The Seymour school district is asking for a budget that funds all current programs — and adds some money for professional development, “smart boards” and cleaning equipment.
The $30.2 million request — presented by Superintendent MaryAnne Mascolo Monday — represents a 3.9 percent, or $1.12 million, increase over current spending.
Most of the budget request is the district’s “level services” budget, according to Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Richard Belden.
“It takes existing programs and head counts, and moves it forward one year,” Belden told the Board of Education Monday, “honoring any and all contractual obligations.”
With the same programs as the current year, the district expects to need about $900,000 more in 2011 – 2012.
Mascolo’s added programs total another $200,000.
Add-Ons
On top of the “level services” budget, Mascolo is asking for:
- $50,000 for more professional development
- $55,000 for building repair and maintenance
- $31,800 for equipment, including cleaning machines
- $63,200 for technology equipment, specifically “smart boards” for classrooms in each of the town’s schools
Mascolo said these were five places where the schools have had to cut back as they received level budgets in past years. The past two years, the school system has not received an increase in its $29.1 million budget. Last year, voters rejected a spending proposal three times before approving that figure.
“I feel strongly that we need to start increasing those line items and protect our investments,” Mascolo told the board.
Mascolo and Belden said the district has been lacking in its equipment replacement plans, and said repairs are beginning to get more costly than new items in some cases.
One of the main places that has been seen, Belden said, is building maintenance.
“You can’t keep stripping things,” said board member Bruce Baker, before voting in favor of the proposal. “We just can’t keep going this way. This is our town, our buildings. We can’t watch them fall apart.”
Board member James Garofolo, who voted against the proposal, said he couldn’t support giving so much money to new technology.
“It’s an admirable goal,” Garofolo said. “But the bottom line becomes, how do we asses that the latest technology … does provide a substantial benefit and improvement in instruction and learning?”
The proposal, which was approved 7 to 2, will move to the town’s Board of Finance and Board of Selectmen for further evaluation.
