Potential 'Lightning Rod' Cuts in Education

The School Board begins discussing the budget tonight, and Mayor Heather Bond Somers gave members a hint during the council meeting Tuesday of what they might be facing.

“We would love to be able to write out a big check to have everything perfectly funded for education, but we’re not going to be able to do that,” she said.

Interim Superintendent John Ramos has proposed a $76.6 million education budget for the coming fiscal year, a 5.54 percent increase over last year's spending plan.

The proposed 2013-14 budget includes increases to cover teacher salaries, employee benefits, and transportation. The added transportation spending pays for eight additional school buses needed to accommodate redistricting.

The school board has received zero percent increases in the past three years, and Ramos came up with a list of potential cuts to keep that budget at zero again. One item on the list was cutting paraprofessionals.

Councilor Bruce Flax said he doesn’t know a lot about education, but even he knows that would be ridiculous.

“To even take one of them away would be crazy,” Flax said. He said the proposed cuts make people want to rush in and tell town officials, "You can’t cut that."

Ramos said he tried to stay away from "lightning rod" issues like eliminating after school sports and others that would start a panic. He said the department came up with a list of potential cuts, after talking to building principals, administrators and  the teachers’ union.

He said none of the cuts are desirable, but federal money that previously paid for items like parprofessionals' salaries is gone.

Somers said it bothers her that no one suggests cutting an administrator, given the salaries they are paid.