The Board of Aldermen approved a $111.3 million budget that keeps the tax rate steady and gives more money to the Board of Education.
It’s just not the kind of money the school district wanted.
The final spending plan allocated an additional $1.2 million to Board of Education unemployment costs, and found an additional $1.2 million in revenue from grants, stimulus and surplus funds to keep the tax rate steady.
“They’re giving us $1.2 million to lay off teachers,” said Board of Education member Arlene Liscinsky. “It’s going to be a whole different school system next year.”
As approved, the mill rate in 2010-11 will be 18.61, meaning that a home assessed at $200,000 will see a tax bill of about $3,700.
What Does It Mean?
The 7 to 1 vote — lone democrat John “Jack” Finn voted against the measure — ends a long budget season in Shelton, but leaves questions about how the Board of Education will proceed.
The $1.2 million allocation will offset unemployment costs the district would have to bear as it lays off teachers.
But the money is left on the city side of the budget, so the Board of Education can’t touch it to use for other education and extracurricular programs.
Superintendent Freeman Burr said it’s not clear if the money will help avert some of the estimated 150 layoffs that school officials said might be necessary under the city’s budget proposal.
“We’re still short,” Burr said. “Which means we’re still going to incur layoffs.”
Burr said it was hard to estimate exactly how short the district budget would be.
“It’s too much to process right now,” Burr said.
Each employee laid off uses about $16,000 in unemployment costs, school officials estimated.
The Board of Education portion of the budget is still $63.1 million — the amount Mayor Mark A. Lauretti included in his proposal. It’s only a $95,000 increase over current spending.
The Reasoning
Board of Aldermen President John Anglace said the tough economic times “dictated early on that this should be a no-nonsense, no tax increase budget.”
But, he said, the Board of Aldermen tried to make sure the school budget got more money.
“We have given serious consideration to the Board of Education request, and still being mindful of other needs, most importantly the taxpayers, we have given an additional $1.2 million in support of education,” Anglace said.
“We have listened to the public on all sides of the arguments — those for budget increases, and those for budget decreases,” Anglace said.
Only one person — Ron Pavluvcik — spoke in favor of that notion during the long public comment session Thursday.
Pavluvcik said he represented the “silent majority.”
“I can assure you there are thousands of others on all these little side streets,” Pavluvcik said. “I can assure you if they’re not here tonight it’s because they have a part-time job bagging groceries at Stop and Shop” to make ends meet.
Reaction
Several of the parents, teachers and school officials at the meeting expressed concern and disappointment about the approved budget.
“They’re ridiculous in their reasoning,” said Shelton High School teacher Carolyn Finley, outside the meeting room Thursday. “Are you kidding me?”
Timothy Walsh, the Board of Education chairman, said the district would still likely have to look at charging students to play sports next year.
But, he said, the help paying unemployment costs would offset some of the district’s budget.
“I think it’s better than what the mayor proposed,” Walsh said.
Carla Sullivan, a parent leader who helped form the group Yes to Education in Shelton, said the parents plan to remain engaged in the process.
She was also disappointed with the vote.
“I think the news is bleak,” Sullivan said. “We’re going to have a very different school system next year.”
But Burr said the school district would not give up on its fundamental mission of educating students.
“We can not let the dollars dictate what we are and are not going to do for kids,” Burr said. “That’s the bottom line. We’re here to support the education of the students.”
Next Steps
The Board of Education finance committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday evening, and will likely discuss the approved budget at the meeting.
The Board of Education will meet as a full board at 7:15 p.m. on May 26.
