The Board of Education cut $325,000 from its 2008-2009 budget, leaving the public schools with a $39.73 million spending plan for the coming fiscal year.
Superintendent of Schools Randall Collins said last week that while any budget reductions are tough, this budget season “was a good process.”
“It’s hard to be upset when we know there is a revaluation,” he said. “Over the years the taxpayers have been very generous with the schools.”
The big ticket reductions included a $122,316 savings not filling vacant positions in the next year, $121,240 in technology equipment, and the board decided to postpone adding $125,000 in health insurance costs until the 2009-2010 fiscal year.
Other cuts included $24,520 in school supplies, $10,000 in special education tutors, and $6,000 in new software.
Despite the cuts, Collins highlighted the programs the school board decided to keep.
“We left full-day kindergarten alone,” he said. “We also decided to keep the gifted and talented programs.”
Collins added that the G&T programs would be “revamped.”
“We did not cut programs,” he said.
News and Notes
While the new Quaker Hill School is in the same locations as its predecessor, the building scheduled to open in the fall will have a new
address, 235 Bloomingdale Road.
The old address was on Old Norwich Road.
School board President Donald Blevins and Waterford High School Principal Donald Macrino presented WHS students Samantha Strong and Kyle Turnier with the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education Student Leadership Awards.
The school board voted to place signage around school construction sites notifying passersby that they might be recorded by a surveillance camera.
“You might end up on YouTube doing something you’re not supposed to be doing,” Collins joked.
Collins announced that ground will be broken on the Great Neck School renovation on June 16.
Also, a ceremony for retiring school staff will be held in the Board of Education offices in Town Hall on June 12. The ceremony will begin at 4 p.m.