Hartord Courant

Hartford Courant

Residents Criticize School Spending Plan

By FULVIO CATIVO
Courant Staff Writer

March 29 2007

WEST HARTFORD -- Town residents took aim at busing expenses, administrative salaries and wage increases for school district employees at a public hearing Wednesday night on the superintendent's proposed $122.1 million budget for next school year.

The spending plan, which proposes a 7.59 percent increase in spending for the 2007-08 school year, spurred numerous residents, seniors and parents of school children to speak out as the board of education held its last meeting before a vote on the budget next week.

Most of the 20 residents who spoke Wednesday night were against the proposed spending increase, with several demanding that the board make significant cuts to the budget.

Some residents took issue with what they called "top heavy" administrative salaries and $240,000 allocated for next school year to provide busing for high school juniors and seniors who choose to start the school day later as part of the district's flexible start time proposal.

Board members said little to residents during the meeting, but clarified later that many of the budget increases are driven by contractual obligations with several unions in the school system.

Judy Aron, a member of the town's taxpayers' association and a Republican legislative candidate last November for the 18th House District, told the school board during the hearing that West Hartford residents were being hit from all sides for their money.

"The taxpayers in this town just can't take it any more," she said.

George Kennedy, a 1958 graduate of Conard High School, said the rate of increase in the school district's annual budgets is making living in West Hartford unaffordable.

"You are going to drive seniors - like myself - out of town," he told the board.

A handful of residents spoke in full support of the budget and asked the board to withstand calls to cut funds.

Some residents gave varying levels of support to the budget, with a few asking the board to look carefully at its expenses, advocating for their children's schools. Among this group were several parents who asked school officials to not cut funding for technological upgrades at Smith School and Charter Oak Academy.

The two elementary magnet schools are the subject of ongoing discussions between the state and the school system due to racial imbalance in the two institution's students populations.

The board will meet Wednesday and vote to adopt the budget. The meeting will be held in town hall's Legislative Chamber, Room 314, at 7 p.m.

Contact Fulvio Cativo at fcativo@courant.com.