Trumbull Panels Approve Reduced Bonds for Security, Turf and Technology

[Editor's Note: This story discusses school technology bonding. The other two bonds, for turf and security, will be discussed in a separate story.]

The Board of Education got firmer budget numbers after Thursday night's four-hour session between the Town Council and the Board of Finance.

That means the school board must now decide how to allocate its funds. School security and Trumbull High School turf and some district technology upgrades will be bonded after the finance board and the Council voted unanimously Thursday night.

In addition to receiving $874,000 set aside earlier this year in a separate account, the school board must pay for $574,850 of $1.36 million in technology upgrades.

The board will use operating budget funds to buy short-life items such as iPads and printers for elementary and middle schools. But $785,150 will be bonded for longer-life items including Smartboards and Elmo projectors. Trumbull High School is not included in the technology upgrade plan.

"I think there's a lot of work to be done" regarding school technology, said Board of Finance Alternate Vincent DeGennaro.

The panels also voted to replace Trumbull High School's turf field with a bond of $740,000, and implement security measures with bonding of $780,000.

Technology, Bonding and the Budget Process

DeGennaro, who said he works for Priceline and buys servers and other equipment for them, broke up the $1.36 million request into short-life and long-term items.

He also called for annual funding of technology in the school district. A report on the school district's strengths and weaknesses cited outdated technology, some of which is 10-12 years old.

The items to come from the district's operating budget include iPads. The district wants to buy iPad 2 models but DeGennaro said the items will be obsolete by the time they arrive.

"We're buying technology that already backdated. You're basically buying throwaway equipment," he said.

He suggested striking a middle course between cutting edge and outdated technology.

Town Council member Michael London said he was impressed with DeGennaro's report.

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Iassogna then noted that the district's surplus is estimated at $400,000 to $500,000, about one half of one percent of the total current education budget.

Council Vice Chairwoman Suzanne Testani asked about partnering with other districts, and First Selectman Tim Herbst said the panels are approving bonding authorizations.

$874,000

The school board decides how it allocates its funding, so it is free to use the $874,000 as it wishes. The district has not officially decided what to do with it yet.

The school board originally proposed a 4.56 percent increase but the first selectman recommended a 2.74 percent increase. That requires taking $1.862 million away.

Councilwoman Vicki Tesoro asked Iassogna how removing $1.862 million from the 2013-2014 education budget would affect the district. Removing any more than $900,000 will result in "significant cuts in programs and people" after cutting materials, he replied.

Tesoro's husband, Finance Board member Tom Tesoro, agreed. "The problem is, these discussions are late," he said.

The Town Council approved a $151.9 million budget Wednesday night before discussing the bonding proposals, which the Tesoros have criticized throughout the budget process.

Tom Tesoro called this year's budget process "the wackiest yet."

First Selectman Tim Herbst defended the process, saying a 4.56 percent increase to education would hurt residents "still reeling" from recession.

"You can't justify a 4.56 percent increase in this economy," he said.

Councilman London suggested using the $874,000 plus the education budget surplus to fund technology.

After the unanimous votes to approve the bonding, London added, "They have $1.2 million in surplus and they keep coming back for money. Give me a break," he said.

The Board of Finance will soon set the new tax rate. Taxes will increase 2.1 percent under the new budget, Herbst estimated.