By VANESSA DE LA TORRE
Courant Staff Writer
April 2, 2008
The board of education approved a $125.4
million budget Tuesday night that restored $37,000 worth of funding for student
activities such as middle school mock trial and high school drill team.
The board made 10 changes to Superintendent David P. Sklarz's
budget for the 2008-09 school year that totaled
$131,812 in savings, lowering the increase in spending from 6.53 to 6.42
percent.
"I know it's a difficult number," said Democratic board member Harry
Captain, "but this is what it costs to support our schools."
The town council will hold a second public hearing on the proposed $215.8
million municipal budget, including the board's spending plan, at 6 p.m.
Thursday in the town hall legislative chamber.
Board Vice Chairman Jack Darcey encouraged residents
who spoke during a lengthy public comments segment to continue making their
voices heard, including members of the West Hartford Taxpayers Association who demanded that
the school district's spending be subject to a forensic audit.
The board began its work Tuesday with $425,412 in cuts because of readjustments
to costs such as transportation and workers' compensation. Then board members
voted on five separate additions to the budget that totaled $293,600, ranging
from a $5,000 college scholarship to maintaining cross country and track and
field in the middle schools. Sklarz had cut the
$34,000 interscholastic sports program in his original proposal.
The biggest added expense was $153,600 to hire extra staff to meet class size
guidelines, particularly in the elementary schools, in the event of increases
in student enrollment. A debate emerged, with three board members arguing that
the funding boost was a costly gamble, and another three contending that the
money was necessary to avoid future scrambling. After listening to both sides,
Democrat Clare Kindall wound up being the
tie-breaker.
"Class sizes is my bugaboo. ... Come September
we're going to need" the extra funding, Kindall
said.
Before the board's 6-1 vote to approve the final budget, Democratic Chairman
Terry Schmitt got teary-eyed as he spoke of the school district's
"excellence" and what that has meant for his family. Monday was
college letter acceptance day for many high school seniors, Schmitt said, and
"as a daddy sitting here, I'm a very happy daddy."
Republican Diane Mudge provided the lone dissent,
saying the budget has holes — such as a missing employee roster — and
"doesn't give us a clear picture" of spending in a district where $4
out of $5 goes toward teacher salaries and benefits.