Round two of the Superintendent’s proposed budget for the Hamden Board of Education Finance Committee took place Monday night, and according to committee chairman John Keegan, “This is not the final budget for the Board of Education, this is a proposal.”
The committee agreed the proposed 1.95 percent increase could be reduced for the 2011-12 school year, and Keegan gave proposals on how savings could be achieved. Some of those solutions include the four furlough days the clerical staff has agreed to take, an avenue many businesses are using for a savings off the top. Less overtime use for school nurses was also suggested, though they have to stay until the end of the day if there is an emergency.
There is a proposal to cut seven teacher positions -- and as many as 14 -- if the committee decides to cut Supt. of Schools Fran Rabinowitz's proposal.
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“Staff has not been notified yet,” said Rabinowitz. The superintendent proposed eliminating three elementary teachers from schools with low enrollment, one middle school teacher, three high school teachers -- one Language Arts, One Physical Education teacher and a support person -- as well as eliminating the Family Consumer Science program.
“A superintendent never wants to lose staff,” Rabinowitz said, though Keegan said he feels confident that the seven teachers who would face lay-offs would likely have jobs left vacant by resignations and retirement.
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Board member Austin Cesare said he doesn't want to see any jobs cut.
“I want to find money in the budget to keep the positions,” he said.
Board member Myron Hul strongly objected to the cut in the Language Arts department.
“What are those students going to do who are advanced French students?” he asked.
Rabinowitz assured Hul advanced French would be offered, possibly online at a cost of $700 per student, and since there are only a hand full of students involved, the cost would be minimal.
Offering Chinese to students also is a priority, but when offered it in the past it generally had low enrollment, Rabinowitz said, but that could be because of an issue with the inconsistency of a steady teacher
Retirements would save the district about $30, 000 per person and currently there are three pending retirements
“Ten would be better,” Rabinowitz said. There are currently three resignations, she said, each of which would save $50,000 for a total savings of $150,000.
Science kits were also heavily debated and the need for them questioned. Hamden elementary grades rely on these kits and students use the kits in place of text books.
The need for new library books at a cost of $74000 also was challenged. According to Keegan “Kindle is not ready or advanced enough to replace the hard book.”
Everyone agreed that Hamden schools’ going green has saved energy and the environment, a monetary savings for the Board of Education. But still, next year's budget will be the tightest in recent memory.
“Many accounts are funded under budget,” Rabinowitz said. And with the need to clear off the school building's roofs of snow, this year's budget will be stretched even more, she said. The town is currently addressing the issue of snow on the school building's roofs but who will ultimately pay for the work still needs to be determined.
The district has reduced the skating requirement as part of physical education program, eliminating the rental fee on the ice skating rink. Board members were not happy about that, but Rabinowtz said it is a necessary step.
“Nothing is free," she said.
While the full board had hoped to vote on the budget at tonight's regular meeting, that isn't going to happen. They need to work on the proposed spending plan further before sending it to the full board, the committee decided.
