a play-by-play account of Wednesday’s public hearing.
Story continues after the box.
Most departments in the city did not get the full amount they requested for next year — but most are still getting an increase of
some kind.
What is this going to cost me?
If the budget was adopted as is:
The tax rate would increase by a mill, city officials said, from 26.4 to 27.4.
A property assessed at $185,000 now pays about $4,884 in taxes.
If the budget is adopted as is, that same property owner would pay $5,069 next year.
That is an increased tax bill of $185.
To calculate your potential tax bill, multiply your property’s assessment by the mill rate, then divide by 1,000.
Cold Hard Cash
TOTAL PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR:
$34,902,469 (school and municipal)
TOTAL APPROVED BUDGET, 2009 – 2010:
$33,722,082
AMENDED 2009 – 2010 BUDGET:
$37,144,684
MUNICIPAL, 2010 – 2011, proposed: $17,317,690
SCHOOL, 2010 – 2011, proposed: $17,584,779
Highlights
Municipal employees:
Everyone’s getting 4 percent raises after taking a zero-percent increase last year.
The municipal budget, in fact, shows a budget-to-budget increase of about 5 percent, when compared to the approved 2009 – 2010 budget.
That’s due to hefty increases to pay for employee benefits, insurance and retirement funds. Plus, there’s a state-mandated revaluation coming, city officials said.
The Mayor:
Wages are increasing from $50,000 to $55,000.
Registrar of Voters:
After some dispute between the Registrars and the Aldermen, the budget shows the tax board giving $44,518 to the Registrars for 2010 – 2011.
That is $1,450 more than the Registrars requested — and an increase of about $9,000 from this year (according to the budget document).
Police Chief
Breaks the $100,000 annual salary barrier in 2010 – 2011, up from $96,925 this year.
Town Clerk’s Office:
Laura Wabno’s department is poised to get $165,970 in 2010 – 2011.
That is a cut from 2009 – 2010, when the town clerk received $167,269 (and that number, according to the budget, was amended to $175,920).
Wabno had requested $172,470 for next year.
