No full-day kindergarten. No music or business programs at the high school. No sports at the middle school. Some seven teacher layoffs — plus a security monitor at the high school.
It could all happen Thursday, when the Derby Board of Education is scheduled to meet to adopt its budget for 2010 – 2011.
The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Derby Middle School.
School district officials said they needed $18.5 million from the city for the next school year. However, the tax board gave them $17.7 million.
That’s a difference of $850,000.
The school board met Tuesday at the middle school, where Superintendent Stephen Tracy unveiled the details of his adjusted spending plan.
“We’re here tonight to write the last chapter in what has turned out to be a very sad story for our public schools,” Tracy said.
To chip away at the $850,000, Tracy said the district could use $110,000 from Title 1 and stimulus money to pay employee health benefits.
That reduced the $850,000 to $740,000.
Tracy then took a position for a curriculum director out of the budget. The position doesn’t exist now. That lopped another $105,000 off the $740,000 target.
From there, the pain started — at least for the 50 or so parents and school employees who were in the audience listening to Tracy’s plan.
Personnel Reductions
Minus $72,000 by eliminating business education and the music program at the high school (that’s 1.6 teaching positions)
- $45,000 by eliminating a position in reading staff at the middle school
- $90,000 by eliminating technology teachers, replacing them with cheaper “technology tutors” and cutting full-day kindergarten to half-day. This would eliminate two teachers at Bradley.
- $90,000 by eliminating two teaching positions at Irving School, cutting full-day kindergarten and replacing technology teaching positions with technology tutors
- $35,000 by eliminating a custodian’s position
- $27,918 by eliminating a security monitor
TOTAL PERSONNEL REDUCTION: $465,798
Non-Personnel Reductions
Next, Tracy detailed program cuts needed to create a balanced budget:
Minus $60,000 that was pegged to be used to create an alternative education program at the high school
- $17,616 by eliminating athletics at the middle school
- $53,000 by reducing the high school athletic program by 28 percent
- $3,000 by eliminating “CAPSS” dues
- $10,000 by eliminating curriculum development
- $10,000 in instructional supplies
- $10,000 in maintenance supplies
- $18,000 by eliminating online learning programs at the high school
- $27,000 in professional development
- $7,980 in new equipment purchases
- $120,000 in out of district placement costs
- $55,000 in electricity (Derby Middle School came equipped with high-tech, gas-fired turbines that are one day supposed to provide some electricity to the high school next door. The turbines are still not operational, but the district thinks they’ll save money if and when they work)
TOTAL PROGRAM REDUCTIONS: $401,596
Parents React
Several mothers of pre-school and kindergarten children spoke at Tuesday’s school board meeting during a public comment session.
They urged the school board to maintain full-day kindergarten.
Reducing the program will hurt Derby students and the district’s overall, long-term academic performance.
This is especially true at Irving School, where there is a high percentage of at risk students who need extra help at an early age, said parent Linda Bentley.
“They could be hurt by taking away all-day kindergarten,” Bentley said.
Retiring Bradley School principal Linda Coppola said students will not meet state standards if full-day kindergarten is cut.
Lois Knapton, Derby’s special education director, said the move would have “long-term, devastating effects” on the district.
Other parents indicated they had lost confidence in the school district’s academic performance due to they city’s tight purse strings.
Fran Thompson, principal at Derby High School, said this year’s budget, coupled with teacher layoffs last year, will put Derby’s High School accreditation at risk.
An accrediting agency is scheduled to explore the high school during the next school year.
“This, coupled with last year … will really put that accreditation in jeopardy,” he said.
Thompson also said the program cuts would force the school to reduce the number of credits students need to graduate.
School Board Ideas
After listening to parents, staff members and the superintendent, school board members — Ken Marcucio and Kim Kreiger specifically — tried to look for alternatives.
Marcucio wanted to cut the district’s maintenance fund. Doing so would be difficult because of the more complex systems now in place at the new middle school, said David Nardone, the district’s facilities manager.
“What sense is good buildings is we don’t have teachers in there to teach?” Marcucio asked fellow school board members.
Bradley principal Fran Gallo suggested the school board look at overtime for the district’s custodial staff.
Nardone said much of the overtime is used by maintenance staff during the winter, because the district plows its own roads and parking lots.
One maintenance overtime that raised eyebrows — maintenance staff collects overtime to mow school lawns, which is done when class isn’t in session.
Marcucio also suggested eliminating a dean’s position at the middle school. Principal Sally Bonina should be able to make due by having part-time assistants who double as teachers, Marcucio said.
Bonina and Tracy weren’t so sure. It’s an item that will come up again Thursday.
School board member Martin Hubbard asked about reducing the number of school days to four instead of five. Days would be longer so students wouldn’t lose time in the classroom.
Expense Increases
The latest version of the school budget shows Tracy shuffling dollars to create some new positions and programs within the district.
Here’s the list:
+ $50,000 to hire a nurse so that the middle school and high school each have their own nurse
+ $25,000 for a technology tutor at Bradley School (to replace laid off technology teacher)
+ $25,000 for a technology tutor at Irving School
+ $27,000 to bolster reading instruction in the first and second grades
