Politics & Government
Board of Ed Begins Crunching Budget Numbers
The Board of Education began voting on the 2011-2012 operating budget with new numbers from the city.
After receiving new numbers from the city of Stamford over the last two weeks, the began to vote on Superintendent Joshua Starr’s revised 2011-2012 operating budget Monday night. The new numbers gave the district an additional $2 million saved in insurance, pensions and other post-employment benefits, which restores many of the positions previously on the chopping block.
“It was adjusted in our favor,” Starr said of the new figures. “I based the original budget on what I knew, not what I hoped.”
Starr’s new proposal brought the budget at a 3.02 percent budget increase — the amount originally requested by the board. It proposed restoring two speech and language positions, five special education teachers, five social workers and an alternative school programs administrator that were originally proposed as cuts. The board voted to add back the two speech and language teachers and the administrator position, but in a 7:1 vote decided to only restore three social workers.
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“After careful review of the information, I believe the social workers can be redeployed more effectively,” Board president Polly Rauh said. “Three is a compromise.”
According to Starr, the district will still be able to meet its requirements by the state and the individualized education plans (IEPs) for special education students with his proposed budget.
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“We will be able to meet our requirements, but of course, we would be able to use those positions if they were restored,” Starr said. “We don’t make any cuts lightly.”
The board voted to reduce support to the DOMUS charter schools by 10 percent, a stipend for a physical education coordinator, three preschool coordinators, bilingual supplies and district-wide professional development, collectively saving an estimated $343,831.
The board received an extension from the city to deliver its budget numbers by Wednesday morning. At the end of the meeting, the board had come within 2.84 percent budget increase of its desired three percent. The board plans to finalize its budget proposal at Tuesday night’s working Board of Education meeting.
