Greenwich Ed Board OKs $139.8 M Budget

A $139,807,220 budget for the 2012-13 school year was unanimously approved by the Thursday night at .

Passage of the fiscal plan includes $60,000 for the restoration of the .8 Advanced Learning Program and $90,000 targeted to improved student achievement at the 3 elementary schools that have not or likely not to meet AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress.)

Board Chair Leslie Moriarty said the approved budget is "mindful of economic resources" and the Board now will move onto educating the various town bodies of the district's needs. She said that she believes that approval of the superintendent's budget will enable the district to address the issues identified in the achievement report both in short and long term.

The budget discussion started with board member Nancy Kail stating her support for the budget, but motioned to make the additions of the $60,000 and $90,000.

To offset the proposed additions, interim superintendent Roger Lulow had identified $60,000 within the original proposal of non-instructional savings which include $25,000 for monitoring of the expansion of the whole school improvement plan which can now be funded through Title II grant funds. Lulow said that these savings would not result in any change in the level of services provided.

The board asked the administration to propose a plan for the $90,000 at their next monthly business meeting on Jan. 19, in advance of the Feb. 9 Budget presentation to the budget committee of the BET. The plan may include a refinement of the summer school program or the addition of an instructional coach. Board member Steve Anderson, pushed for the Jan. 19 proposal, stating that he felt it important to do so in advance of the BET presentation. Several other board members agreed with his logic with new board member and secretary Adriana Ospina saying it would be politically dangerous otherwise. Kail, who originally proposed a March date, said that she would like to "fish or cut bait" and all agreed on the January date.

It was further clarified that the reinstatement of the .8 FTE in the ALP program would not result in the addition to the district's head count. Anderson specifically asked for the clarification with the concern that he did not want to impact the town's benefits costs.

The Food Services Budget was also approved 8-0 at $3,870,741.

Since Lulow unveiled his spending plan on Nov. 9, the board has held 3 budget hearings and 3 board meetings which yielded little public commentary except for a consistent group of speakers throughout the process who were focused on the ALP position.

During the PTA Council comments session, PTAC president Lisa Beth Savitz reiterated the multiple requests seeking "full restoration of personnel to the Advanced Learning Program, before what was supposed to be a one-year sacrifice becomes permanent. The interdisciplinary class in question was designed to be delivered differently than the short-staffing allows." Two additional speakers on the topic spoke Thursday evening; Kati Bennett, PTA Council ALP Committee Co-Chair, and ALP parent and representative Dr. Gaetane Francis.

Another topic that was initially addressed during public comments at the board's Nov. 17 meeting concerned tuition and fees for teachers with students enrolled in the school system. During that meeting, several teachers made impassioned pleas to keep the rates as is or even decrease them. 

According to district officials, there are 60 non-resident certified staff with 96 children attending Greenwich Public Schools. In 2011-2012, the tuition rate for a non-resident is $15,187 per student for the K-12 program (though none currently are enrolled). Certified staff are charged 15% of the full rate or $2,278. Other town employees pay 25 percent or $3,797.

Additionally, there are 4 resident and 10 non-resident certified staff members who collectively pay approximately $14,000 in pre-kindergarten tuition for 14 students. Under the new budget, all of these tuitions and fees will increase by 2.5%, consistent with the rest of the BOE budget. The approval of 2012-2013 Tuition and Fees was approved 7-0 with Board member Peter von Braun not present for the vote.

Following last evening's approval by the Board of Education, the budget now goes to the First Selectman and then the Board of Estimate of Taxation. The approval represents a 2.6 percent increase over the 2011-2012 budget of $136.3 million.