School Board Members To Give 2011-12 Budget Proposal One More Look

The East Windsor Board of Education Thursday decided to discuss the proposed 2011-123 budget one more time before approving a final version.

Currently, the proposal is $19,726,451, which represents a 4.77 percent increase over the $18,828,205 2010-11 budget.

The board voted 3-2 to table the budget and discuss again during another meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

School officials said the increase in the proposed spending plan is to cover contractual obligations such as utilities and other things needed to open the buildings for the 2011-12 year. There are no salary increases in the budget, officials said.

Some board members said they want to discuss if there are any other areas that can be reduced before the budget is presented to the public for approval.

Board member Catherine Simonelli said she knows that the proposed increase is what is needed and wanted. But she thinks the board would appear to be ignoring the wishes of the public if it presents a 4.77 percent increase and won’t get that.

“I think it does us a disservice if we don’t look at it again,” Simonelli said.

Board Chairman John Pica-Sneeden disagreed saying the 4.77 percent increase is what the school system needs to maintain what is being done this year.

“I think it does a disservice to go in with less than what we have this year,” Sneeden said. “Let the town dictate to us what we’re going to cut.”

Board member William Raber said if they reduce the budget again before presenting it to the public is saying there is something to cut.

“The point is this is what we need to keep what we’ve got,” Raber said.

Board member William Schultz said to try to have some fiscal responsibility the board should see if there are more reductions possible. They may all agree there aren’t any more, he said.

“I think it’s worth that discussion,”  Schultz said.

Board member Kathleen Bilodeau said she was under the impression the board was going to hear a report about whether there was a way to include some of the eight positions on a wish list on the proposed budget.

Business Manager Linda Giuliano said if the positions were added to the current proposal it would result in a 7.4 percent increase. Staff members discussed whether there was a way to include some of the positions and keep only a 4.77 percent increase. They concluded it couldn’t be done without cutting current teachers, she said.

Acting Superintendent Carol A. Fox said school officials were criticized last year for not having a salary freeze. The contracts starting next year have no salary increases, she said.

“That’s huge,” Fox said.

Board member Leslie Hunt said the current proposal doesn’t address the more than $1 million they’ve cut from the school system during the past few years. She said two years ago the board presented a zero increase budget as requested by the town and that budget was cut by another $250,000.

“This is what we need to open the doors,” Hunt said. “We don’t have control over the heat and the electricity. Two years ago we tried to play fair.”