BOE budget adjustments
The NHRs Luther Turmelle reports on the BOEs budget adjustment discussions:
while Florio and Peter Massey predicted layoffs and program cuts if the council made any additional reductions from the $58.8 million that Town Manager Michael Milone recommended for 2008-09, Florio’s recommendation on how to achieve the council’s financial mandate didn’t explicitly call for any layoffs. Some of the reduction in money for teachers’ salaries will be achieved through retirements, Florio told the school board as he presented his recommendations last week.
FWIW, during the budget discussion of '04/'05 (the zero budget + $234,000), the predictions were for 20-25 teacher layoffs. But in the end* there were eight positions that went unfilled through attrition. There were no layoffs. And, IMO, there's a big difference between layoffs and attrition.
The article continued with some common sense words from one BOE member:
“If we had a dramatic increase in enrollment, we could justify adding staff,” said Alan Sobol, a Republican board member. “But enrollments are down and these are tough times.”
Tim White
* "The end" was after I finally got a solid answer to my question "How many teachers do we have?"... which took about three months, if I recall correctly.
23 comments:
Sobol is right on with his comments. No one will be laid off..retirements are something like 16 this year - way more than Florio predicted in January.
More money was reduced from the medical trust fund and Florio says they should still be able to meet the claims next year..what does that tell you?
The schools are hurrying to spend the rest of the money in the 07-08 budget - if it isn't all absolutely necessary spending, why don't they roll it over to next year's budget or put it in that contigency account they talked about at their May 1st meeting?
Enrollment is down - spending is still going up - and Florio is happily going to the bank with his $160,000 salary (which is more than Waterbury's superintendent gets and he has many more students and many more problems).
Instead of trimming money from instructional supplies (books) or online tutoring, why not cut out all the catering that they pay for with tax dollars. Full breakfast spreads at all professional development days; quiche, bagels, fruit etc at different "appreciation" events (for teachers, volunteers, etc).; silly pen & pencil sets or clocks, canvas briefcases, etc.
It all just adds to the cost and does not directly benefit the students.
Whatever happened to teachers eating breakfast at home and then going to work; or people volunteering to bring in baked goods? Why do the taxpayers have to pay for all this stuff?
10:44
Lets not get that petty. I think you are overstating it a little bit. I am all for saving money, but we are not feeding these teachers everyday.
I don't believe that is where we will be saving the money we need to save.
"I think you are overstating it a little bit."
So what's not accurate? What's being overstated?
Even if it's not a lot of money, the spending pattern and attitude towards fiscal responsibility are exemplified here.
The goodies should be cut along with other unnecessary spending which might be much more significant.
The same mode of operation by the Supt and his blind supporters, cut the items that are the most inflammatory to the uninformed parents. Take the money out of teachers salaries based on the already known retirement. The salary difference between a retiring teacher and a new hire is significant, multiplied by 13 retirements.
Come on people.....
you're complaining about bagels and donuts.
We have bigger issues.
Do you know for a fact that those bagels and donuts are being purchased by the BOE?
I know several teachers who chip in to a fund to get food for meetings.
I really think it is petty to pick apart that out of a $54 million budget.
Lets not focus on the petty things until we fix the bigger problem.
They have plenty of money. They got everything they wanted or else there would have been hundreds of students and teachers at the TC meetings. I wish I could see all that is being spent right now. Every year the expenditures come within a few hundred dollars of the budgeted amount. I wonder how they are so great at budgeting?
Tim- can you ask for a report that shows end of year spending to see if they are using up funds at end of year instead of carrying it forward. My mother in law taught in Cheshire for 26 yrs and said they always told staff to spend available funds so they dont lose them.
Also check and see how much was spent on donuts.
Don't get all worked up over donuts etc. Look for the big money that is being spent(not on the students).
That has been my point!
We need to see why they use every penny allowed and keep asking for more.
Yes the boe is charged for catering events. It's a lot more than many of you think. Just ask Florio or call the Office of Nutrition as they do nearly all the catering.
I'd rather see them buying books/supplies for the kids rather than donuts, quiches, etc for the teachers.
My mother in law taught in Cheshire for 26 yrs and said they always told staff to spend available funds so they dont lose them.
Your mother in law was exactly right! Yes they spend all the money given to them...they'll claim they have to as they have to end up with a -0- balance...can't show a profit.
Right now there's a bunch of desks tables etc out by the dumpsters...wouldn't be surprised if the shipment of new stuff arrives soon.
I really think it is petty to pick apart that out of a $54 million budget.
It's more like 58 million, but what's a few million, huh.
I believe, also, that the superintendent spends about 70% of his budget by January and the balance of 30% in these last few months of school.
It would make sense to stop and ask if this 30% is absolutely necessary. But we don't do anything that makes much sense it seems.
"Florio is happily going to the bank with his $160,000 salary (which is more than Waterbury's"
Overpaid by at least $70,000.
Elect new people to the BOE and TC. This picnic has to stop. When questions get asked the Supt gets mad???
Ain't that the truth.
"It's more like 58 million, but what's a few million, huh"
Just my point, why are we worried aboud donuts when there are bigger issues in the budget? I am sure there are many ways to cut and perhaps we need to look into why the majority of their spending is done in the last quarter....
According to the article in the Herald, when questioned about declining enrollment and cutting the teachers salary line item, Florio said "May is not the time to talk about cutting teachers". I want to know when is a good time? The board is appropriating funds for the next fiscal year so when does Florio think a discussion would be appropriate? If we have 16 teachers retiring there is absolutely no reason to replace all the teachers. I also read since we have a record number of teachers and staff Sobol was against adding the two teachers Florio requested. Are we nuts? Adding teachers? When is the BOE going to get off their backsides and do their jobs? We have two BOE members who are asking hard questions the rest are nothing more than rubber stamps for Florio and are not worth the space they take up.
Vote them out. They do nothing is 100% correct. When are the people in this Town going to wake up?
It speaks volumes that the teacher union president was not at the final budget approval town council meeting but Mr. Florio was.
He's been acting more like a union president than a school superintendent. He has little regard for the taxpayer. We need a more fiscally responsible person at the helm. The board should begin looking for one now.
Sobol may be good with a buck, but he has no clue on curriculum. Most teachers are not interchangeable. Ya can't just not hire a replacement teacher for a retiree. I don't think Florio makes that much, check your abacus. Seems to me that the BOE has been the same for the past 15 years or so, the only difference is like everything else, they cost more today.
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