$143 Million Budget Passes the Greenwich Board of Education

Written by Sue Rogers.

The Greenwich Board of Education unanimously approved $143.9 million budget for the coming year, at their December business meeting held Dec. 19 at Greenwich High School.

Since Superintendent William McKersie unveiled his spending plan on Nov. 7, the board has held three budget hearings and three board meetings. The budget represents a 2.1% increase over the 2013-14 budget. 

Following last night’s approval, the budget now goes to the First Selectman and then to the Board of Estimate of Taxation and the Representative Town Meeting.

During PTA Council comments, President Lisa Harkness expressed appreciation for the board’s work while encouraging the eight members “to pass an operating budget that prioritizes implementation of the Common Core (curriculum), teacher training, digital learning, and mental health.” Harkness added, “We strongly believe that this budget must provide the resources to develop, and support, strong curriculum for all levels. Differentiation as a strategy must be carefully defined, implemented and measured.” 

Other than discussing freshman board member Laura Erickson’s proposal to add two social workers to Greenwich elementary schools, which did not garner enough support to pass, much of the evening was spent discussing possible changes to the magnet school lottery process and procedures for tuition students.

Specifically, revisions to Procedure E-020.13 drew out notable public comment.  

“Greenwich is their community, not just the place they work…” 

Greenwich Education Association President Carol Sutton spoke passionately about the possibility of changing the approach to educating Greenwich Public Schools staff members’ children who do not reside in Greenwich.

Sutton stated that it was a “troubling” prospect for teachers, who look at access to the GPS education system as an incentive for both “recruitment and retention of quality teachers…and it works.” Sutton said, “GEA is not asking for more school choice than residents have nor do they expect such,” calling the district’s tuition policy a valuable one “not a right.” So valuable in fact, Sutton stressed that the tuition in access allows staff “to be so much more than employees.”  

Greenwich High School Math teacher Lori Mulligan said, “I love, love, love teaching our children.” Mulligan said she chose Greenwich over job opportunities in Darien and Westport because of the diversity and excellence of GPS, as well as that the “tuition program made it possible for me to work in Greenwich.” She pointed to Tuesday’s weather as an example in which a Greenwich colleague had to utilize a “sick day” as Norwalk schools were closed and then when Stamford called for an early release during Tuesday mid-morning other co-workers were scrambling. 

Board Chair Barbara O’Neill called for a ‘sense of the meeting’ resolution on a $92,788 proposal earmarked for students K-3 who are not reading at goal, to attend summer school at the free/reduced lunch rate. O’Neill pointed to the board’s elementary school level literacy goal and felt the proposal is “in our best interest (as an) economical way of dealing with students” who are not performing. 

In the end, six board members supported O’Neill’s suggestion with Peter Sherr and Peter von Braun in opposition of the resolution.

During Council comments, Harkness foreshadowed the revival of the capital budget discussion, when she asked the board “to request interim funds to proceed with the New Lebanon feasibility study this year” while also reinforcing the Council’s “support (of) capital investments that ensure that each of our 15 schools are well maintained and provide healthy learning environments.”

Later in the meeting, Board Vice Chair Jennifer Dayton called for $100,000 to be added to the 2014-15 Capital Budget to conduct the feasibility study at New Lebanon School. “We would like this to make this through the Capital CIP process,” Dayton said.

The board's managing director of operations Ben Branyan told the board they could expect a presentation at the end of February which will show visually the deficiencies that exist within New Lebanon School.

Tuition Students and Magnet School Lottery
McKersie said, “this is a tough one, for parents and staff.” One of the undercurrents impacting the problem is a enrollment issue at Eastern Middle School, which is operating at close to capacity. One administrator recommended a change to Procedure E-051.15 which suggests “beginning with students admitted to magnet schools in 2014-2015, require attendance at the middle school in their area of residence (eliminate choice of middle school if attending a magnet school located in another middle school attendance area).”

Assistant Superintendent John Curtin said the recommendations were being proposed now to provide needed transparency so that “people know what the rules are.” Curtin pointed out that North Mianus School is on a “convenient and direct route for staff members coming from Stamford.”

Also, if the population at Old Greenwich School increases, there would be not enough room at Eastern. The only option would be to increase class size at the town’s largest middle school. In order to minimize the possibility of overcrowding at Cos Cob, North Mianus and Eastern Middle School, the district is proposing to revise Procedure E-020.13 Tuition Students, which proposes placing tuition students in schools that are currently underutilized.

The procedure would be reviewed annually and updated based on the latest enrollment projection. Restrict the admission of new elementary tuition students to Old Greenwich, North Street and Parkway. New elementary tuition students placed at Old Greenwich would continue on to Eastern Middle School.

 Restrict the admission of new middle school tuition students to Central Middle School and Western Middle School.

• ·  Staff members would continue to be able to apply for available seats at district magnet schools through the magnet school lottery. Tuition students admitted through the lottery to International School at Dundee would continue on to Eastern Middle School.
  ·  All staff tuition students currently placed in the Greenwich Public Schools would be “grandfathered” through the end of middle school assuming space is available. 

McKersie said the administration would consider the points made by board members and heard during the public comment to work out “the kinks” of the recommendations and that the administration would “sand down the rough spots.”  With magnet schools open houses in the district occurring in early January, the clock is ticking regarding the time to make changes to the current procedures and policies.