Region 9 Approves 2.3 Percent Budget Increase

While there was some debate as to whether or not the 2011-2012 school budget could be lowered even more, the Region 9 Board of Education unanimously passed a new budget of $21.7 million on Tuesday night at .

The new budget is a reduction of $52,307 from a . The new budget rests at a 2.3 percent increase. Earlier this year, Superintendent Michael Cicchetti .

Most of the most recent savings came from a just-announced retirement of a person in the special education department. The retirement saved the board $36,266.

An additional $27,081 was scrounged from health insurance savings ($8,000), reduction in summer work on English electives ($3,780), cheaper camera equipment ($2,000) and the reduction of three allocated days for the literary consultant ($2,700), among other savings.

“This is probably one of the first times that a principal will come back with a number lower than the one requested, but we’re team players, too,” said Thomas McMorran, Joel Barlow's principal.

Debate: Could it be lowered more?

The board debated whether the budget increase could be even lower.

“We haven’t done what other school districts have done, which is cut teachers and increase class sizes,” board member Judith Shapiro said.

Shapiro asked “for a severe effort…to bring this below 2.3 percent,” especially “in lieu of” increased Connecticut taxes, soaring fuel prices and an unknown aftermath of the recent disaster in Japan.

Board member Leon Karvelis cautioned about the impact more cuts might have.

“[More] cuts will change the nature of our school and our programs,” he said.

Board member Thomas Logie wondered why Easton residents pay less of Barlow's budget.

“Redding pays 52% [of the school budget], Easton pays 48%. Easton is sending more students [to JBHS] and therefore has to pay more,” he said. “We are willing to take criticism” if it comes.

“I have similar concerns to Judy’s,” board member Cathy Gombos, said, citing concerns with a nearly 4% increase at Easton’s expense. “[But] I am comfortable with 2.3 percent” if it would “maintain the quality of the school and also [help with the] incoming students from Easton,” she said, noting that enrollment for the upcoming year is to go up 5%.

Public comment

“You’re all team players, and I applaud you all,” a PTA member from Redding said.

Mike D’Agostino of Glen Hill Road asked if the pension fund was “really at 105 percent," citing a notation from a previous meeting.

“In essence,” board chair Mark Lewis, replied, “the retirement fund is at 105 percent if the board keeps paying what it’s paying.”

Joel Barlow senior updates

Currently, 81 percent of students have applied to college so far. Last year, about 89 percent of seniors applied to four-year colleges, according to one representative from JBHS. By graduation time, four-year applications should be in percentage of the high 80s.