School Board Proposes Budget Increase

The Board of Education kept an elementary school teacher, made the math supervisor a year-round position and added money for SMART Boards into the at its workshop Tuesday night. 

The budget proposed by Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Villar on Jan.12 is $30,192,498, which represents an increase of 2.99 percent, or $876,352 over the current year budget.

“I don’t have many pockets where I can cut,” Villar said at the end of the two-and-a-half-hour school board meeting. "This budget was lean coming in.”

However, the Board of Education made changes to Villar's proposed budget, bringing adding another $161,113 to it and bumping the proposed increase to 3.4 percent.

Villar said budget increases of between 3.5 to 4 percent budget are being proposed in neighboring school districts.

The school board will hold another budget workshop at 6 p.m. Thursday in the  Council Chambers at .

West Hill Elementary School Teacher

In Villar's original budget, he eliminated a third grade teacher at  to help save money. Board member Brian Dillon made a motion Tuesday night to have that teacher's position, which would cost $64,113, put back into the budget.

"I don't think anything that has come up tonight has changed my viewpoint that we do need having that teacher at the elementary school," Dillon said.

Chairwoman Raffaella Calciano-Coler agreed and asked the board, "Why would you ruin a good thing?"

Board member Maria Mennella did not want to increase the classroom size at the school and voted for the motion as well.

René “Skip” Rivard became passionate at one point during the discussion, saying teaching jobs should not be cut.

"I think what we are all here for is the kids," said Rivard, who supported the motion.  “And I think, personally, cutting faculty at the schools is a detriment. I think we should look somewhere else for cuts to the budget." 

Board member John Bedlack, who became visually upset at times, was "not ready to act" on the line item and voted against the motion along with Republican Chris Buckbee.

“Let’s not make this what is best for the students,” Bedlack explained later in the meeting. “Of course it’s all about the kids, but it is also about their families and the community.”

SMART Boards

Board member Frank K. Morse made a motion to add $40,000 to the budget for SMART Boards that would be placed in the first and second grade classrooms. The money would be enough for up to 10 boards, Villar estimated.

The board's goal is to have SMART Boards in every classroom to help with developing curriculum and simulating learning.

"Technology and kids in the classroom just makes them focused learners," said Morse, a proponent of SMART Boards. "If you put them in a classroom with a chalk board or a white board, they lose that focus."

The original proposed budget already had allocated $15,000 for the SMART Boards to be added to the third-grade classrooms. SMART Boards were placed in the fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms last year and at  the year before.

Morse added that he did not want to wait to add technology to the classroom, especially if a was not passed.

"I can't keep putting it off, putting it off in hopes for a building project that may never happen," he said. "They need that technology in there now."

Bedlack and fellow Democrat Ronald Robbins abstained and Buckbee voted against the motion.

"It's not a case of do we need the SMART Boards," Bedlack said. "It's a case of do we need them all now."

Math Supervisor

The board also made the proposed math supervisor into a full-year position after a motion by Dillon.

The supervisor, which was cut from last year's budget, would help develop curriculum and with preparations for testing. Villar originally budgeted for a math supervisor for only half of the year.

"The overwhelming majority have a math supervisor," Villar said about surrounding towns.

By making the position year-round, it added $57,000 to the $48,902 that was already allocated for the math supervisor for a total of $105,902. 

Bedlack abstained and Buckbee voted against the motion.

Library Paraprofessional

Calciano-Coler discussed keeping the  library paraprofessional, which had been cut in Villar's proposed budget.

The board may have to add the library paraprofessional, who would be paid $32,000, back into the budget at a later date because of the , Villar said.

No action was taken, and the position is not in the budget.

Reading Coaches

Administrators addressed the importance of adding reading coaches at  at the start of the meeting.

The goal of the reading coaches, which would cost $115,546 between the two positions, is to collaborate with teachers on lesson plans and instruction while offering them guidance and observing them in the classroom.

One teacher would work with kindergarten to second grade teachers and the other would assist third to fifth grade teachers. Darlene Brown, the district's coordinator of language arts, would supervise the reading coaches, who would have an advanced degree and expertise in reading. There could be eligible candidates within the district, Villar said.

The reading coaches would benefit students because they would be helping the teacher and that would affect the whole classroom instead of a small group, Villar said.

"It’s more bang for your buck," he said.

Some of the success with reading at the middle school is due to having a reading coach on staff, Villar added. The coaches would help improve the learning gap between Stevens and West Hill, he said.

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